Story By: TOM BLATTLER / DODGE – AUBURN HILLS, MI – Veteran Andres Bakkerud, despite fighting strep throat and a 104-degree fever, scored a sensational “clean sweep” with two Group E feature victories in his Monster Energy Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X electric-powered racecar, leading a Dodge 1-2 finish each day in Nitrocross Series rounds three and four at Utah Motorsports Campus.
The two main event wins for the Norway native were Bakkerud’s first in over a year and the second and third triumphs for the new Dodge brand in the 2024-25 Nitrocross campaign. Competing on a fast 1.732 miles of pavement and dirt on the course near Salt Lake City, Bakkerud proved to be the class of the Group E field at the most challenging course on the entire Nitrocross tour, with a 100-foot gap jump and high-banked turns.
Bakkerud started out the weekend by setting the fastest lap and then winning his heat race, semifinal and final on Saturday at the controls of his No. 13 Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X machine, finishing up with a one-second victory over his DRR Dodge teammates Robin Larsson and Oliver Eriksson.
In Sunday action, Bakkerud repeated his Saturday performance with wins in the preliminary competition and jumped to the lead in the finale from his front row starting position. He never looked back with a two-second margin over Larsson at the checkered flag to complete a spectacular doubleheader sweep.
“It’s been tough times, and this year was all about getting back and having fun again,” said Bakkerud. “In the first Nitrocross weekend, I was having some bad luck in the finals. I was ready for Utah. But I caught strep throat on Thursday and a 104-degree fever. I was shaking, my hands, fingers, toes and everything, then getting penicillin and resting. Friday and Saturday in the final, we had the ‘holeshot’ into turn one and it felt good from there. The sun was so low that it was tough to see in the last few corners.
“In the Sunday race, I got a good run from the second starting position. It had more grip, and I was able to get by Robin into turn one. But it was a difficult race with the tight corners, and the racing was very close on this track. I’m just really happy to get back in the winner’s circle this weekend.”
Larsson’s two runner-up finishes vaulted him back into the Group E points lead as the series heads to Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona, for rounds five and six on Nov. 15-16.
“Overall, those were such tough finals to drive, with the position of the sun,” said Larsson, Group E round one final winner last month at Richmond, Virginia. “It was terrible, but I just followed Bakkerud, and he really enjoyed that win. It was a one-two for the team, and I’m just chasing that consistency like I did in the last two years. P2 is good. You always want to win, but, for the championship, a P2 is really nice. Good points. A solid day for the team and for me.”
In addition to the 1-2 finishes by Bakkerud and Larsson, their DRR Dodge teammates Fraser McConnell of Jamaica and local star Lia Block scored top five final finishes this weekend with McConnell fourth on Saturday and Block fifth on Sunday.
“That was the craziest final for me on Sunday,” said Block, who resides in nearby Park City, Utah. “It ended very chaotic for me, and I got spun around. But I wanted to get to finish line. I’m glad to get a top five finish for DRR and Dodge.”
DRR team owner Dennis Reinbold couldn’t have asked for a better 1-2 weekend with Bakkerud and Larsson dominating the Group E action, and his younger drivers putting in strong showings as well at a challenging circuit.
“We knew that the Utah track is the most demanding course we run during the Nitrocross season,” Reinbold said. “To be honest, we weren’t sure how Andreas would perform with his illness. But he fought off that sickness as well as the on-track competition this weekend. He hasn’t had the best luck in the past year and the whole DRR team feel so good for him to get the wins here in Utah. Robin was his usual strong runner and took over the points lead. And Fraser and Lia continue to show their talent and potential here. We are looking forward to the next two rounds in Phoenix next month now.”
The Nitrocross series is televised live on Rumble.com and Fox Sports 1.
Dodge Hornet
The Dodge Hornet disrupts the fast-growing compact utility vehicle (CUV) segment, building buzz with a distinctive Dodge combination of muscular styling wrapped around best-in-class standard performance from a multi-energy powertrain roster and a swarm of class-exclusive performance features. The Dodge Hornet R/T performance hybrid — the first-ever electrified performance vehicle from Dodge — delivers the most powerful utility vehicle in the segment with 288 horsepower and 383 lb.-ft. of torque, offering 32 miles of all-electric range via a 15.5-kWh lithium-ion battery, as well as 77 MPGe and 360 miles of total range.
The Hornet R/T carries extra sting with a class-exclusive, on-demand PowerShot feature that supplies a burst of 30 horsepower, reaching 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, while the Dodge Hornet GT reaches 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds in Sport Mode. The Dodge Hornet GT is the industry’s fastest and most powerful gas-powered compact utility vehicle. Fueled by the Hurricane4 engine, a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four cylinder, the GT boasts the segment’s most powerful gas engine at 268 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque.
Dodge//SRT
For 110 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of the segments in which the brand competes while moving forward to a future that includes electrified muscle in the form of the next-generation, all-new Dodge Charger.
The next-generation Dodge Charger electrifies a legend, with the Charger retaining its title as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car led by the all-new, all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack. The all-new Dodge Charger will also offer performance choices via multi-energy powertrain options including the 550-horsepower Dodge Charger SIXPACK H.O., powered by the 3.0L Twin Turbo Hurricane High Output engine.
Dodge also keeps its foot on the gas as a pure performance brand with the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever, and best-in-class standard performance in the compact utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet.
Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news, including daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise.
Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis (NYSE: STLA).
Mopar
Mopar is the global name for Stellantis genuine parts and authentic accessories.
A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over more than 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.
Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.