Los Angeles, CA (November 30, 2010; Tanner Foust Racing) – X Games Rally gold medalist Tanner Foust flew the American flag against the best racing drivers in the world this weekend when he returned to the annual Race of Champions for a third time this weekend.
The event sees an impressive roster of 16 championship racecar drivers from Formula One, World Rally Championship, NASCAR, Le Mans, Touring Car Racing and other motorsports invited to compete head-to-head in an assortment of identical vehicles for motorsport supremacy. This year’s contest took place at Düsseldorf’s Esprit Arena on Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s a rare opportunity to line up with some of the best drivers in the world,” said Foust. “Where else do you get the chance to race door-to-door with Sebastian Vettel in one lap and Sébastien Loeb in the next lap?”
The Rockstar Energy Drink driver, who represented Team USA at the contest in 2008 and 2009, competed this year alongside Australian motorcycle racing legend Mick Doohan on the All Star Team.
Foust is a two-time Formula Drift champion, X Games star, TV host and stunt driver. Teammate Doohan was a dominant force in motorcycle racing in the 1990s, winning over 50 races and securing five 500cc world championships in a row for Honda.
“This is the end of the season for most of us and it’s a rare opportunity just to hang out together,” said Foust. “All of the days in the gym, the mental training, planning and competition is finally on hold for the off-season, and Race of Champions is a time when everybody just kind of cuts loose a little bit. It’s worth the trip just to hang out and talk cars with Tom Kristensen – an eight-time 24 hours of LeMans winner.”
Drivers line up for head-to-head competition in an assortment of identically prepared vehicles, including 525 hp Audi R8 LMS vehicles, 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, and lightweight, purpose-built rear-wheel-drive ROC buggies.
After a promising start when Foust set the fastest times of the weekend in the competition’s Audi R8 Le Mans car, the All Star team was narrowly defeated in a tiebreaker against Team Germany for the Nation’s Cup portion of the competition. Formula 1 champions Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher took the event win for Team Germany for a fourth year in a row.
In the individual competition, Foust defeated fellow American driver Carl Edwards before he was knocked out of the contest by Portugal’s Filipe Albuquerque, a driver who has been wildly successful in a European Race of Champions series and went on to claim overall victory at the 2010 contest.
“Even though we’re all there for fun, when you get people like Loeb, Vettel and Schumacher together in the room at the same time, there’s going to be tactics and competition,” said Foust. “Once the helmet goes on, we’re all racing and it gets cut-throat.”
NASCAR driver Edwards competed for Team USA in the 2010 Race of Champions alongside X Games motocross legend and rally driver Travis Pastrana.
Foust has competed at the Race of Champions invitational twice before. At his 2008 appearance, Foust beat Formula One Champion Jensen Button in front of a home crowd of 80,000 in his first round. In 2009, he took down Michael Schumacher in the Nations’ Cup contest.
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.
His varied race experience also includes multiple seasons of open wheel competition, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, five Ice Racing championships, a Production Rally Championship title and the SCORE Baja. He also holds class lap records at numerous US road courses in Time Attack.
Even if you haven’t seen Foust on the track you’ve likely witnessed his precision car control on TV or the big screen. He was a lead driver in the Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, Bourne Ultimatum, Dukes of Hazzard, Red Dawn and Iron Man 2movies, and also handles stunt driving in numerous popular TV shows and commercials.
Foust is currently an on-air host for Supercars
Exposed, and was also picked as co-presenter for the US version of the
seminal BBC auto show, Top Gear.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: To arrange interviews or find out more,
contact fred@beyondmg.comfred@beyondmg.com.
