Sebastien Loeb is coming to the United States. While Jimmie Johnson was winning his fifth straight championship in NASCAR's top division, Loeb was on his seventh consecutive, has since added an eighth straight championship and he is on his way for nine in a row. Loeb isn't coming to the United States to try his hand in NASCAR or head to Mid-Ohio to do the ALMS-IndyCar doubleheader. He is going to Los Angeles to run in the rally events at the X Games which doubles as a round in the Global Rallycross Championship.
Two-time World Rally Champion Marcus Grönholm currently leads the Global Rallycross Championship and has won the first two rounds of the 2012 season. After Grönholm, the field has a few noticeable names in motorsports but not for their driving successes and long, extravagant résumés. Tanner Foust is a drifting champion and is known for being the host of the American version of Top Gear. Travis Pastrana was first known as a freestyle motocross rider, then the top driver in Rally America, nearly, single handily won the Race of Champions for the United States and was good enough to earn a shot from Subaru in the P-WRC class. Now Pastrana is driving a Dodge Dart in Global Rallycross and is attempting a few races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Ken Block also competes in Global Rallycross and Block has scored a total of 10 career WRC points including 2 at Rally Mexico earlier this year but is more known for being a YouTube sensation with his Gymkhana videos.
Global Rallycross also has drifters Rhys Millen and Samuel Hubinette competing, along with freestyle motocross rider Brian Deegen and BMX rider Dave Mirra. These aren't the biggest names in the racing world but they are a few of competitors Sebastien Loeb will go up against at the X Games scheduled for June 28-July 1. Loeb is not the first big star to head to the X Games. The 1995 World Rally Champion, Colin McRae competed in 2006 and 2007 and is remembered for rolling his car in 2006 and coming second to Pastrana. In 2009, the 1999 Indianapolis 500 winner Kenny Bräck defeated Pastrana and won the rally event. Last year, Liam Doren of the United Kingdom defeated Grönholm to win the rally event and Brian Deegen won the RallyCross event.
Why is Sebastien Loeb coming to the USA to race in the X Games? For starters, this is the only time Rally racing get a chance to be live on American television and secondly, Loeb is one of Red Bull's top endorsers in the world and it makes sense they want their best rally driver in this event. This is Loeb's best opportunity to show what he does best on an American stage. What happens if Loeb ends up losing to one of these Global Rallycross drivers not named Grönholm? Really, not much. While McRae and Grönholm both lost in their first years at the X Games, neither are looked upon as lesser racers. A loss for Loeb does not end his career nor will it get Brian Deegen a factory ride with Citroen in the WRC. We have seen Pastrana, Foust and Deegen all compete on a "level" international stage with the Race of Champions. While not the most reliable test to see who is the best driver in the world, the Race of Champions does put drivers in spec cars, head-to-head. Pastrana has done respectably and Foust's high points were knocking out Jenson Button head-to-head in 2008 and in 2010, beating World Champion Sebastian Vettel in the Nations Cup group stage. Deegen made his debut in 2011 and went 0-for-6 in Germany.
Loeb is clearly the best driver competing at the X Games. A win by anyone but Loeb or Grönholm would be great for that driver but winning the rally or rallycross event at the X Games doesn't mean that driver could hold a candle to Loeb at a World Rally event. The X Games maybe not be a respected event around the world but it opens the door for drivers like Seabastien Loeb to race in the United States. Something they can't do in World Rally.
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