Tanner Foust | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Education | Degree in molecular biology from University of Colorado | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation(s) | TV Show Host Stunt Car Driver Professional Drift Car Driver Professional Rallycross Driver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Known for | Rallycross and drift racing Top Gear co-host Formula D Drift Champion (2007, 2008) X Games gold medallist: Rally Car Racing (2007, 2010) Rally Car Super Rally (2010) Gymkhana Grid (2013) Television and film Film Stunt Driver SPEED's SuperCars Exposed host SPEED's Redline TV host ESPN's Import Tuners host History Channel's Top Gear host | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Global Rallycross career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Debut season | 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Car number | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Former teams | Olsbergs MSE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starts | 68 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championships | 2 (2011, 2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wins | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Podiums | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finished last season | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FIA World Rallycross Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years active | 2014–2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Former teams | Volkswagen RX Sweden Marklund Motorsport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starts | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championships | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wins | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Podiums | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best finish | 13th in 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FIA ERX Supercar Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years active | 2011–2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Former teams | Marklund Motorsport Olsbergs MSE Rockstar Energy Rallycross Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starts | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wins | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Podiums | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best finish | 2nd in 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007-2008 2011–2012 2019 | Formula D Global Rallycross Americas Rallycross Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Website | http://tannerfoust.com/ |
Tanner Lee Foust [1] (born June 13, 1973) is an American professional racing driver, stunt driver, and television host. He competes in rally, drift, ice racing, time attack, hill climb and rallycross with multiple podium placements, national championships, and world records. He was a co-host of the American version of the motoring television series Top Gear .
Growing up in a naval family, Foust spent several years as a child in Scotland, where he discovered rallying and learned to drive on the country roads near his home. He returned to the United States and worked jobs as a golf caddy and school bus driver, from which he was fired, and went into a pre-med track at the University of Colorado, earning a biology degree. He spent his summers at the track, trading mechanic work and driver coaching jobs for seat time in racecars. After college, he began working as an ice driving coach, an instructor at automotive marketing events and competing in anything he could, including rally and drifting. He made the transition to professional racing in 2003, and soon moved to California to begin stunt driving for Hollywood films. With his passion for cars, he has rapidly become one of the busiest professional drivers in the United States. He considers himself fortunate that, in just over ten years of professional racing, he has had the opportunity to compete against the likes of Rod Millen, Colin McRae, Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel. [2]
He was slated to become co-host for the original American version of the motoring television series, Top Gear , on NBC and filmed a pilot before the series was dropped. The series has since been picked up by the History Channel and Foust was the only pilot presenter to be picked up when the program finally made it on air in the U.S. in late 2010. He has also hosted other shows including SPEED Channel's SuperCars Exposed , SPEED Channel's Redline TV and ESPN's Import Tuners. On November 21, 2010, he made his debut for the History Channel series, Top Gear, the American version of the BBC hit series of the same name.
Foust has been a stunt driver for films such as The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift , Ford vs Ferrari , Need For Speed and The Dukes of Hazzard and set multiple world records with Hot Wheels and Top Gear . He was a prominent competitor in the Formula Drift series, winning the 2007 and 2008 championship. Foust is the first driver in Formula Drift history to win back-to-back series championships. He is the most decorated driver in X Games history with 9 medals. Foust first competed in X Games XIII in 2007 where he won the gold in the rally racing event. He also participated in Rally America in 2009. In 2010 at X Games XVI he won gold in Rally Car Racing and Rally Car Super Rally, driving the Rockstar Energy Ford Fiesta. He also competed in the European Rallycross Championship, becoming the first American to do so. After leaving the drifting scene in favor of RallyCross in 2011, Foust became a regular ERC competitor, taking part in 9 of the 10 rounds of the FIA recognized series finished second overall as well as Global RallyCross - winning the championship. In 2012, Foust continued his success with another Global RallyCross championship.
For 2013, Foust medaled in both racing events at X Games XIX Los Angeles with a gold in Gymkhana Grid and silver in RallyCross. These marked his eighth and ninth X Games medals.
In Summer 2015 he started shooting the sixth and final season of Top Gear completing 72 episodes. [3]
At the Chicago Auto Show in February 2014, Foust announced a new partnership with Volkswagen and Andretti Autosport. He drove a Volkswagen New Beetle for the 2014 Global RallyCross Championship season as well as selected events with Marklund Motorsport in the inaugural season of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. He became the first, and so far only, driver from outside Europe to win a round of the championship, winning the 2014 World RX of Finland. As the US rallycross series has changed its name from Global Rallycross to America’s Rallycross and Nitro Rallycross, Foust has finished runner up in the championship 3 times and won the NRX championship in 2019. He holds the longest running streak of Heat victories in rallycross worldwide at 25 and is currently the winningest driver in the US.
