Nitrocross Rally Race

Ask Patrick Series

Nitrocross Rally Race

Salt Lake City, UT

August 18-19th 2023

---

We caught up with Green APU Rally USA Racing driver Patrick Gruszka after he completed the recent Nitrocross Rally race in Salt Lake City.

Tell Us About Nitrocross!

**Patrick: “**Nitrocross is an extreme version of RallyCross and was designed by Travis Pastrana. It’s door to door racing, with lots of jumps, big banked corners, and is a mix of dirt and tarmac. This weekend was my first ever time doing this type of race.”

How Did the Race Go?****

**Patrick: “**It was a double header, and we ended up securing 3rd place for both rounds!”

---

What Challenges Did You Face?

**Patrick: “**We had zero time to prepare, as we only got the car a few days before we left for the race. I had to learn quickly and adapt to the car, as it’s much more different than our i20 rally car.”

“We had a few mishaps during the race, with a few busted body panels, but that’s to be expected with door to door racing. Besides that, things went pretty smoothly.”

---

Sounds Like You are Pretty Pumped with the Outcome!

**Patrick: “**Absolutely! We came in with the mindset to just get seat time and learn. The Team had no expectations to be on the podium. We were up against a field of drivers who have been doing this much longer, so to podium on both rounds is awesome!”

What was Different About This Race?

**Patrick: “**It’s all in one location, unlike a stage rally, so for spectators, it’s an ideal situation. It’s also door to door, as we are racing directly against one another. Usually at a stage rally, we run one at a time against the clock.”

What Do You Want to Change for the Next Race?

**Patrick: “**We need to work on the car’s setup and get more seat time for sure.”

---

What Did You Learn from the Race?

---

**Patrick: “**I learned that I definitely want to do more Nitrocross! I had so much fun out there, and we’re hoping to be able to do the rest of the season.”