LOS ANGELES, CA (Tanner Foust Racing) – Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust dominated the first-ever US Rallycross event this weekend in New Jersey, taking the win after a two-day battle with a competitive top field.
“Rallycross is so much fun, it’s like a real-life videogame,” said Foust. “The cars and drivers are mean and aggressive, and the racing is an incredible challenge.”
Foust was the heavy favorite going into the contest – the first of three rallycross events scheduled for New Jersey Motorsports Park this year. He took a pair of golds in rally competition at the 2010 X Games and has also proven competitive during select rallycross events this year in Europe, where the sport has its roots.
“The sport is a perfect fit for US audiences and it was awesome to come out on top at the very first one,” said Foust. “Competing in the European Rallycross championship has been great preparation for US Rallycross and the X Games.”
Foust set some of the fastest times of the day in qualifying and advanced to the Sunday main event in the number two spot, behind Travis Pastrana. After a dramatic red-flag restart in the final when a rival driver spun out, Foust took the early lead and held it to the checkered flag — while thousands of fans cheered from the grandstands.
“It’s great to see such great competition and fan support in the US right from the start,” said Foust. “I can’t wait to see some more drivers out here in the next rounds; hopefully we’ll see some Europeans over here to give it a shot soon.”
This weekend, Foust campaigned an all-wheel drive Rockstar Energy-Etnies Rallycross Ford Fiesta prepared by champion Andreas Eriksson’s Olsbergs MSE Ford team. It is the same type of vehicle he drove to gold at X Games and has been using in the European Rallycross championship.
The driver has been running select events for his rookie season in the FIA European Rallycross Championship. Foust is the first American to compete in the series and has advanced through the very competitive field to the A-Main final event twice, crossing the finish line in third-place in Sweden last month.
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. Six 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, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel.
Foust’s 2010 competition schedule also included a return to the Formula Drift series, and ESPN’s Summer X Games. Foust will return New Jersey Motorsports Park for Round 2 of the RallyCar US Rallycross Championship, October 2-3.
