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American automaker Dodge has produced some great race cars over its 124-year history, from the Dodge Charger Daytona with its massive rear wing to the Dodge Viper GTS-R, which won the famous French Le Mans race. Now, the company introduces a new name in the world of racing cars: the Hornet.
Dodge will offer four electric cars from the Hornet R/T and FC1-X family in Group E, the highest class of nitrocross racing, for the 2024-25 season.
The Hornet race car and the compact crossover have nothing in common except the name and some graphics on the front of the car.
Instead of a turbocharged four-cylinder or hybrid engine, the Hornet FC1-X electric race car has a 1,072-horsepower electric motor and all-wheel drive.
Dodge says the FC1-X’s axial motors allow it to reach 60 mph in less than 1.4 seconds.
The car’s sporty body is designed around a tubular chassis and a carbon fibre tub.
A double wishbone suspension is also fitted at all four corners, and the Hornet has adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars.
Dodge claims the race car’s setup allows it to use 12-inch wheels.
Founded by famed stuntman Travis Pastrana, the Nitrocross rally car racing series began in 2020 and features straight-line racing on dirt tracks, with cars kicking up plumes of dust in drifts and a series of endless jumps.
All teams in Group E of the race are running identical FC1-X cars, so the only distinguishing feature of the Dodge will be the Hornet’s headlights and grille plastered on its front.
According to Dodge CEO Matt McAleer, “nearly 75 percent of nitrocross fans are between the ages of 18 and 34,” making it the company’s prime venue for promoting the Hornet.
The cars are run by Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, with 17-year-old Leah Block driving one of the Hornets in the race.
Block is the daughter of the late Ken Blood and is a rising star in motor racing and a member of the Williams Driver Academy. Fraser McConnell and Andreas Backrud will drive the other two Hornets in the race.
