Nitrocross Round Three has come to an end. Robin Larsson took home the event win on the final day of Nitrocross Utah.
Qualifiers
Group One
Andreas Bakkerud, Conner Martell and Benito Guerra battled in the first qualifier group. Andreas Bakkerud took the win to advance to the next round. Setting a time 0.18 seconds faster than Round Two top qualifier Conner Martell.
Group Two
Oliver Eriksson, Fraser McConnell, Tanner Foust and Round 2 winner Travis Pastrana faced off in the second qualifier group. Oliver Eriksson set a time 0.477 seconds faster than Fraser McConnell to take the win and advance to the next round. Tanner Foust finished third, 1.093 seconds slower than McConnell.
Group Three
Kevin Eriksson, Robin Larsson, Oliver Bennett and Conor Daly battled in the third and final qualifier group. Kevin Eriksson took home the win to advance to the next round. Posting a time 2.52 seconds faster than Robin Larsson to advance to the next round. Oliver Bennett finished third, 0.797 seconds slower than Larsson.
Qualifier Finals
Andreas Bakkerud, Oliver Eriksson and Kevin Eriksson battled for the top qualifier belt. Championship leader Kevin Eriksson set a time 0.971 seconds faster than Andreas Bakkerud to win the top qualifier belt. Oliver Eriksson finished third, 0.624 seconds slower than Bakkerud.
Heats
Group One
Benito Guerra, Oliver Bennett, Travis Pastrana and Fraser McConnell battled in the first heat group. Benito Guerra took home the heat win for his first of the season. Setting a time 18.363 seconds faster than Oliver Bennett to take the win. Travis Pastrana failed to finish the race. While Fraser McConnell was excluded due to a Stewards Decision.
Group Two
Conner Martell, Robin Larsson, Tanner Foust, and Conor Daly faced off in the second heat group. Conner Martell took the heat win, finishing 0.32 seconds faster than Robin Larsson. Tanner Foust set the third fastest time, 0.97 seconds slower than Larsson.
Semi-Finals
Group One
Tanner Foust, Oliver Eriksson, and Oliver Bennett faced off in the first Semifinal group. Tanner Foust took home his first Nitrocross race win in nearly two years. Foust set a time 4.26 seconds faster than Oliver Eriksson. Oliver Bennett had finished second but lost a position due to a stewards decision.
Group Two
Andreas Bakkerud, Robin Larsson, Fraser McConnell, and Benito Guerra battled in the second semifinal group. Andreas Bakkerud won the heat group. Setting a time 0.69 seconds faster than Robin Larsson to advance to the finals. Fraser McConnell finished third, 0.677 seconds slower than Larsson.
Group Three
Kevin Eriksson, Conner Martell, Conor Daly and Travis Pastrana faced off in the third and final semifinal group. Kevin Eriksson took home the win. Posting a time 0.38 seconds faster than Conner Martell to take the win. Conor Daly finished third, 3.78 seconds slower than Martell.
Last Chance Qualifier
Group One
Robin Larsson, Oliver Bennett, Benito Guerra and Conor Daly battled in the first LCQ group. Robin Larsson took the win to punch his ticket to the finals. Setting a time 1.146 seconds faster than Oliver Bennett who also advances to the finals. Benito Guerra finished third, 1.314 seconds slower than Bennett.
Group Two
Fraser McConnell, Oliver Eriksson, Conner Martell and Travis Pastrana faced off in the second LCQ group. Fraser McConnell took home the win to advance to the finals after missing the round two finals. With McConnell posting a time 1.607 seconds faster than Oliver Eriksson who also moves on to the finals. Conner Martell finished third, 20.353 seconds slower than Eriksson to also advance to the finals.
Finals
Robin Larsson, Andreas Bakkerud, Kevin Eriksson, Tanner Foust, Fraser McConnell, Oliver Eriksson, Oliver Bennett and Conner Martell battled for the Nitrocross Round Three Win. Reigning champion Robin Larsson took home the win for his first of the season. With Larsson setting a time 0.337 seconds faster than Kevin Eriksson. Tanner Foust finished third, 1.584 seconds slower than Eriksson for his first-ever Nitrocross podium.
McConnell Rebounds
Fraser McConnell had a disappointing first day in Utah, failing to qualify for the finals. Day two went better for the Jamaican, with McConnell qualifying for the final and finishing 4th in the final. Unfortunately for McConnell, he still lost the championship lead and now sits a decent amount behind Kevin Eriksson who leads the championship.
No Luck For Pastrana
Travis Pastrana won on the first day of Nitrocross Utah, and he came into day two wanting to go two for two. That didn’t happen however as contact between him and McConnell during a heat pushed him down the start grid for the semi-finals. Then more contact in the LCQ ended his event. Pastrana still made the most of the day, however.
A Costly Error
Andreas Bakkerud had won the Finals on day two of Nitrocross Utah. There was just one rather large issue with the way he finished. Bakkerud didn’t take the Joker lap. This meant his “win” was rewarded with a 30-second penalty. Moving him down to 5th in the final as a result. Bakkerud was understandably upset after the race. With the Norwegian nearly walking completely out of the event.
A Bittersweet Win
Due to Bakkerud’s penalty, Robin Larsson won Nitrocross Round Three. However, it’s a bittersweet win for the reigning champion. As nobody enjoys winning when it’s due to another driver’s mistake. Bakkerud was the one who skipped the Joker and was penalized accordingly, but it’s never nice to win that way. Nevertheless, a win is a win and that win moves Larsson into second in the championship.
Championship Standings
Kevin Eriksson maintains the championship lead after Nitrocross Round Three, now leading by 31 points over Robin Larsson. Andreas Bakkerud sits in third, 3 points behind Larsson. Fraser McConnell and Travis Pastrana sit tied for fourth, with both sitting 24 points behind Bakkerud.