PHOENIX, Arizona (May 19, 2016) – Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust is set to begin his 2016 Global Rallycross Championship charge this weekend at the season opening GRC Phoenix doubleheader at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.
“Rallycross is a battleground to show the capabilities of small cars and we’re excited to show the power and performance of Volkswagen again this season,” said Foust. “The sport has really taken off here in the U.S. and around the world and I’m really excited to see it continue to grow.”
The two-time series champion returns to the series with the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team in the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle that he drove to third place in the 2015 points. Foust finished on the podium at five of the series’ 12 rounds last season, including three outright wins.
The Phoenix rallycross doubleheader will feature one of the fastest tracks in series history with a 1,300-foot long straightaway that will showcase the high speeds of the powerful competition cars.
“Rallycross cars are incredibly fun to drive,” said Foust. “Our Volkswagen Beetle GRC cars are incredibly capable in every condition we throw at them: dirt, jumps, tarmac and rough racing. And at 600-horsepower and all-wheel drive, they pack a punch.”
It is a busy month of May for Foust, who appears in four races across three international series. He made his first of three select appearances in the Formula Drift championship in the 900-horsepower Rockstar Energy Volkswagen Passat May 6-7. He will close out the month in the United Kingdom, when he makes his return to the World RX of Great Britain May 27 for a seventh straight year to race the Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Polo RX on the historic Lydden Hill Circuit.
Foust is also a stunt driver and television personality who has been busy in the off-season filming the U.S. version of the seminal TV show Top Gear, now airing its eighth season on the HISTORY channel.
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.
The professional driver also performs in films and on television. He is an on-air host for the U.S. version of the seminal BBC auto show Top Gear, produced by BBC Worldwide Productions and airing on the HISTORY channel.
Foust also 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, Eos, e-Golf, Golf, 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 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 three times (2005, 2007, 2014). 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
