'It’s an incredible privilege' - The busiest man in motorsport talks 2015 and living life in the Foust Lane

In the world of motorsport, you will struggle to find a man as busy as Tanner Foust. From racing, to TV and Film, the four-time X Games gold medallist rarely stands still.

Well, 'parks' would perhaps be a more fitting word. Thankfully though, the Top Gear host found time to catch up with us once again, and tell us all about what this year has in store.

2015 will see the star driver take part in no fewer than four different championships - including a full season in Red Bull Global Rallycross that he hopes will lead to a record-extending third championship title.

Alongside his Red Bull GRC commitments, the Colorado native will run partial campaigns in World Rallycross, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and he also makes a long-awaited return to Formula Drift behind the wheel of a 900 horsepower rear-wheel drive Volkswagen Passat.

"Since leaving Formula Drift in 2010 I’ve wanted to return for a limited schedule." said the two-time Formula Drift champion. "The fans the tracks, the driving… it’s all something that is unique in the world of motorsports and I’ve missed it."

Earlier this month Foust took to the track for a Formula Drift event for the first time in five years when he competed in the season opener at Long Beach. While he qualified for the main event, he was knocked out by number five seed Justin Pawlak.

Despite the exit, Foust was happy to reconnect with the faithful Formula Drift fans during the weekend.

"There’s a fan loyalty in Formula Drift that rivals what you’d expect from NASCAR" he said. "There are fans that drive eight hours to go to these events and fans that have never missed a Formula Drift event in their area. They know the cars, they know the drivers, they know everything there is about the sport."

The Rockstar Energy Drink athlete will next be at a Formula Drift event in May, a month that will also see him compete in the opening round of the 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross championship in Fort Lauderdale in Florida.

Off the back of a 'rough' season last year, Foust is looking to bounce back in 2015. During the second half of last season the Andretti driver put some valuable competition miles on his team's new Beetle race car, a move that he believes will prove beneficial this season.

"One of the things that came out of last year was a really unusual opportunity for us to test the Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle in a competition environment. When we got to Los Angeles, I wasn’t mathematically eligible for the championship title and so we said: “OK. What if we took this opportunity to put some competition miles on the new car so that we’ve got a head start on next season?”" Foust said.

"We’ve learned a lot and that’s going to put us in an amazing position for 2015, considering how new our race car is" he continued. "It’s great that we were able to get so much real-world GRC testing with the beetle last year in competition."

With that real-world mileage paired with an extensive testing programme for the car in both the US and Europe, Foust believes that they're in a perfect position to challenge for championship honours this year.

"I think, even though it’s the first full season for the Beetle, that we’re ready for a championship year".

Red Bull GRC of course isn't Foust's only rallycross commitment this year, with the Volkswagen pilot set to compete in four rounds of the FIA's World Rallycross Championship too.

Like last year, Foust will drive a Volkswagen Polo in his appearances in WRX, the car that won the opening round of the 2015 season recently in the hands of Johan Kristoffersson.

Red Bull GRC and WRX may be the worlds two premier rallycross series, both offer unique challenges for the drivers, especially when it comes to tracks with GRC mainly racing on purpose-built temporary facilities while WRX tends to stick to more permanent venues.

"In GRC, the track is different every time, so the driver who has the advantage is the one who can quickly study and learn the track" Foust explained. "Both challenges are serious fun!".

As if a full season in Red Bull GRC and partial runs in Formula Drift and WRX weren't enough, Foust will also be racing in a handful of events in the Pro-2 class of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing series - remarkably a discipline he is still relatively new to.

"As a newcomer, it’s a big challenge to extract the most out of a 5,000-pound, 900 horsepower beast through the corners while learning to fly it through the air precisely" he said. "It’s becoming less chaos for me each time, and I’m looking forward to bringing the lap times down into a competitive range."

Four racing campaigns, in addition to work with Volkswagen on concept cars, and film and TV work - there may still be a lot of 2015 left but one thing's for sure, Foust wont be getting bored in the coming months.

"My schedule is busy but you’ll never hear me complain about waking up every day and getting to drive cars fast. I know how insanely lucky I am to get to do something I love for a living. It’s an incredible privilege" he concluded.

For further insight into the life and career of Tanner Foust, check out the latest episode of his popular YouTube series, Life in the Foust Lane HERE

Full Tanner Foust interview

Dominik Wilde: During our first interview you described your start to 2014 as 'rough'. However, you still scored wins in GRC and WRX in 2014. How would you describe 2014 for yourself?

Tanner Foust: “Rough.” As a driver, you don’t want to look back on a season and ask “What if…?” And that’s how 2014 wound up.


Dominik Wilde: Although a lot of your results in the early part of last year were down to poor luck, is there anything you (or your team) has done in the off season to prepare yourself even better for 2015?

Tanner Foust: One of the things that came out of last year was a really unusual opportunity for us to test the Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle in a competition environment. When we got to Los Angeles, I wasn’t mathematically eligible for the championship title and so we said: “OK. What if we took this opportunity to put some competition miles on the new car so that we’ve got a head start on next season?”

