With the thrilling inaugural season of Nitro’s Group E Rallycross season drawing to a close, Vermont SportsCar (VSC) announced it is expanding its Group E team by acquiring two more FC1-X electric race cars, doubling its total number of entries to a total of four in the series.

As a technical partner of Subaru of America, VSC has led the brand in rallying and rallycross for the last two decades. The team earned the Nitro RX Team Championship in 2021 with Travis Pastrana and Scott Speed. In 2022, independent of Subaru, VSC fielded their own Group E team – a single-make category using the 1000 horsepower, all-electric, all-wheel-drive FC1-X, a car described as the most capable rallycross car ever built.

VSC entered a two-car team with Pastrana and Conner Martell, with Pastrana becoming the first driver to win multiple races in the 2022-23 season. Martell has been a regular front-runner and secured second in a historic one-two finish for the team in Phoenix earlier in the season.

Plans for the additional two vehicles are being evaluated for the upcoming 2023-24 season. Options include additional drivers joining the team, or running an additional team for an external partner. This expansion in the Group E field comes as rallycross enjoys a resurgence in the United States, with grids at their biggest for several years.

“The interest level we are seeing for Nitro RX Group E is very high and we are exploring all options to expand and grow with the series,” said Vermont SportsCar founder and president Lance Smith. “What Nitro RX has put together has been exceptional: between the quality of the racing, the track design, the TV package, and the cars themselves, it’s a compelling formula that we believe in.”

The FC1X was designed with car manufacturers in mind, as the series allows for custom bodywork to be fit to the FC1X. NRX consulted with several manufacturers during the car’s development. In addition to custom bodywork provision Nitro Rallycross has also formulated a multi-year technical roadmap to begin the option for car manufacturers to phase in their own technologies on the FC1-X.

“We are having exciting discussions with several manufacturers regarding their involvement in Nitro Rallycross,” said Brett Clarke, president of Nitro Rallycross. “From the beginning, we have worked with First Corner to design the FC1-X to incorporate the bodywork of numerous SUV and CUV models from manufacturers around the globe.

“That adaptability, along with the FC1-X’s boundary-breaking performance, makes it a compelling marketing platform for OEMs as EV momentum continues to accelerate.”

A number of the world’s top drivers have already raced the car in competition, attracting talent not only from rallycross but also the World Rally Championship, NASCAR and Formula 1 circuits.

VSC will make announcements about their Group E plans in the coming months.

For inquiries about becoming involved with VSC’s Group E expansion team, contact Chris Yandell at cyandell@vtcar.com