Tanner Foust Set for Rally Cross in 2010
Posted by Wrecked Magazine on 11 Feb 2010 at 09:01 pm | Tagged as: Major Announcements, Tanner Foust
According to a PR we got a hold of yesterday the golden child Tanner Foust will be adding to his extracurricular activities outside of Formula Drift for 2010. He is heading to Europe to compete in some Rally Cross events to prep him for the American Rally Cross events. Here are some quotes from Tanner Foust on his Rally Cross ventures and some text to explain what it’s all about if your unfamiliar.
“I’m really excited to be on the leading edge of this discipline as it grows in the US,” said Foust. “It’s been popular in Europe for years — the fans here are going to love it.”
The Rockstar Energy driver will travel to Europe this year to participate in four events before returning home to America where the sport will dominate the second-half of the traditional U.S. rally season.
A two-time Formula Drift champion and X Games Rally gold medalist who has twice represented Team USA at the international Race of Champions, Foust said he considers Rally Cross a blend of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition.
“I’ve been watching European-style Rally Cross for years,” said Foust. “I love the combination of dirt, pavement, jumps and door-to-door action – it’s like a real-life videogame..”
The discipline 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.
For his first European-style Rally Cross event in April, in Portugal, Foust will pilot a 600-horsepower, all-wheel drive machine prepared by European Rally Cross Champion Andreas Eriksson’s Olsbergs MSE Ford team. Foust got his first feel for the vehicle at X Games in 2009 when he drove one of the team cars to a bronze medal.
“These are nimble, high-powered cars with incredible handling,” said Foust. “They’re purpose-built for this incredibly challenging discipline and absolutely insane to drive.”
Foust said he’s pleased to be getting a head-start on the competition and is proud to be representing the US as the sole American in the European Rally Cross Championship this year.
“The European rounds are a great opportunity for me to get a handle on this sport before it comes to America,” said Foust. “When the sport debuts in the US later this year, I’ll be ready to go.”
Who’s doing Rally Cross here in the US?
Tanner did an interview on Tech House & Speed last night about this. Its on-demand at this link: http://www.racefanradio.com/drivethru/onDemand.htm
is this the rally cross with a bunch of dudes on a dirt course?
Or is this the 1 on 1 battles x games style?
They have both in europe.
Here’s details-
The discipline 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.
It is short course TORC-style racing with cars. I keep hearing that it is a Rally America sanctioned event for the US one he’s doing, but I don’t see it on their schedule or even know if it is just open class or all RA classes. (If it is all and Novice Licensed drivers are allowed, I want to do RallyTruck in a 2WD Ford Ranger
)
If nothing else it will be something new to entertain us. I really dig the fiesta’s and do they really make 600 horse? Jesus.