LEXINGTON, Ohio (October 4, 2019) – The second-ever Americas Rallycross (ARX) Champion will be crowned this weekend in the 2019 season finale at the Cooper Tires ARX of Mid-Ohio in what is set to be one of the most dramatic finales in recent rallycross history.
The ARX season began at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June, where since, in visits to World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres and the Circuit of The Americas, four different drivers have stood on the top step of the podium.
As the Supercar teams return to Mid-Ohio for the final round, any one of the eight entered drivers could win the last event of the year, as Andretti Rallycross’ Tanner Foust leads the championship standings by 17 points, following wins in Canada and last weekend at ARX of Austin at COTA.
Second to Foust’s No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle R last weekend and in the points standings is Swedish driver Patrik Sandell, who took his first ARX win with Subaru Motorsports USA’s WRX STI in Round 3, the second event of a double-header back in July.
Just two points behind Sandell in the standings is his Australian teammate, Chris Atkinson, who won Round 2 at Gateway. The pair are joined for the second weekend in a row by FIA World Rallycross Championship title-contender Andreas Bakkerud, from Norway, driving the No.13 WRX STI, and Finnish driver Joni Wiman, who won the 2014 U.S. Rallycross championship and finished on the World RX podium in his return to the sport this year in Belgium.
Both drivers showed front-running pace last weekend at COTA, with Bakkerud taking the lead of the final after the first turn and having a battle for a podium finish throughout the race.
Loenbro Motorsports’ Steve Arpin arrives at Mid-Ohio fourth in the points, but only just behind Sandell and Atkinson with the redeveloped Ford Fiesta ST. Further development work with the car in Round 5 down in Austin and this week at the team’s shop in Charlotte, NC gives Arpin confidence that he and rising-star teammate Travis PeCoy – who both finished on the podium in Round 1 at Mid-Ohio – can challenge for a victory this weekend.
Like PeCoy, Andretti Rallycross’ Cabot Bigham has stepped up to ARX Supercar from the official support series, ARX2, this year, and has impressed with his pace. In an up-and-down season, he finished second to Foust in an Andretti 1-2 in Canada and was in podium contention last weekend until contact before the first turn forced a DNF.
Like all of the ARX competitors, Bigham heads to the final round at the 0.761-mile, 60% asphalt / 40% Mid-Ohio dirt course hoping to end his season on a high.
Live coverage of the final weekend of the 2019 season begins at 11:55 a.m. ET on FB.com/ARXRallycross and on the all-new ARX app, available on the Apple App Store and on the Google Play Store. Saturday’s ARX2 Semi-finals and Finals coverage begins at 3:25 p.m., where Fraser McConnell can clinch the ARX2 Championship. The ARX season-final Semi-Finals and Final on Sunday begins at 1:55 p.m. ET.
Television coverage from the Cooper Tires ARX of Mid-Ohio airs on Wednesday, October 9 at 9:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
HISTORIC WEEKEND IN ARX2 CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE HORIZON
LEXINGTON, Ohio (October 4, 2019) – History will be made in the final weekend of the 2019 ARX2 season at the Cooper Tires ARX of Mid-Ohio.
The single-make ARX2 Championship standings are led by DirtFish Motorsports’ Fraser McConnell. If the Jamaican can maintain his championship lead and come out on top at the conclusion of the final double-header weekend of the season, not only will he become the second-ever ARX2 Champion, but the first Jamaican driver to win a major rallycross title.
McConnell put one hand on the champion’s trophy by winning at the Circuit of The Americas last weekend, but in the hotly contested official support category, the fight for the podium places at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will be fierce.
Second in the points is Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Cole Keatts, who is still hunting for his first victory of the season and retired from second-place in the final last week in Austin, Texas with a technical issue. His teammate and reigning ARX2 Champion, Conner Martell, returned after missing the opening rounds and won twice at the ARX of Gateway back in July. He is third in the standings, just ahead of Alex Keyes.
Buhl Sport driver Keyes picked up where he left off in the 2018 season with a victory in the opening round of the year at Mid-Ohio. Clearly at home at the new Midwest facility, Keyes will be in the mix this weekend and looking to make up ground after being forced to miss the double-header at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres in Canada after heavy damage back in July’s ARX of Gateway.
DRR’s Gray Leadbetter is fifth in the championship standings and has become a regular finalist in recent events. She lost out of a podium position after a spin on Lap 1 at COTA and is eyeing her first rallycross career podium in the last weekend of the season.
IndyCar driver Sage Karam has made selected appearances through 2019 in the DRR stable and always been on pace with series regulars. He finished second last weekend in Austin, the same position he’s scored at the opening two races of the year. He returns to Mid-Ohio aiming for his first rallycross win.
DRR’s Lane Vacala and Loenbro Motorsports’ Michael Leach will be pushing hard to end their years on a high note. Leach graduated from the entry-level ARX3 series for the second weekend at Gateway and gained valuable experience in the four-wheel driver 310bhp ARX2 class. Meanwhile, experienced circuit driver Vacala joined ahead of the Canadian rounds in August and competed in Loheac, France with the International RX2 Championship.
McConnell has an opportunity to clinch the championship beginning on Saturday. Live coverage of the final weekend of the 2019 season begins at 11:55 a.m. ET on FB.com/ARXRallycross and on the all-new ARX app, available on the Apple App Store and on the Google Play Store.
Television coverage from the Cooper Tires ARX of Mid-Ohio airs on Wednesday, October 9 at 9:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
