Tanner Foust Takes Double Podiums At Season Opening Global Rallycross Championship

LOS ANGELES, CA (Tanner Foust Racing; March 29, 2011) – Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust earned a pair of podiums this weekend at his 2011 racing debut Global RallyCross Championship: The Revolution, in Irwindale, CA.

The first-ever Global RallyCross Championship event saw a field of top drivers in two-wheel and all-wheel drive competing head-to-head on a mixed dirt and tarmac course at Irwindale Speedway that featured a massive, 70-foot gap jump never seen before outside of X Games competition.

Drivers competed in a head-to-head format on Friday and took on aggressive, multi-car rallycross racing on Saturday that culminated in a six-car final race for the win. Foust, who claimed double gold medals in the similar 2010 X Games Rally events, landed on the podium both times with a third-place finish in Friday’s head-to-head SuperRally elimination racing, and second place in Saturday’s rallycross. 

“I thought maybe I could catch Marcus [Gronholm], but he just got away from me,” said Foust. “He’s easily one of the top five drivers in the world, and I can’t wait for my next chance to take him on.”

In the memorable final race of the two-day event, Foust and two-time World Rally Champion Gronholm were fighting hard for the lead when Foust’s Ford Fiesta crossed under the joker jump while Gronholm took to the air. The veteran rally driver’s wheels passed just a few inches over the roof of Foust’s Ford Fiesta, delighting fans.

“I saw his car cross right over my head!” said Foust afterward. 

The two-day Global RallyCross Championship race featured a roster of top drivers from around the world, including Gronholm, Hyundai’s Rhys Millen, Subaru Rally Team USA driver Dave Mirra – a BMX star with more X Games medals than any other athlete in the world – and European rallycross veteran Michael Jernberg.

Drivers in the Global RallyCross Championship are vying for the first-ever series title – and a chance to earn an invitation to X Games 17 Rally competitions held in downtown Los Angeles this July.
In addition to the fierce door-to-door competition at Irwindale, drivers were also available for autograph sessions; a vendor midway offered further entertainment for fans.

Foust, who is now shooting Season 2 of Top Gear for HISTORY, will next travel to the Seattle area April 15-16 for the second weekend of the Global RallyCross Championship — a two-day event dubbed “Twin Peaks” – to be held in Snoqualmie, Washington. 

Fans tuned in to watch the action live on Facebook and ESPN3 where coverage streamed all day long. Full race coverage will air April 17 on ESPN2 (check local listings).

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. 

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 2 movies, and also handles stunt driving in numerous popular TV shows and commercials. 

Foust is currently an on-air host for SPEED TV’s Battle of the Supercars, and the US version of the seminal BBC auto show, Top Gear, on HISTORY.

FOR MORE INFORMATION To arrange interviews or find out more, contact j-horsey(at)rogers.com. Photo: Tanner Foust on course at the Global RallyCross Championship March 25 in Irwindale, CA.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: To arrange interviews or find out more, contact fred@beyondmg.com

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