#YellowSquad has taken on 16-year-old American driver George Megennis as its newest rallycross protege, with the New York-born driver taking on the 2021 Nitro Rallycross season in the series’ support category, NRX NEXT.
After winning both the RallyX Nordic Supercar Lites and RX2 Series titles last season with Henrik Krogstad, #YellowSquad is now targeting success across the Atlantic in the US. Megennis will pilot one of the team’s Supercar Lites machines, which are one step below the top division of Nitro Rallycross.
The newly expanded NRX series visits tracks in California, Florida, Utah, Minnesota, and Arizona, all of which have been designed from the ground up by extreme sports legend Travis Pastrana. Featuring spectacular jumps, huge banked turns and multiple routes, these five tracks are the perfect training ground for young drivers to test their limits at a high level.
Before his NRX campaign begins, Megennis will start his 2021 season off with a warm-up event at the RallyX Nordic season finale in Arvika, Sweden, on August 13-15.
Taking place on a circuit featuring an even mix of asphalt and gravel, Megennis’ first event with #YellowSquad at Arvika will provide an opportunity to hone his skills in the Supercar Lites machine further before his NRX campaign begins.
“I’m pumped to be working with #YellowSquad and the Hansen Motorsport family! It gives me a lot of confidence knowing I have the best guys in the rallycross business handling all my preparation – I’m able to just get in the car, take on board all the great advice and input they’ve given me so far and try to go as fast as I can,” said Megennis.
“Coming to Sweden has been a really interesting experience so far, and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to come over and do this RallyX Nordic race before my Nitro season begins. The track isn’t quite the same as the NRX tracks – it’s a bit flatter and the jumps aren’t so big – but it’s a good chance to practice my technique, make sure I’m hitting my marks and be in the best possible position heading to Utah next month.
“I’d like to thank my family and Chris Duplessis of Monticello Motor Club for getting me here. Most importantly, I’d like to thank Kevin Hansen, Eric Färén, and everyone at #YellowSquad and the wider Hansen Motorsport organisation. I couldn’t be more excited and grateful for the opportunity.”
Megennis has already started his pathway to the top level of off-road racing, sampling CrossCar racing after a promising karting career.
Thanks to a bespoke development programme curated by Kevin Hansen – who currently leads the FIA World Rallycross Championship standings – and driver coaching from 2019 World RX champion Timmy Hansen, Megennis is already hard at work preparing for his rallycross debut.
“We’re really excited to bring George into the Hansen family, so to speak. It’s not been long that we’ve been working together but I can already see his professionalism and dedication – he’s going to work hard to climb up the ladder in rallycross,” said team principal Kevin Hansen.
“We have all the tools here in #YellowSquad to provide a platform for him to grow – a fast car, top engineers, and a really detailed development plan that covers his driving technique, fitness and diet.
“It’s also super cool to see George taking the same path I did! I came straight from karts to junior rallycross, won the RX Lites title in 2015 and then went straight to Supercars. I’m still the youngest driver to win the European Championship and make their World RX debut, so we know this pathway works. Now we’ll work with George and see if we can help him break some records of his own.”
A pre-event test took place at Strängnäs circuit in central Sweden this week, with further testing taking place elsewhere in the run-up to his maiden Lites outing at Arvika.
Megennis will make his highly-anticipated NRX debut at Salt Lake City, UT on September 23-25.
