INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (July 10, 2017) – Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust scored another Global Rallycross podium this weekend in Indianapolis, finishing second overall to retain his hold on the championship points lead.
“It was an uphill climb all day and I’m glad we were able to come out of it with a podium,” said Foust. “Every point matters as we dig into the second half of the season. It’s flat-out for all the drivers and crews, which makes for fantastic racing for the fans.”
The two-time series champion battled onto the podium in an up-and-down weekend. Despite a pair of penalties in early racing, a heat win and semifinal victory were enough for Foust to earn a front row starting position for the 10-car final, where he and Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross teammate Scott Speed dominated the field for all 10 laps. The two Volkswagens claimed the top spots, while Ford rival Steve Arpin finished third.
Host to the Indy 500 and Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, Indianapolis is known as “The Racing Capital of the World.” It was the first time the rallycross championship has stopped in the city and the event drew a solid crowd to its purpose-built course at the Lucas Oil Raceway complex.
Among the fans were many familiar faces for the hometown Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team, including owner Michael Andretti who missed the Iowa Corn 300 IndyCar race to take in the rallycross action. Until this weekend, Andretti had not missed an IndyCar race since 1993.
“Indianapolis lives and breathes racing and having so many family and friends in the grandstands was a lot of fun for the whole team,” said Foust. “We had a fantastic crowd.”
Foust’s result was hard-fought. In his opening heat, the driver was pushing for the race lead when miscommunication with his spotter saw him forced into the mandatory Joker lap at the last possible opportunity. Officials ruled he cut across the track too late and issued a penalty — making him one of several drivers similarly penalized over the course of the weekend. In his second heat, he took the checkered flag in first place but was demoted to third when officials deemed him at-fault for multi-car contact through the crowded first corner as five cars jostled for the best line on the banked oval turn.
Although a regular visitor to team headquarters in Indy, it was Foust’s first competition appearance in the city. In 2011, he set a ramp-to-ramp distance jump world record with a spectacular live stunt at the start of the Indy 500. He sped down a larger-than-life Hot Wheels V-Drop track set — a 90 ft. ramp, suspended on an enormous 10-story high door (100 feet tall) — in a modified truck, and flew 332 feet across the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The record stood for five years.
Rallycross is an action-packed blend of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally. Drivers line up in heats of up to 10 cars for hard-hitting competition over a challenging short course featuring jumps, unbanked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel.
Next month, the team travels in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for doubleheader action. Full coverage airs Saturday, August 12 at 5 p.m. and Sunday, August 13 at 4:30 p.m. on NBC.
ABOUT TANNER FOUST
Tanner Foust is a versatile and multi-talented driver known for his supreme car control and a proven track record of podium placements, national championships and world records. He is a three-time U.S. rallycross champion (2012, 2011, 2010) who has also won four X Games gold medals (2013, 2010, 2007), and two Formula Drift championships (2008, 2007).
He has held multiple world records including for the astonishing Hot Wheels Double Loop Dare, which saw Foust drive a car through a 66-foot loop-the-loop. He scored the indoor speed record for TV’s Top Gear USA, and set a distance jump record with Hot Wheels when he made a 332′ ramp-to-ramp leap in a truck at the Indy 500.
His varied race experience also includes multiple years of open wheel competition, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, rally racing, various types of sports car racing and the SCORE Baja. He has represented the USA in the annual Race of Champions three times, teaming with NASCAR star Carl Edwards in 2008, Travis Pastrana in 2009, and Mick Doohan in 2010.
When he isn’t racing, the professional driver also performs on television and handles stunt driving in popular films, TV shows and commercials. He is featured as a stunt driver in Need 4 Speed, as well as other major releases including the Bourne Legacy, Bourne Ultimatum, Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, Dukes of Hazzard, Red Dawn and Iron Man 2.
ABOUT VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc., an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWoA) is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. VWoA’s operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Volkswagen Group is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. VWoA sells the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, CC, e-Golf, Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen, Jetta, Passat, Tiguan and Touareg vehicles through approximately 652 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at http://www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.
ABOUT ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT
Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport boasts a wide racing portfolio rooted in tradition and designed for success. Together with Andretti Formula E and Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IndyCar Series and Indy Lights, along with entries in the FIA Formula E Championship and Global Rallycross. The company boasts four IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005, 2007, 2012), two Indy Lights titles (2008, 2009), one Pro Mazda championship (2013) and one USF2000 championship (2010) and has captured victory at the famed Indianapolis 500 four times (2005, 2007, 2014, 2016). Additionally the team holds two X Games Gold Medals and one Global Rallycross championship (2015). To share in the Andretti story, please visit online at AndrettiAutosport.com and follow along on Twitter via @FollowAndretti.
ABOUT ROCKSTAR
Rockstar Energy Drink is designed for those who lead active lifestyles — from athletes to rockstars. Available in over 25 flavors at convenience and grocery outlets in more than 30 countries, Rockstar supports the rockstar lifestyle across the globe through action sports, motor sports, and live music. More at http://www.RockstarEnergy.com
