Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust returned to his drifting roots this weekend for his first of two 2016 competitions in the Pacific Northwest.
The two-time Formula Drift champion put on a strong performance in the Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Volkswagen Passat, advancing to the Top 8 round.
"I can't say enough about the fans in the Pacific Northwest. I've been coming to this region to race since the start of my career, competing in rally, rallycross and drifting, and it's always a highlight for me," said Foust. "The enthusiasm and energy you get from this crowd is unreal."
The Seattle area venue was packed to capacity this weekend for championship drifting competition. Evergreen Speedway is a longtime host to Formula Drift events and local fans are enthusiastic supporters of action motorsport.
Running only a select schedule of Formula Drift events in 2016, Foust has proven competitive. This weekend he advanced past Justin Pawlak in the opening round and went on to defeat Dominican driver Jhonnattan Castro in the Top 16. His charge ended in a hard-fought Top 8 battle with fulltime series driver Chris Forsberg.
"Since I'm not part of the championship battle, for me Formula Drift is about getting out to the tracks, talking to as many fans as I possibly can, and having a blast thrashing the Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Volkswagen Passat!" said Foust. "It's so different from any other kind of motorsport out there -- and it's so much fun. I can't thank the Formula Drift organizers enough for this access to their amazing events and the chance to meet so many loyal fans."
The Seattle Formula Drift stop is the second of three 2016 appearances for Foust in the series. The California driver finished in the Top 8 earlier this year in Atlanta and will return to Formula Drift next month to take on the series' penultimate round at Texas Motor Speedway.
Foust will return to the Seattle area track in September when it will be transformed with dirt and jumps for the Global Rallycross Championship. But before then, he and the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team will visit Atlantic City when the rallycross series makes its first-ever stop there on August 28. Foust has led the GRC championship since the opening round this season and, with 22 podiums to his credit, holds the all-time series record.