We’ve learned a lot and that’s going to put us in an amazing position for 2015, considering how new our race car is.


Dominik Wilde: When we last spoke at Daytona, you were getting ready to begin competing with the new Beetle. After finishing 2014 with the car, do you believe you now have the perfect platform to once again challenge for the GRC title this year?

Tanner Foust: Of course! It’s great that we were able to get so much real-world GRC testing with the beetle last year in competition. Plus, in the off-season both the Volkswagen Motorsport team in Europe and the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team have been working on the development of the new car. I have worked hard to adapt my driving style to the tire we are running again this year and, in testing anyway, the combination is working great! I think, even though it’s the first full season for the Beetle, that we’re ready for a championship year.


Dominik Wilde: As with last year, there have been a number of changes to the GRC calendar. As well as returning to some old venues, the series will be visiting new places in an expanded schedule. What kind of challenges does a longer calendar pose, especially for someone as busy as yourself?

Tanner Foust: The championship has 12 rounds on it, which I think is a good number for the championship – but with four doubleheaders instead of just one, like we had last year, we actually have the same number of stops. So, from a scheduling perspective, I’m happy. Those doubleheaders are going to be critical to the season, though. And it’s going to be important to start strong each weekend and keep the momentum going through the two days of competition.


Dominik Wilde: You'll also be doing a few WRX rounds too, how does competing in that series compare to GRC?

Tanner Foust: The rules are a little bit different, with the heats progression happening differently in World RX than it does in GRC, and a different number of cars in the final... But the thing that’s the most different are the tracks: In GRC they build a brand-new track from scratch every weekend. This year, for example, Daytona is a repeat on the circuit but there is little advantage gained by those who raced it last year because the track will ultimately be different. In World RX, Lydden Hill is (omit) going to have that same tricky bump in the middle of the long back straight and there will still be a few tenths of a second gained by being tidy entering the slick right-hander onto the dirt at the bottom of the hill… There are guys who’ve raced that same track for years and years and in WRX that experience pays off. In GRC, the track is different every time, so the driver who has the advantage is the one who can quickly study and learn the track. Both challenges are serious fun!


Dominik Wilde: Your recently announced program for 2015 also includes a return to Formula Drift, how excited are you to return to the competition?

Tanner Foust: Since leaving formula Drift in 2010 I’ve wanted to return for a limited schedule. The fans the tracks, the driving… it’s all something that is unique in the world of motorsports and I’ve missed it.

There’s a fan loyalty in Formula Drift that rivals what you’d expect from NASCAR… There are fans that drive eight hours to go to these events and fans that have never missed a Formula Drift event in their area – ever! They know the cars, they know the drivers, they know everything there is about the sport. What’s not to love about being around those kinds of enthusiasts?


Dominik Wilde: Tell us a little bit about the car you'll be driving there.

Tanner Foust: With Volkswagen, we had this opportunity to build a radical car that I love driving… It’s a 900-hp, rear-wheel drive Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Passat. It’s that kind of out-of-the-box creation you can do in Formula Drift that you just don't see in any other series.


Dominik Wilde: As well as GRC, WRX and Formula Drift, you'll also be doing some off-road racing too. What is it that attracts you to a series such as the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series?

Tanner Foust: It’s an intense experience to drive one of these trucks – the drivers are absolute gladiators and I have a huge amount of respect for those at the top of the sport. As a newcomer, it’s a big challenge to extract the most out of a 5,000-pound, 900 horsepower beast through the corners while learning to fly it through the air precisely… and use tear offs to clear the visor mud. It’s becoming less chaos for me each time, and I’m looking forward to bringing the lap times down into a competitive range.


Dominik Wilde: Why such a diverse schedule?

Tanner Foust: It’s fun! I’m excited to be reconnecting with drifting, ripping in the dirt with trucks and chasing down a championship in rallycross. I think it’s important to stay in touch with all these different disciplines, especially as I’m working with Volkswagen on concept cars like the Rauh-Welt Begriff Beetle we did for SEMA last year. Being involved in different types of competition keeps me tied in to different areas of automotive culture… I’d like to take that and continue putting an extreme, expressive spin on other VW projects to see what else we can create. 


Dominik Wilde: So that's rallycross, drifting and off road, in addition to your TV and film work. How to you find the time for it all?

Tanner Foust: My schedule is busy but you’ll never hear me complain about waking up every day and getting to drive cars fast. I know how insanely lucky I am to get to do something I love for a living. It’s an incredible privilege.


Dominik Wilde: Come the end of 2015, how would you like to look back on this busy year that you have ahead?

Tanner Foust: Ask me again at the end of the year!



Images: Alison Padron, Larry Chen, Tanner Foust Racing, Beyond Marketing Group, Red Bull Content Pool, Volkswagen Motorsport, Dominik Wilde, Jon Sibal