Volkswagen has thrown its support behind the newly minted Americas Rallycross series (ARX) and announced it will enter the competition with its Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team, which previously participated in the now-defunct Red Bull Global Rallycross (GRC) series.

Returning Volkswagen drivers Scott Speed and Tanner Foust will compete in ARX with upgraded Beetle Rallycross vehicles. VW said in its Tuesday announcement that the Beetle racers have been upgraded for better handling, but still feature the same 560-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4.

Foust said he's thrilled to bring the new rallycross series to the United States for the first time, and imagined it will attract new leagues of fans.

North Americans are familiar with rallycross but in a different form. Previously, GRC catered to U.S. fans clamoring for the sport. Earlier this year, GRC removed all scheduled events as a damning report painted a dark picture internally. The series has reportedly suffered a series of lawsuits and owes numerous race tracks money after holding events. 

The FIA-sanctioned ARX series should more than fill fans' appetite for rally racing domestically, however. Surprisingly, ARX won't actually host its first round on one of the American continents. Instead, it will kick off alongside the British round of the 2018 World Rallycross Championship (WRX) at the Silverstone Rallycross circuit.

ARX will then head to Austin, Texas in July, Trois Rivieres, Canada in August, and then back to Austin in September, with the last event coinciding with WRX's first event on local soil.