Tanner Foust

Tanner Foust is an American racing driver and TV presenter who gained a lot of success in different motorsport disciplines, especially in drifting and rallycross.

He was Formula Drift champion in 2007 and 2008. From 2011 to 2017, he was a regular in the Global Rallycross Championship, winning GRC titles in 2011 and 2012, and finishing three times as a runner-up. He currently competes with Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team in the ARX - American Rallycross, winning the championship title in 2019.

Foust is also the most decorated driver in the X Games history with nine medals in different disciplines. As a TV personality, he worked in several projects but he's most known as the host of the US edition of Top Gear motoring show.

Tanner Foust

Young Tanner discovered rallying in Scotland

Born in June 1973 in Los Angeles, Tanner Foust grew up in a naval family, spending few years as a kid in Scotland, where he discovered rallying and learned how to drive. Back in the US, he graduated at the University of Colorado but stayed involved to racing events, working also as a mechanic and driving coach.

He became a professional racer in 2003, starting to drive a Subaru Impreza WRX in the SCCA Rally Championship and working as a stunt driver for Hollywood producers. Some of the great movies he worked on were 'The Fast and the Furious - Tokyo Drift','Iron Man2' or 'Need for Speed'.

Tanner Foust's #429 Subaru in 2005

Rally America champion in 2005

Tanner's first success in rallying came in 2005 when he was the PGT class champion in the Rally America championship, driving the #429 Subaru Impreza WRX with Scott Crouch as his navigator.

Foust stayed a regular competitor in Rally America until 2009 but never repeated a success from 2005. Scott Crouch was his navigator until 2006, later he was sharing a cockpit with Christine Beavis.

Drift champion Tanner Foust next to his Nissan 350Z

Two-time Formula Drift champion

From the beginning of his racing career, Foust was a versatile driver so he gained a big success in completely different discipline – the drift.

He won Formula Drift championship title in 2007, driving a Nissan 350Z. A year later, he defended a championship title with the same car, becoming the first back-to-back champion in the series. In total, Foust has won seven Formula Drift events between 2006 and 2010. He finished as a vice-champion in 2010, behind Vaughn Gittin.

Tanner Foust has a big collection of X Games medals

Nine medals at X Games

Foust recorded his first participation in the X Games in 2006. He was the third fastest in the Stadium Super Special rally competition. He won his first X Games rally gold a year later, in the X Games XIII, held in August 2007 in Los Angeles, sharing a car with Christine Beavis.

Next year, Foust was second in the X Games rallying competition, being defeated by Travis Pastrana. In 2009, Foust won a bronze in the X Games XV. Then, in 2010, he won two gold at X Games XVI in Los Angeles, winning in both Rally Car events.

In 2011, Foust participated for the first time in rallycross competition at X Games, taking a silver. In 2013, he won all three medals, a bronze at rallycross at X Games Munich and silver in rallycross and a gold in Gymkhana Grid at X Games Los Angeles.

Tanner Foust was the champion of the inaugural Global Rallycross Championship in 2011

Victorious start of a rallycross career

Since 2011, after he left drifting, Tanner's main discipline is a rallycross. He made a debut in the European Rallycross Championship in 2010, participating in selected events with Rockstar Energy Ford Fiesta. Then, in 2011, he became full-time competitor both in the European Rallycross Championship and newly established Global Rallycross Championship, gaining a lot of success in both championships.

He won two ERX events and finished second in the final standings, behind Sverre Isachsen. On the other side of Atlantic, Foust became the champion in the inaugural season of the US-based Global Rallycross Championship, scoring three wins with Olsbergs MSE's Ford Fiesta.

Back-to-back GRC champion in 2012

In 2012, Foust defended GRC title in Olsbergs MSE's Ford Fiesta, winning two times in six events. He was also successful in Europe, winning two times in the European Rallycross Championship and finishing third in the points, behind Timur Timerzyanov and Liam Doran.

Foust spent one more season driving a Ford Fiesta, winning two of three ERX events and scoring four GRC podiums to finish second in the points, behind Toomas Heikkinen.

Foust scored his only World RX victory in 2014 in Finland

Racing with Volkswagen since 2014

In 2014, Andretti Autosport entered the Global Rallycross Championship in a cooperation with Volkswagen, first running a VW Polo and then switching to VW Beetle. Foust won just one GRC events in his first year with Volkswagen, finishing ninth in the points.

On the other side of the ocean, Foust was driving Volkswagen Polo for Marklund Motorsport in three rounds of the inaugural World Rallycross Championship, scoring his first and only World RX victory in Finland.

For most of a career, Foust is sponsored by Rockstar Energy

Contributing to Volkswagen Andretti's GRC domination

In 2015, Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team became a dominant force in the Global Rallycross Championship, thanks to Scott Speed and Tanner Foust. Speed captured three consecutive championship titles from 2015 to 2017. Foust was third in 2015 and a vice-champion for two years in a row, in 2016 and 2017.

During that period, he occasionally participated in the World Rallycross Championship, driving a Volkswagen Polo for different teams. He was on a podium in the Canadian round in August 2015, finishing in the third place.

Tanner Foust - 2019 ARX champion

Americas Rallycross champion in 2019

After a demise of the Global Rallycross Championship in 2018, Foust continues to drive VW Beetle for Volkswagen Andretti in the new championship ARX – Americas Rallycross, finishing again as a runner-up behind Scott Speed.

In 2019, Foust and Speed split up. Foust stayed with Andretti Volkswagen while Speed joined Subaru. Foust scored victories in two ARX rounds and took the championship title.

Tanner Foust

Photos: Tanner Foust Racing, fiaworldrallycross.com, Jerry Winkler,