From the stages to the screen - The story of rally champ and Bond double Mark Higgins

Mark Higgins is one of Britain's greatest rally drivers and arguably one of Hollywood's biggest stars - even though you've never seen his face on screen.

A three time British Rally Champion, Higgins more recently has appeared in a number of hit films, including The Sweeney, Fast and Furious 6 and three James Bond films - one of which is the upcoming release, Spectre.

Despite hailing from the Isle of Man, a land famous for its motorbike racing, Higgins' grandparents, parents and uncles all competed in rally events. So it was only natural that he and his brother David carried on the family tradition.

"I did trials riding but then went onto karting. I was definitely better on 4 wheels," Higgins said of his early two-wheeled exploits, "I love bikes and have a race bike and enduro but I keep braking bones!"

The decision to compete on four wheels instead of two proved to be a fruitful one. Higgins' professional career began at the young age of just 17 and in 1997, at 26 years of age he'd won his first British Rally Championship title.

Two more BRC crowns would follow in 2005 and 2006, making it three years in a row someone from the Higgins clan took British rallying's top prize after his brother's triumph in 2004.

Three BRC championship wins put Higgins in a very elite club alongside some of rallying's biggest names such as Ari Vatanen, Stig Blomqvist, and Jimmy and Colin McRae. Having a place on such a roll of honour is something that Higgins certainly sees as very special.

"It’s hard to imagine these moments when you were a kid who idolized them all," he said, "I remember Ari Vatanen after my first British championship win congratulating me on the recce of Rally GB which was special back in 1997."

Higgins continued to compete in the BRC for another three seasons after his final championship win. In those years, he finished second in every season - each time getting agonisingly close to adding another championship crown to his CV.

In recent years, the British Rally Championship has faced a sharp decline. Spiralling costs, lack of interest from manufacturers, and the domination of one particular car are amongst the things hindering what was once one of the world's top motorsport series - something Higgins is sorry to see.

"It’s very sad to be honest. I learnt my craft in the BRC and had some fantastic years," he admitted, "I hope it comes back again but it’s become very expensive and we need the manufacturers back to support it."

"When you need a half million pound budget to do the season in the R5 car it becomes difficult for the guys with talent to come through without a team’s support," Higgins added. "Last year there were events with 12 cars entered in the BRC which is not good. The championship needs depth and atmosphere and the more cars the better."

After leaving the BRC following the 2009 campaign, Higgins didn't compete in a top-level rally event on UK soil until 2013 when he made a one off appearance at the final round of the World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB. He finished tenth that weekend, third in the WRC2 class.

Since then, the majority of Higgins' rally outings have taken place in China, where he competes alongside some top names from the world of rallying.

"It’s a great championship with top teams, European drivers and good cars," he said, "The last event had 130 entries with Alister McRae, Nial McShae, Manfred Stool and Chris Atkinson competing in very good cars."

Despite his adventures in Asia, a lot of Mark Higgins' most recent work has centred around the world of action movies; in particular, the James Bond franchise.

Remarking on his transition from the stages to the screen, Higgins said, "I worked on TV shows such as Top Gear and Ben Colins, the old Stig, who was working on Quantum of Solace was asked to find a rally driver for the opening gravel scene down the quarry. Myself and Ben had worked over the years together so this is how it started."

In recent years, long periods away filming have tended to limit Higgins' competitive career, in particular in 2012 when participating in the productions of Bond film Skyfall and Fast & Furious 6 meant that Higgins didn't compete in a single rally for the first time in several years.

"Doing Fast 6 and Skyfall in the same year was the first time since I was 14 that I did not do a rally," he recalled, "It was great to get back to rallying the following year, and it was then I realised how much I missed the competing."

"The China season starts late so I have been lucky recently as I’ve been able to do both."

Like many stunt drivers, Higgins is called upon by production companies to sit behind the wheel most of the time, but on occasion the star actors do their part too.

"We do get to work closely with the actors" Higgins revealed. "With insurance and their busy schedules the actors do very little in the cars and they’re often on a different film unit than the stunt guys, but all get involved when they can." 


Higgins regards one of those moments when the actor was absent - doubling for Daniel Craig as James Bond - as a professional highlight. Including the upcoming release, Spectre, he has appeared in all but one of Craig's outings as 007 as well as a handful of other pictures; but which of his on screen outings does Higgins consider to be his favourite?

"They're all different," he said, "Fast 6 was great because of the variety of cars I drove and people I doubled, although it’s not every day you get to be Bond in the Aston which is definite highlight of my career so far."

From Alfa Romeos to Aston Martins, Jensen Interceptors to outlandish 'flip cars', the movie world has allowed Higgins to get behind the wheel of some pretty impressive machines. Though none are perhaps quite as special as his latest office, The Aston Martin DB10

Built specifically for Spectre, the DB10 will never be offered to the public. Only 10 were made and special agent Higgins got to drive each and every one of them.

"The DB10 was great to work with as it's obviously got loads of grunt, it sounds fantastic," he said. "The car never missed a beat through the film and was a pleasure to drive sideways most of the time".

