LAS VEGAS, Nev. (October 1, 2012) – Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust extended his Global Rallycross Championship lead Saturday night with a decisive win under the lights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“This was a critical victory,” said Foust. “The title fight is very competitive and to gain three more points on my teammate Brian Deegan puts me in a good position heading into the season finale.”
The Global Rallycross Championship concludes October 30 in a special Las Vegas round held in conjunction with the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show. The event will see teams take on a unique track configuration across from the convention center in downtown Las Vegas. It is expected the course could be tight and technical, which will benefit the Ford Fiesta.
“We have the most versatile platform in the series,” said Foust. “It is stable and it works well on the fast corners, but it’s untouchable on the tight corners because of its size and agility.”
The pressure was on in Las Vegas for Round 5. Foust set the fastest time in qualifying on Friday, leading a very competitive field that saw only a half-second spread between first and eighth place after the opening sessions.
When racing began under the lights on Saturday evening, with an estimated 32,000 fans in the stands, Foust won his heat to bypass the Last Chance Qualifier and advance directly to the main race.
Despite several red-flag restarts that rattled some other drivers in the field, Foust made consistently strong starts. In the Final, he and Deegan battled into the first corner in their virtually identical Ford Fiestas. Foust held his line to pull into the lead in the first dirt turn and never looked back, crossing the finish line confidently in first place.
On the radio this weekend as Foust’s spotter was two-time WRC champion Marcus Grönholm. Although he normally drives for the team as a rival to Foust, Grönholm is in recovery from injuries sustained during an X Games crash and returned to the U.S. for this round as a team advisor.
“It was an unexpected bonus to have Marcus Grönholm as my spotter this weekend. It was great to work with him,” said Foust. “He knows my driving, he knows the car very well and he’s succinct in his delivery. Plus, he’s one of the best drivers in the world. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to have on my radio.”
Although the battle is still on for the Global Rallycross Championship, the Discount Tire America’s Tire Cup was decided in Las Vegas. A trophy and prize purse of $25,000 were awarded to the driver who earned the top points tally in three select events in the six-round series: Texas, New Hampshire, and Las Vegas. Foust edged out teammate Deegan in the final round this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“It’s really cool that Discount Tire supports motorsport this way,” said Foust. “There is a similar program in Formula Drift and I have won it twice before. It’s a great bonus to have in a championship.”
It was Foust’s first win in the United States this season, although he has two victories in European competition this year.
The season-ender for the European Rallycross Championship also took place this weekend and while Foust opted to sit it out in order to race in the United States, his strong points position prior to this event meant he emerged from the 2012 European Rallycross Championship season with a third-place result. 2012 marked his second full season of competition in Europe and his second top-three result among the most seasoned rallycross drivers in the world.
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. As many as 10 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 and changing track and surface
conditions that can include dirt, gravel, and wet and dry tarmac. The Global
Rallycross Championship is broadcast on the ESPN family of channels.
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 and national championships.
He is a three-time X Games gold medalist (2007, 2010), and two-time Formula Drift champion (2007, 2008). 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. He returned to the event in 2010 as teammate to Mick Doohan on the All Star Team.
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.
When he isn’t racing, the professional driver also performs in films and on television. He is an on-air host for the US version of the seminal BBC auto show Top Gear, produced by BBC Worldwide Productions and airing on the HISTORY channel.
His stunt driving includes performing as a lead driver in the Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, Bourne Ultimatum, Dukes of Hazzard, Red Dawn and Iron Man 2 movies, and he also handles stunt driving in numerous popular TV shows and commercials.
TANNER FOUST’S RALLYCROSS PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE BY:
Rockstar Energy Drink (www.rockstar69.com); Ford Racing (www.ford.com); Etnies (www.etnies.com) and Motegi (www.motegiracing.com).
PHOTO CREDIT: Alison M. Padron
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit . To arrange interviews or find out more, contact Fred Chang from Tanner Foust’s management team.
E-mail: fred@beyondmg.com
Office: 949.660.7972 x. 29
EFAX: 949.480.0638
Mobile: 714.623.1995
http://www.BeyondMG.com
