Nissan Patrol Closes in on FIA T2 Class

The FIA's World Championship for Cross-Country Rallies is dominated at the highest level of the sport by your well known Dakar entrants and efforts with Nasser Al-Attiyah, Carlos Sainz, Jean-Luis Schlesser, etc.  These entrants are in the T1 class for "prototype" cross-country vehicles.

The T2 class however is for production based vehicles and it is here where Nissan is leading the pack with a Nissan Patrol (known in the US as the Infiniti QX80).  Driver Adel Abdulla had taken a win in Abu Dhabi and had a 4th Qatar earlier this year and enters the 4th event of the season in Italy this weekend 12 points out of the T2 lead behind Yasir Seaidan and his Toyota LandCruiser.  With Yasir having two Dakars under his belt, he certainly has the experience to take the overall win...though the change in terrain from the deserts of the Mid-East to the tighter, rockier terrain of Italy may be an equalizer.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/sports/qatar-sport/385653/qatar-s-adel-aims-to-grab-lead-in-italy

You can follow the Italian Baja here:  http://www.italianbaja.it/?lang=en

This event will also include American Bryce Menzies behind the wheel of a XRaid Mini as he continues to prep for what is anticipated to be a Red Bull backed effort at Dakar '17 under the Mini banner.

Return of Red Bull Frozen Rush!

Remember back earlier this year when I attended and covered for OffRoad.com the Red Bull Frozen Rush event up at Mt. Snow?

Well, looks like Red Bull liked the event enough to put it on again.

This time at a bigger ski area and with EIGHT trucks racing each other rather than just one for demonstration purposes!

The 2014 version will feature both '13 Frozen Rush alum Ricky Johnson plus his Menzies Motorsports teammate Bryce Menzies (he of Baja, short course and Global Rallycross fame) and I guess six other invitees!!  Who will get the invite??  Likely other Menzies and Red Bull drivers such as Travis Pastrana (I'm guessing) who have short course truck experience.

The course will be gated (like a ski race course) and trucks will compete against one other vehicle at a time in a single elimination format.  Relocating the event to Sunday River in Maine gives the event a good deal more real estate to work with, a better chance of good snow conditions and putting it on a Friday in the middle of Sunday River's "College Week" virtually guarantees a good/rowdy crowd of target age consumers--though it does move the event a bit farther geographically.

So Ricky wasn't just blowing smoke when he said that having a full race on the snow with these trucks would be a really cool idea and Red Bull and Menzies look to make it happen.  I'm already looking to book that day off and attend!

Red Bull Frozen Rush 2014!!

Bryce Menzies Coming to GRC...

Saw this in a UNLV article today.  It appears as if Bryce has signed on with Travis Pastrana's racing team to run in the Global RallyCross events in '13.  Its a good fit for both as Bryce is also backed by Red Bull and has been a Dodge driver for some time as well.

It will be interesting to see how the GRC schedule fits with his short-course and desert racing schedule and if there is a conflict, which one gets dropped (I'm betting GRC).  Certainly the Menzies have the financial backing to support his effort and put him near the top of the field in terms of on site resources.  Bryce is no slouch behind the wheel either with time spent at O'Neil's Rallyschool and being declared one of the best drivers to come through that facility by its lead instructor.  It will be interesting to see what a full season (or nearly so) of time behind the wheel of the GRC Dodge Dart at a primarily an asphalt based series (if its in any way similar to the courses set up in '12) will produce for Bryce.

The other interesting part here is Bryce's interest in the Dakar.  Given that the winners (car and bike), on a combined points basis, of the Baja 500 and Reno 500 later this year will receive a free entry to the '14 Dakar for the first time, I'm betting that this is what Bryce is aiming for.  Additionally, I'm sure Red Bull would be a big fan of his entrance into the Dakar as a young, up and coming American racer.  Regardless, it should be a busy year for the Menzies crew trying to support a short course, SCORE, BITD, and now GRC efforts (with Dakar possibly thrown in for S's and giggles).  You certainly can fault them for sitting on their laurels!

UNLV Article...