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ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK DRIVER TANNER FOUST BIDS FAREWELL TO HOUSE OF DRIFT

October 14, 2015 by Rockstar Energy Drink

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK DRIVER TANNER FOUST BIDS FAREWELL TO HOUSE OF DRIFT• 2015 Formula Drift season ender could be last drift event at Irwindale

IRWINDALE, Calif. (October 13, 2015) - Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust returned to the House of Drift this weekend and put on a show for fans for what could be the last time the sport of drifting visits the historic venue. Irwindale Speedway, long considered the spiritual home of the sport of drifting in the United States, is slated for closure.

'When the grandstands at Irwindale are packed and the fans are roaring, you feel like a gladiator in the ring,' said Foust. 'Some of the best competitions in drifting history have taken place there and it's sad to see the end of an era.'

Track officials have yet to announce if the land owner will grant the track another year of racing but, according to reports, the 63-acre facility is to be developed into a shopping center.

Formula Drift's first championship event took place at the venue 12 years ago, and the annual stop at Irwindale Speedway has been a highlight of the competition calendar ever since. This year, the contest officially sold out hours before gates even opened for the main event and the grandstands were overflowing by midafternoon. Meanwhile nearly 400,000 viewers at home tuned into the Driftstream to watch the contest online.

Foust, who contested a partial season as a guest driver in the series this year, qualified in the Top 10 and defeated veteran Robbie Nishida in the Round of 32 before facing off with two-time series champion Chris Forsberg. It was a popular match-up that had longtime fans of the sport excited to see the two title-holders on the historic track. 'We had a really fun, clean battle but it wasn't my night against the defending champion,' he said.

Foust closed out the night 11th in the Rockstar Energy Drink / Nitto Tire Volkswagen Passat. He said he enjoyed his return drifting this year for the first time since 2010. 'The sport has definitely changed over the past five years and it's really exciting to see and be part of that progression,' said Foust, who contested three of seven stops on the 2015 Formula Drift calendar. 'I think the cars on the Formula Drift circuit are some of the most radical vehicles in motorsport right now.'

Drifting is a high-skill, high-powered motorsport with an emphasis on car control skill. Drivers compete in knockout heats on a closed course, sliding sideways in trials judged on speed and style. With origins in Japan, it is one of the fastest growing forms of motorsports in the world. Vehicles in the series routinely produce more than 1,000 horsepower and are designed with so much steering angle that the front wheels are nearly capable of turning backwards.


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Foust's 2015 competition calendar includes select stops in Formula Drift, World RX, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and a full season with Volkswagen in Global Rallycross. He is currently second in the Global Rallycross Championship, heading into the November season finale with the Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle. But before then, he'll make a stop at the Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park October 24 for a guest drive in a LOORRS Pro 2 truck.

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, national championships and world records. He is a three-time U.S. rallycross champion (2012, 2011, 2010) who has also won four X Games gold medals (2013, 2010, 2007), and two Formula Drift championships (2008, 2007).

He has held multiple world records including for the astonishing Hot Wheels Double Loop Dare, which saw Foust drive a car through a 66-foot loop-the-loop. He also scored the indoor speed record for TV's Top Gear USA, and set a distance jump record with Hot Wheels when he made a 332' ramp-to-ramp leap in a truck at the Indy 500.

A dominant driver in the sport of rallycross, Foust is the only American driver ever to win a round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. He made his rallycross debut overseas in 2010 with a select campaign and finished both 2011 and 2012 ranked in the top three. At home, Foust has been a leading driver in the sport since it was first introduced to the United States in 2010, and in 2014 won the New York round of the Global Rallycross Championship for the new Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team.

His varied competition experience includes multiple years of open wheel racing, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, rally racing, off-road truck competition, various types of sports car racing and the SCORE Baja. He has represented the USA in the annual Race of Champions three times, teaming with NASCAR star Carl Edwards in 2008, Travis Pastrana in 2009, and Mick Doohan in 2010.

When he isn't racing, the professional driver also performs in films and on television. He is an on-air host for the U.S. version of the seminal BBC auto show Top Gear, produced by BBC Worldwide Productions and airing on the HISTORY channel. Episodes of his online documentary series, Life in the Foust Lane, are available on the Rockstar Energy Drink YouTube channel.

Foust also handles stunt driving in numerous popular films, TV shows and commercials. He is featured as a stunt driver in the Need 4 Speed film, as well as other major releases including the Bourne Legacy, Bourne Ultimatum, Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, Dukes of Hazzard, Red Dawn and Iron Man 2 movies.

ABOUT ROCKSTAR

Rockstar Energy Drink is designed for those who lead active lifestyles - from Athletes to Rockstars. Available in over 20 flavors at convenience and grocery outlets in over 30 countries, Rockstar supports the Rockstar lifestyle across the globe through Action Sports, Motor Sports, and Live Music. For more information visit: www.RockstarEnergy.com

Photo credit: Rockstar Energy Drink
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