GRC
Your Complete Guide to Global Rallycross Austin
The drivers, the cars, the storylines, and everything else you need to know to watch the GRC.
Home is where X Games is for Travis Pastrana.
© Christian Pondella
The second stop of the 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross season is in Austin, Texas, the new home of the X Games. The GRC race will be part of the X Games schedule, running this Saturday, June 7, at Circuit of the Americas, home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix.
Scott Speed took the first round of the season a couple of weekends ago in Barbados, but don't waste your time looking at that outcome in trying to forecast the race in Austin. The X Games will be an entirely different beast. There are more cars and new drivers. There's the big stage of the X Games and a new track to deal with.
Just as we did before the Barbados race, here's a quick preview of the GRC race in Austin.
What's Different in Austin
1. Six new drivers, including reigning GRC champion Toomas Heikkinen, will race for the only time in the series at X Games.
2. The Lites will take to the track with 16-year-old Mitchell DeJong looking to continue his momentum from his win at the recent FIA World Rallycross race at Lydden Hill in England.
3. It's the X Games. Drivers seem to press on the gas pedal a bit more during the X Games, which could lead to some interesting races. Keep in mind that several of the drivers in Austin will not be racing the rest of the season, so they may go for broke. The regular GRC drivers, however, may be happy to leave Austin with some solid points under their belts.
What We Learned from Barbados
We learned that ex-Formula One driver Scott Speed (Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross) knows how to capitalize on mistakes. If you give him an opening, as Joni Wiman did in Barbados, Speed will take it and never look back.
We learned that Ken Block (Hoonigan Racing Division), who's best known for his wild Gymkhana viral videos, will go for broke, no matter the consequence. But Block is also a seasoned rally car driver with plenty of experience on the world stage. And he won't be fazed by the grandeur of the X Games.
We learned that rookie Joni Wiman (Olsbergs MSE) is really fast, but is still a rookie. His double Joker lap in the finals in Barbados resulted in a 10-second penalty, gifting Speed the lead.
We learned that former GRC champion Tanner Foust (Rockstar Rally Team) is prone to a similar rookie mistake. You can bet he won't take the Joker lap twice at the X Games -- or the rest of the season.
1 min
Barbados Red Bull Global Rallycross Highlights
The 2014 GRC season opened with a crazy final round of racing, filled with drama and mistakes.
How to Watch: ESPN and ABC
Red Bull Global Rallycross at X Games Austin will air live at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and continue on ABC at 2:00 p.m. ET.
The Track: Circuit of the Americas
The Circuit of the Americas, better known to race fans as CoTA, was originally designed to host Formula One and now hosts a series of race events, including MotoGP, throughout the year. GRC will utilize the road track as well as the infield for the more traditional side of rallycross.
Block rolled his car in the final.
© Alison Padron
The Drivers in Austin
Contenders
Toomas Heikkinen -- Last year's GRC champ has chosen not to compete in this year's series, but he proved last year that he's a serious threat every time he's on the track.
Liam Doran -- He's a wild card. Capable of winning every race, but at the same time has an ability to go for it when not necessary.
Scott Speed -- He'll be looking to back up his victory in Barbados with a win in Austin.
Ken Block -- His car is the fastest, that is assuming it's been fully restored in time after his crash in Barbados.
Tanner Foust -- He's not going to make the same mistakes he made in race one. Tanner might just win this one.
Challengers
Travis Pastrana -- With Pastrana, it's all about focus. He has the natural ability, and experience to win, but will he'll be ready to race?
Joni Wiman -- He's still a challenger until he proves he can avoid making rookie mistakes. But it's worth noting, he's quickly getting a reputation for being fast.
Brian Deegan -- X Games is his second home. He does well no matter how he's feeling coming into the event.
Ricky Johnson -- This may be his first race at X Games in a rally car, but if RJ is behind the wheel, he has a shot at winning. He's won seven AMA national championships and a Pro 2WD Trophy Truck championship. Most recently, Johnson won the 2014 Red Bull Frozen Rush.
Joni Wiman acclimating with the X Games track.
© Christian Pondella
4 Key Storylines to Look For
1. Will Deegan retaliate against Wiman? Deegan, whose nickname is "The General," was not happy with the rookie in Barbados after Wiman spun him in the final lap of the last race. The General is not the type of person to let these things go.
2. Did Wiman learn from his rookie mistakes? We hope so, because it will be interesting to watch him mix it up with the front runners.
3. What type of shape will Ken Block's car be in?
4. How will the impact of the largest field in Red Bull GRC history translate to a quality weekend of racing? Stay tuned.
For the latest drama behind developing rivalries, race results, driver information, and breaking news head over to the official Red Bull Global Rallycross site.
