BRASELTON, GA (May 10, 2010, PAPADAKIS RACING) – The Rockstar Energy Drink SCION tC was the car to beat this weekend in Georgia at the second round of the 2010 Formula DRIFT Championship.
“We made the most speed, and earned the highest score during qualifying,” said driver Tanner Foust. “I’m excited by how well the car is performing this year.”
A packed crowd at Road Atlanta saw Foust hit an incredible top speed of 95 mph as he slid into the first corner of the contest, trailing tire smoke in an amazing display of control. The Rockstar Energy Drink SCION tC, prepared by Papadakis Racing, scored the top qualifying spot in first-round competition.
But a surprising upset saw Foust knocked out during the Top 16 elimination round when judges deemed his run too aggressive. Foust had the pressure on fellow SCION driver Ken Gushi when they brushed bumpers — and the other driver spun.
Foust said he was taken off-guard by Gushi’s speed change on the course. “I’m disappointed,” he said. “But drifting is all about precision and I should have anticipated his braking.”
The team put in a strong performance at the opening round of the series last month, with Foust securing third-place points in front of a sell-out crowd in Long Beach. Heading into Round 3, Foust is fourth in the points.
The two-time Formula DRIFT champion is campaigning the series for a second year in the V8-powered Rockstar Energy Drink SCION tC. Foust is looking to become the first driver to earn three championship titles in the series.
“We really focused on getting the handling dialed for this season and feel we are really close to optimum. It was great to see Tanner pushing the car to the limit this weekend,” said team owner and manager Stephan Papadakis. “We’ve got a great package with our sticky Hankook Tires, TRD V8 and Tokico suspension; this is our year for another championship.”
Drifting is a high-skill, high-powered motorsport with an emphasis on car control skill. Drivers compete in knock-out heats on a closed course, sliding sideways at high speed in trials judged on speed and style. With origins in Japan, it is the fastest growing form of motorsport in the world.
Foust and the Rockstar Energy Drink SCION tC return to Formula DRIFT competition June 4-5 when the action continues at Round 3: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway in New Jersey.
ABOUT TANNER FOUST —
Versatile Tanner Foust is a two-time Formula Drift Formula DRIFT champion (2007, 2008). He has been invited to every X Games Rally competition, with the Rockstar Energy Drink driver scoring gold in 2007, silver in 2008 and bronze in 2009. He has twice represented Team USA in the annual Race of Champions, teaming with NASCAR star Carl Edwards in 2008 and Travis Pastrana in 2009.
His race experience also includes multiple seasons of open wheel competition, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, five Ice Racing championships, a Production Rally Championship title and the SCORE Baja. He also holds class lap records at numerous US road courses in Time Attack.
Also a stunt driver, Foust was a lead driver in the Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, Bourne Ultimatum, Dukes of Hazzard, Red Dawn and Iron Man 2 movies, and can also be seen driving in numerous popular TV shows and commercials.
He is currently an on-air host for Supercars Exposed, and was also picked as co-presenter for the US version of the seminal BBC auto show, Top Gear.
ABOUT PAPADAKIS RACING —
Team owner Stephan Papadakis is a legend of sport-compact racing who began building his reputation in the 1990s with the first front-wheel-drive, tube-chassis drag car in the U.S.
The team earned multiple records and championships in the discipline, turning in elapsed times and trap speeds previously thought unattainable in front-drive drag cars. Papadakis’ successes in front-wheel drive were matched by his efforts in rear-wheel drive when he campaigned a Civic that became only the fifth car to join the NHRA’s Sport Compact 200 MPH club.
The team began drifting in 2005, and invited Tanner Foust to join them a year later. Papadakis Racing has shown impressive results in five years of Formula DRIFT competition, earning two championship titles (2007, 2008). The Rockstar Energy Drink SCION tC is the team’s latest competition build.
PAPADAKIS RACING IS PARTNERED WITH:
Rockstar Energy Drink, Scion, Hankook Tire, AEM, Tokico Performance Shocks, Memphis Car Audio, ACT Clutch, Eneos Oil, Motegi Wheels, SPC Performance, Magnaflow Exhaust
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