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
