The road to the X Games for Global Rallycross Championship stars such as Travis Pastrana, Tanner Foust and Ken Block will culminate at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 9, as the inaugural "Hoon Kaboom Texas" will serve as the final qualifier to earn automatic berths for X Games Los Angeles 2012.

The top-12 drivers in the Global Rallycross Championship points following Hoon Kaboom Texas will secure automatic berths for the X Games Los Angeles 2012, which is scheduled for June 28-July 1. Texas is expected to be a pivotal event for the entire GRC field, since the automatic berths will be based off just it and the season-opening event set for May 26 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

"Texas Motor Speedway is one of my favorite tracks and I have a lot of respect for Eddie (Gossage, TMS president) and what he and his team have done," Pastrana said. "I'm really looking forward to racing there and putting on a great show for the Texas fans!"

With automatic X Games berths on the line, Hoon Kaboom Texas will have a star-studded field of nearly two-dozen drivers highlighted by the sport's superstars such as Pastrana, Foust, Block, Marcus Grönholm, Brian Deegan, Dave Mirra and Rhys Millen, among others.

"The organizers at Texas Motor Speedway always seem to be looking for the next great emerging motorsport," Foust said. "I know we will put on a great show."

"I'm really excited to be part of the Global Rallycross series this year as it grows, especially with it joining forces with such big events as NASCAR and Indy," Deegan added. "Once again, I feel like I am on the forefront of something that is going to be really big. I have a great team and great sponsors behind me, I am ready to step in and dominate."

Hoon Kaboom Texas will provide fans with an exciting and diverse Saturday doubleheader, with the high-flying Global Rallycross Championship competitors kicking off the action before the IZOD IndyCar Series cars take to the track at 7 p.m. local time for the Firestone 550. GRC racing, including all heats and mains, will begin at 3 p.m. In addition to Saturday's action, the GRC competitors will have a two-hour practice Thursday, June 7, beginning at 8:30 p.m. and a one-hour qualifying session Friday, June 8, beginning at 10 a.m.

The .77-mile layout (ABOVE)) will incorporate the TMS frontstretch, pit lane, quarter-mile oval between the two that bisects the infield grass area and traditional start/finish line. The course will feature several unique elements of Global Rallycross Championship racing including:

  • Gap Jump: The daunting 70-foot gap jump is unique in all of motorsport-watch for the under-over as cars fly through the air at 60mph
  • Long Jump: Cars flying through the air for 100 feet at 80mph.
  • Car Wash: Just to add some fun, the cars get soaked once per lap.
  • Hole Shot Zone: The all-important start where cars accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than two seconds.
  • Joker Lap: Each driver must take this portion of the course at least once per race-it changes up the action and impacts everyone's strategy.

"In Rallycross, you get to jump, slide and bang. It's motocross with a roll cage," Pastrana said. "You're jumping 60 to 70 feet and probably 15 to 20 feet off the ground, so whatever car you are in it's a pretty exciting feeling. There's not a half jump or test jump so you have to jump it or not jump it, and there's usually a lot of carnage in practice and qualifying... It's going to be action packed with lots of banging, sheet metal flying everywhere and we'll definitely be flying these cars."

A special combination ticket package – two frontstretch seats for $49 – for the Firestone 550 and Hoon Kaboom Texas GRC events is available by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com/hoon or by calling the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500.