Jamaican race driver Fraser McConnell at Nitrocross in San Bernardino, which was held from Dec. 9-10 on the Glen Helen Raceway.
Picture by Peter McConnell
Jamaican racing sensation Fraser McConnell says that competing in Nitrocross in San Bernardino, CA is “a dream come true.”
Being a driver within the Group E class of the NitroCross Sequence is a dream come true,” McConnell advised Caribbean Life in an interview on Monday after competing within the race over the weekend on the Glen Helen Raceway.
“I used to observe Rallycross on YouTube as a younger boy and all the time wished to pursue this as a profession,” he added. “2023 is my fifth 12 months within the Rallycross style; and to be competing with the easiest drivers on this planet, is a superb feeling of accomplishment.
“Representing my homeland of Jamaica can also be an amazing feeling,” McConnell continued. “The Jamaica Vacationer Board is considered one of my sponsors, and I’m honored to symbolize my nation on the world stage.
“In a few of the locations that I race, folks have by no means met a Jamaican,” he stated. “So, I’m very aware of constructing a constructive picture for my nation.”
The story of McConnell, higher generally known as Frazzz, Jamaica’s and the Caribbean’s first ever Nitrocross Champion, is described as “considered one of inspiration.”
McConnell stated he developed “a love of ability and pace” as a younger man, racing ATVs round Jamaica’s countryside with fellow Jamaican and totally different sort of observe star, Olympian Usain Bolt.
From there, he has gone on to make racing historical past, flying across the observe and thru the air (actually) in his absolutely electrical race automotive.
In 2018, McConnell grew to become the primary Jamaican and Caribbean nationwide ever to compete in Rallycross racing.
Three years later, he secured his first supercar victory defeating a four-time FIA World Champion in Denmark. He additionally acquired the Folks’s Selection Award and the Athlete of the 12 months for Motorsports.
In 2022, McConnell grew to become the European Rallycross Championships Champion and received spherical 4 of the US finals at Glen Helen.
This January, he took the highest qualifying spot in Calgary, driving on ice and snow.
In June, McConnell kicked off the 2023-2024 US circuit with a season-opening #1 win in Oklahoma.
He made his rallycross debut in 2018, at 22, competing in North America’s ARX2 collection, the place he recorded the fastest-out-of-the-box time in his first race and went on to win all of his warmth races, beginning his first finals in pole place.
In his rookie season, McConnell stated he made it to the finals in 4 of the 5 occasions and in the end achieved his first podium end within the remaining occasion of his debut season.
His worldwide racing debut was only one 12 months later, with the FIA RX2 Championship with group Olsbergs MSE, the place he completed 4th among the many World’s greatest younger rallycross drivers.
His championship victory, to roaring crowds, within the 2019 Americas Rallycross Championship marked a Jamaican driver’s first and solely championship win within the style’s historical past.
Two years later, McConnell stated he graduated to the supercar class and have become the primary and solely Jamaican to assert a supercar victory within the Rally X Nordic Championship, defeating four-time World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristofferson in Denmark.
Later that 12 months, he debuted within the Nitro Rally cross Sequence. In 2022, her raced within the Nitro Rallycross Sequence in each the Supercar and Group E (electrical) lessons, the place he dominated the Supercar Class to win the European Supercar Championship.
McConnell stated 2022 was additionally a “breakthrough 12 months” for him, when he was given the chance to be the Championship (Reserve) Driver for the Excessive E off-road racing collection.
After performing these duties for 2 occasions, McConnell stated he was the driving force for former F1 World Champion Jenson Button’s JBXE Staff for the season finale in Uruguay.
He stated 2023 “began very properly,” when he secured a contract to drive for five-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Staff within the Excessive E racing collection.
McConnell stated he additionally signed a contract to once more drive with the Indianapolis primarily based Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (DRR) within the Group E Class for the 2023/24 NitroCross Sequence.
