As the brand’s first electrified vehicle, the Dodge Hornet will make its racing debut this weekend in the Nitrocross Series. Competing in the Group E class, Dodge will field four Hornet-branded rallycross cars for the 10-race series, one of which will be piloted by Lia Block. She will be the first-ever woman to compete in the class.
Dodge has partnered with the successful Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (DRR) motorsports team for the series. DRR won back-to-back Nitrocross Group E driver and team championships in the last two years. The new race car is dubbed the Hornet R/T FC1-X.
Although this particular FC1-X shares the face of its stock PHEV sibling, its powertrain and underpinnings offer a different kind of sting. All FC1-X vehicles on the Nitrocross grid are powered by four axial flux motors, which generate a combined 1,070 horsepower (800 kW). The rally racers produce nearly 2g of acceleration from a standing start and are capable of a 1.4-second 0-60 mph time.
The electric rallycross car also features racing-tuned fitments, such as a tubular chassis, a carbon-fiber chassis tub, an Alcon braking system, and adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars. There’s a front and rear double wishbone R53 suspension with an adjustable camber/caster offering 12 inches of wheel travel.
Piloting Dodge’s first-ever electrified rally cars aside from Block will be two-time series champion Robin Larsson (Sweden), Fraser McConnell (Jamaica), and Andres Bakkerud (Norway). Not only is Block the first woman to compete in the Group E class—she’s the only woman on the grid this season. Also, at just 17 years old, she will be the youngest-ever class competitor. Following her late father’s footsteps into motorsports, Lia looks to build her own racing legacy while continuing to honor his. The Nitrocross Series championship trophy is named after Ken Block.
The 2024-2025 Nitrocross season starts this weekend at Richmond Raceway in Virginia. Led by Larsson, the DDR team took first and third place (McConnell) on the podium for Saturday’s Round 1. Among the eight class competitors, Block and Bakkerud finished 6th and 7th, respectively. Round 2 wraps up today, with the remaining races taking place in Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Miami, before a Las Vegas finale. The series will be televised on Fox all season.