Although the finished film is yet to be released, a lot of intrigue has already surrounded not just the DB10, but the car chase scene in which it will feature - which also includes the Jaguar CX75, another car which is unlikely to ever hit the road.

In recent months the internet has been flooded with images and incognito footage from Rome, where Higgins was seen speeding and sliding his way through the streets for the cameras.

Working through the night - often for 12 hours at a time - over a thousand people helped put together the car chase sequence literally a mile at a time. The ancient cobbled streets, complex camera equipment and darkness didn't always providing optimum driving conditions though.

"Once all roads were locked off we would film on the same bit of road, approximately one mile at a time, many times with different angles of the car," he said, "The challenges were the conditions, cameras strapped to the car, vision and the stunts that were all done for real on the film."

While he loves his job, Higgins does admit that the process of filming isn't always a perfect way to spend the day. "The only downside [to filming] is the time away on a film and sometimes a lot of hanging around although we were flat out every night in Rome for Spectre."

There are still many secrets surrounding the completed chase sequence, such as who comes out on top, Bond or the villain, Hinx? What tricks does Bond's new ride have hidden up its sleeve? and so on, making not just the film, but Bond's latest car battle one of the most eagerly anticipated things in cinema this year.

Transitioning from the stage to the screen is nothing new in the world of cinema, although it's usually from Broadway or the West End, not the forests of Wales. But what's better, the life of a professional driver, or that of a super spy, master criminal, police officer or whatever the script throws at him?

"They’re very different but I still love competing, that is my passion," Higgins concedes, "there is still a great buzz from the filming when you do a difficult scene, and a different pressure."


You can read my full interview with Mark Higgins HERE



Images: Mark Higgins (Facebook), Guy Foster (Via Mark Higgins Facebook), italiaspeed, isleofman.com, Twitter (@iamguyn), Aston Martin, Road & Track, The Telegraph, Sony/EON - Copyright belongs to each image's respective owner

A Phrase Used All Too Often...

'A future world champion'; it's a phrase we hear a lot these days. It seems as if whenever a driver sets a purple sector time these days he or she is branded a future world champion. Rarely does it happen, however. What once probably meant a great deal is now something of a throwaway comment meaning half decent driver.

It some cases through, it does mean something. In once case in particular, it was seen as a dead cert.

Groomed for stardom by Scuderia Ferrari, Jules Bianchi was one of those drivers who had to walk around with the future world champion tag wrapped tightly around his neck. But unlike most, it wasn't a matter of if, but when the Frenchman's name was etched in the pages of history.

After taking five poles and fives wins on his was to the 2007 French Formula Renault title, the Nice native moved up to European Formula Three for 2008. It took him just three races to get onto the podium and two poles and two wins - including a debut victory on home soil - saw him finish third in the championship.


The following year was remarkable for Bianchi. Nine wins out of 20 saw him take a dominant Euro F3 title in only his third year of car racing. His performance attracted the attention of the Ferrari Formula One team who offered him seat time in their 2009 F1 car, the F60, at the Young Driver Test at Jerez following the conclusion of the F1 season.

He was instantly snapped up by the Italian giants and became their first, and so far still longest serving member of their Driver Academy.

GP2 was the next step for Bianchi but despite a podium on his first appearance, a win escaped him throughout much of his two years in the category, his only triumph coming in 2011 at Silverstone.

Despite missing out on the GP2 title twice, even though he was more often than not the championship favourite, Bianchi's relationship with Ferrari continued to blossom. In 2011, the Frenchman was promoted to the team's test roster. More F1 seat time followed.

In 2012 Ferrari loaned Bianchi to Sahara Force India where he took part in nine free practice sessions for the midfield team. He combined his new F1 role with a season in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series on the French manufacturer's World Series package. Despite three wins, the championship was once again elusive with a collision with eventual champion Robin Frijns in the final round leaving him to settle with second place.

An F1 race seat for 2013 now looked certain. Although bad luck and a handful of mistakes had prevented Bianchi from taking a single seater title for the last three years, there was no denying that the young Frenchman had shown promise, both in the junior categories and on his several F1 outings with Ferrari and Force India.

He began 2013 running for Force India but the team eventually opted for Adrian Sutil, seemingly leaving Bianchi without a race seat in Formula One. A year on the sidelines with the hope of securing a drive for 2014 beckoned until an opening came up further down the field.

Marussia were in search of another driver after Luiz Razia left the team before the first round due to sponsorship issues. Bianchi slotted into the team effortlessly.

Despite Bianchi's lack of preparation in comparison to his team mate, Max Chilton, he defeated Chilton in every qualifying session that year. In each race that the pair finished, he beat Chilton too. His 13th placed finish at Malaysia was also the team's best finish of the year, allowing them to take the all important tenth place in the constructors championship and with it vital prize money.

2014 would bring Bianchi the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Alongside testing duties for Ferrari, he continued to outperform Chilton at Marussia, beating the Brit in eight out of the nine races the pair finished, and took a landmark ninth place finish at that year's Monaco Grand Prix, despite starting from the back of the field.

