RJ Anderson filling in for Kyle LeDuc at Ganassi for Energy X Prix

The driver shuffle for the Energy X Prix on 26/27 November continued as Chip Ganassi Racing has signed RJ Anderson to share the #99 with Sara Price. Regular driver Kyle LeDuc is unavailable due to a scheduling clash. It will be Anderson’s first time competing in Extreme E.

Anderson and LeDuc have gone toe-to-toe in short course off-road racing, particularly in Pro 4. In June, Anderson capitalised on LeDuc’s late spin to win the Championship Off-Road Pro 4 Brush Run round at Crandon for his first points win in the class since 2019 in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. The Pro 2 vs. Pro 4 Crandon World Cup three months later featured three Extreme E faces as Anderson finished third ahead of McLaren’s Tanner Foust (sixth) and LeDuc (retired with mechanical failure).

Other short course achievements include four LOORRS titles (2011 Unlimited UTV, 2012 and 2015 Pro Lite, 2018 Pro 4), a pair of Crandon World Championships in 2019 and 2020. He also saw success in Championship Off-Road’s spiritual predecessor TORC, finishing runner-up in Pro Lite as a 17-year-old rookie in 2011. Anderson is a factory driver for Polaris, with whom he broke into racing in his youth.

His racing also extends beyond closed circuits, competing in SCORE International events like the Baja 500 and legendary Baja 1000, winning Class 1 at the latter in 2019 alongside Brendan Gaughan and Bud Feldkamp. In June, he returned to the Baja 500 for the first time in six years in a Class 1 with Adam Lunn but retired with a mechanical issue. His desert and short course excursions even overlapped in 2015 when he won the inaugural LOORRS Pro Lite round in Ensenada, where SCORE is headquartered.

“It’s an honour to fill in for Chip Ganassi Racing and race the GMC Hummer EV in Uruguay for the final round of Extreme E’s second season,” said Anderson. “I’ve been watching Extreme E since the inception and am excited to line up against such a world-class list of drivers.”

Price also has experience in short course and desert competition, racing in motocross and the Stadium Super Trucks. Like Anderson, she enjoyed success at the 2019 Baja 1000 when she became the first woman to run the entire distance alone in the Trophy Truck Spec class; Price also won that year’s SCORE TT Spec championship.

“I’’s unfortunate that Kyle won’t be able to make this race, but I’m looking forward to teaming up with my longtime friend and fellow accomplished off-road racer in RJ Anderson,” commented Price. “Our team is working hard to help him learn the ropes of Extreme E racing, and we are aiming to end the season with strong results on top of the podium.”

With LeDuc and Price, CGR scored their maiden Extreme E victory at the first Island X Prix in July. While circumstantial as it came due to winner Rosberg X Racing being penalised, the team spent the Final up front and chasing down RXR, ultimately finishing ten seconds behind to capitalise on the thirty-second penalty. CGR is currently fourth in standings.

“RJ will fill in for me at the next XE race coming up,” wrote LeDuc in an Instagram Story. “Good luck to the entire team in Uragway [sic]. Bummed to miss it for sure.”

Multiple teams have made driver changes for the Energy X Prix. Ezequiel Pérez Companc is also making his series début as he replaces Timo Scheider at XITE Energy Racing, while Veloce Racing went so far as to change their entire lineup as Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor replace Lance Woolridge and Christine GZ. Hansen moves over from JBXE, who has not announced his successor. ABT CUPRA XE retains backup driver Klara Andersson as Jutta Kleinschmidt remains out due to injury.

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