SOSNOVA, Czech Republic (Tanner Foust Racing) – Tanner Foust wrapped up a successful rookie season in the European Rallycross Championship this weekend with another strong performance at the Global Assistance Racing Aréna Autodrom Česká Lípa in the Czech Republic.
“We’ve proven that the new Rockstar Energy Drink/Etnies Ford Fiesta is capable of being at a competitive pace at virtually any track in the series, it bodes well for the platform. Hopefully I get to put all this learning to the test next year!” said Foust.
In his first time racing in the Czech Republic, the 2010 X Games Rally double-gold medalist set the third fastest overall time on Day 2 and narrowly missed becoming the last-chance qualifier for the A-Main when he was overtaken on the last lap in a nail-biter of a B-Main contest.
Foust is the first American to contest the FIA European Rallycross Championship series, running five select events in a 600-horsepower, all-wheel drive Rockstar Energy Drink/Etnies Rallycross Ford Fiesta prepared by champion Andreas Eriksson’s Olsbergs MSE Ford team.
Despite a steep learning curve in his newest motorsport, Foust qualified twice this year for the elite A-Final and was third across the finish line during the wildly popular Swedish round earlier this season.
“Our European Rallycross Championship campaign this year was a huge success,” said Foust. “I feel like I went from being the token American in the series to a valid threat in not too many rounds. If I have a chance to do a full season in Europe I think things could get interesting.”
Foust’s European campaign took him to Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, and Czech Republic in 2010. He said his European experience has served him well in the United States where he took a pair of gold medals at the 2010 X Games Rally events, and won the first-ever US rallycross event, held late last month.
He will return to American rallycross competition later this month when he competes the second of three rounds of the RallyCar Rallycross Championship at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Rallycross is a blend of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. It promises intense crowd-pleasing action in a fan-friendly track environment. Six drivers line up to start at once, piloting high-horsepower compact cars through race traffic over a challenging short course that features jumps, unbanked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel. For 2011, a full national championship schedule is planned for rallycross in the United States.
Foust is also a two-time Formula Drift champion and has twice represented Team USA at the international Race of Champions.
Foust’s 2010 competition schedule has also included a return
to the Formula Drift series in his Rockstar Energy Drink Scion TC, an appearance
in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing series, ESPN’s Summer X Games and select rally
events.
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