Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Looks To Extend Lead At Americas Rallycross Series

July 12, 2018 by Volkswagen

After a 1-2 finish at round one of the Americas Rallycross Championship, Tanner Foust and Scott Speed set their sights on the first domestic round of racing

Herndon, VA — Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross returns to competition stateside this weekend in Austin, Texas, at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) for the second round of the Americas Rallycross Championship (ARX). Points frontrunner Tanner Foust looks to increase his lead after a first-place finish at Silverstone, England in May. Scott Speed, in close second, is no stranger to rallycross victory at COTA and will be in the chase to top the podium as well.

The Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team enjoyed a near-perfect season opener at the inaugural ARX race at Silverstone. Foust, nearly untouchable in his No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Beetle Rallycross, scored top-three finishes in each of the weekend's four qualifying rounds. The three-time rallycross champion took an easy victory in his semifinal race, setting up a pole starting position for the final. A quick launch propelled Foust to an early lead, which he protected throughout the race, bringing him the first checkered flag of the season.

'It was an amazing experience to take home the first win of the season and series,' said Foust. 'The team worked extremely hard to get the Rockstar Beetle ready for the new series and it paid off. Round two brings new challenges and fresh, but familiar competitors to the start line. Still, I'm confident VW and Andretti will put together the winning setup.'

No. 41 Oberto Circle K Beetle Rallycross driver, Scott Speed, had a more challenging path to the podium in England, receiving a minor setback in the second qualifying round after contact with another competitor's vehicle. Otherwise, Speed finished second or higher, winning his Semifinal heat and starting next to Foust on the front row of the Final.

'Silverstone was a challenging track with tough competition, but it was great to see the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team on top of the podium,' said Speed. 'COTA is quite a technical course, and on top of that we'll be racing at night. It should be great to watch!'

The new permanent rallycross track at COTA is inset to turns 12 through 16. Just over a half-mile in length, the course is comprised of 40% dirt and 60% asphalt surfaces.

Livestream coverage of the Saturday, July 14th round will be broadcast on the ARX Rallycross Facebook page at the following times:

•2:25 pm ET - Facebook.com/ARXRallycross

•3:25 pm ET - Facebook.com/ARXRallycross

•4:55 pm ET - Facebook.com/ARXRallycross

•7:00 pm ET - Facebook.com/ARXRallycross

•8:00 pm ET - Facebook.com/ARXRallycross

The ARX highlight broadcast show of the July 14th COTA round will air on CBS Sports Wednesday, July 18 at 8:00 PM (ET).

About Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc., an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWoA) is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. VWoA's operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Volkswagen Group is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. VWoA sells the Atlas, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, e-Golf, Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen, Jetta, Passat, Tiguan, and Tiguan Limited vehicles through more than 650 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.

About Andretti Autosport

Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport boasts a wide racing portfolio rooted in tradition and designed for success.

Together with Andretti Formula E and Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IndyCar Series and Indy Lights, along with entries in the FIA Formula E Championship and Americas Rallycross competition. Additionally, the team competes as Walkinshaw Andretti United in the Australian Supercars category through partnership with Walkinshaw Racing and United Autosports.

The global racing enterprise boasts four IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005, 2007, 2012), two Indy Lights titles (2008, 2009), one Pro Mazda championship (2013) and one USF2000 championship (2010) and has captured victory five times at the famed Indianapolis 500-Mile Race (2005, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2017).

Photo credit: Volkswagen
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