Podium for Tanner Foust at Global Rallycross Opener All new Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle a Championship Contender

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (April 30, 2017)

Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust opened the 2017 Global Rallycross season with a podium result in Memphis, Tennessee. The two-time series champion earned second place in the all-new Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle. “What a great way to start the season,” said Foust. “When you’re racing, you’re either developing your car and pushing forward, or you’re losing. The hard work in the off-season has definitely paid off for the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team.”
 

It was clear from the opening laps this weekend that the Volkswagens were the cars to beat. Foust qualified his 600 horsepower rallycross machine in second, narrowly behind teammate Scott Speed. Under a new series format that added more races and grouped the competition to encourage closer battles, Foust was a consistent top performer. He won a heat race and took a spectacular start in the semifinal to lead wire to wire and earn a spot on the front row for the main event.

In the final, Foust shot off the start and rode the track’s 11-degree bank to the limit before tucking into second place where he prepared to reel in the leader. But when a minor crash behind him left a wrecked car in the racing line, officials flagged the race called the cars back to the grid to start over.
 

On the restart, the Rockstar Energy Drink driver again worked his way into second place. He kept the pressure on through all 10 laps and crossed the line where he started. “This was a very fast track and it was tricky to set up a pass without taking huge risks,” said Foust. “Kudos to Scott on a great drive and it’s a fantastic day for Volkswagen to earn a one-two finish.”
 

The two-time Global Rallycross champion this year returns to the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team as a favorite for the title. In 2016, he finished second in the points with podium results in six of 12 rounds, including four outright wins.
 

The Global Rallycross Championship has 12 races on the calendar in 2017, with stops in five exciting new cities as well as a return to familiar fan favorites. Up next for the series is a new stop in Louisville, Kentucky, May 21. Full coverage of all 12 rounds of Global Rallycross competition is on NBC. The Memphis race airs Sunday, April 30 at 1 p.m. ET. 
 

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 numerous 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 www.RockstarEnergy.com

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