LONDON, England (April 2, 2013) -- Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust earned the first win of an ambitious international rallycross campaign that will see him contest two major series on three continents this year.
The popular American driver arrived
at the Lydden Hill circuit in southeast England this weekend ready for a repeat
of his dominant 2012 performance there. In addition to a refreshed look
for the car and new sponsors including ENEOS Motor Oil and ODYSSEY Battery, the
Olsbergs MSE team has again stepped up the competition package.
"I couldn't wait to get back
in the Rockstar Energy Drink Ford Fiesta ST," said Foust. "We did
some testing with the team prior to the event but there's nothing like racing
these ridiculously fast cars door-to-door."
The Lydden Hill circuit is the
birthplace of rallycross, where the sport debuted its very first races more
than 40 years ago. The track is challenging, calling for smooth and tidy
driving on the technical road course portions, and full-attack sideways slides
through gravel.
"It's a blast. It requires a
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde mentality each lap," said Foust. "Half of the
track is buttery smooth tarmac and the other half is rough gravel."
Early qualifying saw Foust suffer
a flat tire in the first of four heats, but he recovered quickly and advanced
to the final round, where he led from wire to wire.
Since his first rallycross
contests just three years ago, Foust has emerged as the driver to beat in the
sport. He has finished the past two seasons in the top ranks of the FIA
European Rallycross Championship, earned back-to-back Global Rallycross
Championship titles and has scored three X Games gold medals in rally
competition. He now leads the points in the nine-round European championship.
"Winning the first race
after the off-season is a great confidence boost, especially against the highly
competitive European field," said Foust. "It means that all our
homework and fine-tuning over the winter have paid off. Now we just have to
keep up the momentum."
The win puts Foust in a strong position heading into the first Global Rallycross Championship round, held for the first time at X Games Brazil on April 21.
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 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 is expected to run a select
season of events in the 2013 European Rallycross Championship, as well as the
full X Games and Global Rallycross schedule.
