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DETROIT, Michigan (July 27, 2015) -
Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust showed good speed this weekend at the
Detroit Global Rallycross doubleheader but faced disappointment after finding
himself in the wrong place at the wrong time on race day.
"The car was fast and had
winning potential and I feel for the team who cranked all weekend to come up
virtually empty handed," said Foust after he was sidelined Sunday in a
first-corner crash.
The driver finished second in his
Sunday heat and won the semifinal to earn a front-row starting position for the
final. But contact with Ken Block saw Foust take massive damage to the Rockstar
Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle. The race was red flagged and Foust was unable
to continue, while Block was penalized for the incident.
"When you're between a Block
and a hard place, there's nowhere to go," said Foust, whose race ended
with a slam into the track wall while driving alongside Block. "I did
everything I could to avoid the crash but there wasn't enough room for two cars
side-by-side and I just got squeezed into the wall. It's a disappointing way to
end a potentially good weekend."
Foust had been hoping for a second
chance Sunday following a tough day of racing on Saturday.
In the first of the weekend's
doubleheader races, series officials canceled qualifying to make time for some
last-minute track work. That meant drivers were placed into heat races by
points position, forcing Foust into the second row for heat racing.
"There weren't many places to
pass on the course so a good starting position was absolutely critical in
Detroit," said Foust. "I took some risks to try to get ahead and
unfortunately they didn't pay off."
He scored a pair of third-place
finishes in heat and semifinal racing to earn a third-row starting position in
the final. There, while working his way through the pack, he and another driver
touched wheels, causing damage to the Volkswagen's suspension. Foust scored
10th place points.
"The cars were fast and
reliable; we had the makings of a great weekend -- fine-tuning and making
adjustments to get faster for every round," said Foust. "I'm happy to
see my teammate Scott Speed put the Volkswagen on the podium and I'm looking
forward to being there along with him at the next race."
Next for Foust and the Volkswagen
Andretti Rallycross team in the Global Rallycross championship is Round 7 in
Washington, D.C., presented by Volkswagen. The race takes place August 15 and
airs live on NBC at 3 p.m. ET.
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Monday, July 27, 2015
"When you're between a Block and a hard place, there's nowhere to go,"
