Tanner Foust to tackle rallycross, drifting and more in 2015

Multi-time rallycross and drift champion Tanner Foust will be a full-time competitor in the Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship this year while also making a return to Formula Drift competition for three rounds this season as part of a schedule that will see him challenge for the Global Rallycross Championship title while also racing in select stops of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, Formula Drift and the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.

"My competition focus is on winning the Global Rallycross Championship for Volkswagen and Rockstar Energy Drink in 2015 but I'm also excited to be able to get back into drifting," said Foust, whose last Formula Drift competition was the 2010 season ender. "The fans, the tracks, and the driving in Formula Drift are really something unique in the world of motorsports and I've missed being part of it."

Foust's first Formula Drift competition of 2015 will take place at the season opener at Long Beach, April 10 and 11. There, he will debut a brand-new drift machine, the 900 horsepower Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Passat.

The Rockstar Energy Drink driver recently appeared with Volkswagen at the Chicago Auto Show to confirm plans to return to Global Rallycross for a second full championship season with the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team, alongside teammate Scott Speed. The team is also expected to return to X Games in Austin this summer when the action sports festival returns to Circuit of The Americas June 4-7.

The two-time GRC champion earned the series' fan favorite award in 2014 after a successful season that saw Foust take a race win at the New York round and the mid-season debut of the powerful new Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle. Foust and the new VARX squad are among the favorites for the championship in 2015.

"Volkswagen and Andretti are a winning combination and we had a fantastic debut last year," said Foust. "It's exciting that in our first season we were able to get so much real-world GRC testing with the Beetle. The Volkswagen Motorsport and Andretti engineers have continued with development this off-season and I can't wait to show off all the hard work when we get back on track in May."

Foust will also make a return to the FIA World Rallycross Championship for four stops this season with Sweden's Marklund Motorsport team. The versatile driver is also planning to appear in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series for a select campaign of events in the in the Pro-2 class.

"I'm going back to my roots with drifting, racing in rallycross, scraping the rust off some road racing skills, and continuing to learn more about off-road racing," said Foust. "For me, it's important to stay in touch with these different disciplines -- especially as I'm working with Volkswagen on developing some exciting new project cars."

Foust debuted the first of these projects, the RAUH-Welt Begriff Volkswagen Beetle, at SEMA last season.

Foust is the only driver ever to win back-to-back Formula Drift championships (2007 and '08). He scored the runner-up position in 2010, his last season of Formula Drift competition. More details on the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Passat will be available in the coming weeks.

"I think it is safe to say, the return of two-time FD champion Tanner Foust highlights the most anticipated Formula DRIFT season to date," said Ryan Sage, series co-founder. "Some of the best battles in series history have featured Tanner and our fans are going to be thrilled to see him back in the mix in 2015 in a brand new Rockstar Energy Drink machine."

In addition to his busy competition schedule, Foust continues his work as a stunt driver and television personality. He is one of the hosts of Top Gear, airing on the HISTORY channel, and new episodes of his documentary series Life in the Foust Lane are coming soon to the Rockstar Energy Drink YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/RockstarEvents.