Foust signed with McLaren XE to race in the 2022 Extreme E season alongside Emma Gilmour. [4] He and Gilmour won McLaren's first Extreme E podium by finishing second in the Energy X-Prix. [5] The pair were retained for the 2023 season. [6] McLaren won its second podium by finishing second in Round 4 at the Hydro X-Prix. [7] McLaren withdrew from Round 8 at the Island X-Prix II due to the car being badly damaged in Round 7's redemption race. [8] In December 2023, McLaren announced that Foust and Gilmour will leave the team after two season. [9]
(key)
Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ERX | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Rockstar Energy Rallycross Team | Ford Fiesta | POR 8 | FRA | GBR 6 | HUN | SWE 6 | FIN | BEL | GER 0 | POL | CZE 8 | 11th | 40 |
Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ERX | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Rockstar Energy Rallycross Team | Ford Fiesta | GBR 8 | POR 1 | FRA 6 | NOR 6 | SWE 1 | BEL 8 | NED NC [lower-alpha 1] | AUT 3 | POL 3 | CZE 3 | 2nd | 116 |
2012 | Olsbergs MSE | Ford Fiesta | GBR 1 | FRA 13 | AUT | HUN 2 | NOR 1 | SWE | BEL 2 | NED 6 | FIN 6 | GER | 3rd | 100 |
2013 | Olsbergs MSE | Ford Fiesta ST | GBR 1 | POR | HUN | FIN 1 | NOR | SWE | FRA 6 | AUT | GER | 9th | 68 | |
2014 | Marklund Motorsport | Volkswagen Polo | GBR 3 | NOR | BEL | GER | ITA | 18th | 14 |
(key)
Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | WRX | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Marklund Motorsport | Volkswagen Polo | POR | GBR 5 | NOR | FIN 1 | SWE | BEL | CAN NC | FRA | GER | ITA | TUR DNP | ARG | 13th | 42 | |
2015 | Marklund Motorsport | Volkswagen Polo | POR | HOC 9 | BEL | GBR 16 | GER | SWE | CAN 3 | NOR | FRA | BAR 5 | TUR | ITA | ARG | 15th | 44 |
2016 | Volkswagen RX Sweden | Volkswagen Polo | POR | HOC | BEL | GBR 22 | NOR | SWE | CAN | FRA | BAR | LAT | GER 18 | ARG | 29th | 0 |
(key)
Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | GRC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Olsbergs MSE Ford Racing | Ford Fiesta | IRW1 3 | IRW2 2 | SEA1 2 | SEA2 1 | PIK1 1 | PIK2 6 | LA1 4 | LA2 2 | 1st | 134 |
Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | GRC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Olsbergs MSE Ford Racing | Ford Fiesta | CHA 2 | TEX 2 | LA 5 | LOU 4 | LV 1 | LVC 1 | 1st | 94 | ||||||
2013 | Olsbergs MSE | Ford Fiesta ST | BRA 8 | MUN1 6 | MUN2 3 | LOU 4 | BRI 7 | IRW 2 | ATL 2 | CHA 10 | LV 2 | 2nd | 123 | |||
2014 | Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross | Volkswagen Polo | BAR 11 | AUS 18 | DC 5 | NY 1 | CHA 8 | DAY 6 | 9th | 209 | ||||||
Volkswagen Beetle | LA1 8 | LA2 13 | SEA 10 | LV 6 | ||||||||||||
2015 | Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross | Volkswagen Beetle | FTA 5 | DAY1 1 | DAY2 5 | MCAS 12 | DET1 10 | DET2 10 | DC 5 | LA1 2 | LA2 3 | BAR1 1 | BAR2 1 | LV 9 | 3rd | 388 |
2016 | Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross | Volkswagen Beetle | PHO1 1 | PHO2 1 | DAL 3 | DAY1 5 | DAY2 1 | MCAS1 8 | MCAS2 C | DC 3 | AC 4 | SEA 1 | LA1 2 | LA2 4 | 2nd | 565 |
2017 | Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross | Volkswagen Beetle | MEM 2 | LOU 4 | THO1 1 | THO2 9 | OTT1 2 | OTT2 1 | INDY 2 | AC1 10 | AC2 9 | SEA1 1 | SEA2 1 | LA 1 | 2nd | 807 |
Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Rank | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross | Volkswagen Beetle | SIL 1 | AUS1 3 | TRO 2 | AUS2 1 | 2nd | 107 | ||
2019 | MO1 4 | GTW1 6 | GTW2 3 | TRO 1 | AUS 1 | MO2 7 | 1st | 143 | ||
Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | NRX | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | Audi S1 | UTA 7 | ERX 7 | WHP 6 | GHR 13 | FIRM 6 | 6th | 82 | |||||
2023-24 | Xite Energy Racing | FC1-X | MID | UMC1 9 | UMC2 3 | WHP1 | WHP2 | HLN1 | HLN2 | STA | TBA | TBA | 11th* | 84* |
(key)
Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos. | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team [lower-alpha 1] | Spark ODYSSEY 21 | DES 5 | ISL1 10 | ISL2 6 | COP 5 | ENE 2 | 7th | 46 | |||||
2023 | NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team | Spark ODYSSEY 21 | DES1 6 | DES2 7 | HYD1 8 | HYD2 2 | ISL-I1 7 | ISL-I2 9 | ISL-II1 10 | ISL-II2 WD | COP1 5 | COP2 5 | 8th | 67 |
* Season still in progress.
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