Tanner Foust showing well in Europe
The American driver set top times and was the fastest in the third qualifying heat to best hometown favorite — and defending champion — Sverre Isachsen.
The series visited a new track for this round, LÃ¥nkebanen at Hell, near Trondheim. Featuring huge elevation changes and a turn similar to Laguna Seca's famed "Corkscrew," the pressure was on for strong, technical driving.
"Its one of the most fun tracks in the series," said Foust. "But difficult for passing."
With a pair of top-three heat finishes and entering the A-Main final race in the third position, Foust said he was pleased to again prove the performance of the Rockstar Energy Drink Ford Fiesta.
But during the A-Main final race, Foust's throttle stuck open and a bump by another competitor sent him flying into the wall at 60 mph. Although he was largely uninjured, the vehicle was damaged and he was unable to finish the race. He scored sixth-place points for the event.
The sport is notoriously rough and Foust said the incident reinforced the excellent safety features of his Rockstar Energy Drink Ford Fiesta Rallycross car.
"Two big wrecks in two weekends being able to go to work on Monday is a pretty awesome thing," he said.
The next round of the championship this coming weekend in Sweden will see Foust return to the familiar Holjes track. It is one of the most popular rounds of the championship, with more than 30,000 fans camping for the weekend under near round-the-clock daylight in the northern community.
"Sweden is a big crowd and it's definitely the biggest festivities around the Rallycross event," said Foust. "It's a lot of fun but now that we're fighting for the championship rather than getting a feel for the series, I'll be focused on racing."
On Thursday, Foust will meet with media during a testing session before racing begins on Friday.
With a win earlier this season in Portugal and consistently fast performances all season long, Foust has proven a contender for the championship. Heading into the fifth of 10 rounds of the championship this coming weekend in Sweden, Foust is just three points out of first place and tied for third-place overall.
"I'm looking forward to pushing hard and trying to make the A-Main in Sweden next weekend," said Foust. "If we can get into the final, then it's anybody's shot at winning."
Foust ran a limited season of events in 2010. He is making his first full-season bid for the European Rallycross Championship in 2011 and is the first American ever to win a round of the challenging series.
The driver is also contesting the Global RallyCross Championship in 2011 and is leading the points heading into the final round in downtown Los Angeles at X Games in a month's time.
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.
In addition to Rallycross competition in Europe and the United States, Foust's 2011 competition schedule also includes a return to X Games Rally Car Racing events this July. His next event is Round 5 of the European Rallycross Championship this coming weekend in Holjes Sweden.
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 the first American ever to win a round of the European Rallycross Championship, 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.
When he isn't racing, the professional driver also performs in films and on television. He is an on-air host for the US version of the seminal BBC auto show, Top Gear, on HISTORY.
His stunt driving includes performing as 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's 2011 racing program is supported by Rockstar Energy Drink, Ford, etnies and Motegi.