The top-10 not only gave Bianchi his first points, but it was also the first time the Marussia team had scored points in their short F1 history. In fact, on that day, they became the first of the new-for-2010 to ever score in F1.

Those two points that day would go on to secure a vital ninth place in the standings. The prize money from that result also ensured that the team would survive the winter of turmoil that lay ahead.

However, that landmark result would come to be overshadowed by the events of October 5 - The Japanese Grand Prix.

In heavy rain, Bianchi left the track, hitting a recovery vehicle attending the stricken Sauber of Adrian Sutil. The unusual collision left Bianchi with severe head injuries.

Despite being declared stable enough to be transferred from Japan to France seven weeks later, Bianchi never awoke following the crash. He passed away nine months later.

In 2015 the Marussia team, now back to their original name of Manor, returned to the track. Their return was attributed to Bianchi's against-the-odds drive at Monaco the year before.


Bianchi was expected to line up for Sauber in 2015 and it is likely he would've been fighting amongst the top ten week-in, week-out. He was set to replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari in 2016 and then who knows what would have happened.

Every generation there is an influx of highly talented drivers. Some win every championship thrown at them. Some disappear and are instantly forgotten. Some perhaps might not always sit top of the tables, but they make an impression that lasts a lifetime.

Some are even branded a future world champion, but rarely does a bright star come along and become just that.




Images: Independent, ART Grand Prix, Ferrari, Autosport, Sky Sports, F1 Technical, pitpass.com

"I think I had an opportunity both days to win" - Jeff Ward Enjoys Impressive Red Bull GRC Debut

Last time out at Daytona Tanner Foust and Sebastian Eriksson may have shared the wins, but it was another driver who really stood out from the crowd.

Competing in his first ever Red Bull Global Rallycross events, Motorsport Hall of Famer Jeff Ward was remarkable. Finishing second in his first ever qualifying session, the Glasgow-born star then went on to take a pole position, a heat win and a best final position of fourth later in the weekend.

Although the Daytona double header was Ward's rallycross debut, the sport is something that Ward has been looking at for a number of years.

"I've been looking at the series; I tried to do the X Games a couple of years ago and talked to Ken Block, other people, (Travis) Pastrana, and just never got the opportunity," Ward recalls. "It was just kinda new and to get in with a team you had to do one of the races or something to get invited even though I raced supermoto there and won gold medals, I still had to go through a process so I just didn't do it."

However, with Ward's former Indy Racing League team Chip Ganassi Racing entering Red Bull GRC for 2015 and his friend Brian Deegan looking for someone to fill his seat at the team when other commitments take him away from the series, Ward finally had the perfect opportunity to make his rallycross bow.

Filling in for Deegan at Daytona, Ward was instantly on the pace, something which was something of a surprise considering his lack of seat time in the team's M-Sport built Ford Fiesta prior to the race weekend. Just a short spell in a local car park was all Ward had to get acclimatised to the 600 horsepower car before the Daytona weekend.

"It was just a parking lot with trash cans and I went out, it was super slick and dirty and kind of dusty and I did probably 40 laps on a 20 second lap time or something," he said. "The biggest thing I had to learn was the starts, there's like ten different things that go on to get that thing to start so that was the biggest thing I did most of the day there."

"It just got me comfortable in the car a little bit," he continued. "There was nothing more I could bring over to the race except what the power was and all the shifting and braking; it was basically just a shakedown".

Despite the minimal time spent behind the wheel of the Fiesta, tarmac and pavement experience in IRL and time honing his dirt skills in the Lucas Oils Off-Road series put Ward in good stead, as did advice from new team mate Steve Arpin who offered the 54-year-old some tips in the build up to the race weekend.

"Steve was great. He helped me with the launch, and gave me all the little ins and outs of what to do when you're out there," said Ward. "I had him tell me 'hey watch for this guy because he'll do this', he gave me a couple of heads up on the aggressive guys who are gonna stick it in there and get your door and do some stuff but I'm used to that in the Pro-2, it's the same thing."

All of that combined to produce results that were perhaps surprising for a newcomer, but for someone who's won every motorcross title there is, as well as open wheel races and missing out on an off-road truck title by a mere point, they went to show his versatility and talent behind the wheel of whatever is thrown at him.

Never out of the top two in qualifying, a heat win and final finishes of sixth and fourth made Ward look like a seasoned rallycross competitor. In fact, those results had the potential to be even higher.

"I think I had an opportunity both days to win. On the start (of the first day final) when the two guys (Patrik Sandell and Ken Block) took themselves out I got the lead but I was in the wrong gear then I got hit hard and stalled my car so I dropped almost to dead last," Ward remembers. "The next day I just got a bad jump on the start and I dropped back to sixth or something, but I did pass my team mate on the last corner for third on the outside and then I got docked rough driving."

That final pass in the final race of the weekend proved to be as controversial talking point that left spectators, commentators and the Ganassi pair of Ward and Arpin baffled.

"I'm thinking if that's a racing incident when they (Sandell and Block) took each other out, but passing on the outside with no contact, and then getting hit by the car that you passed on the left rear panel is rough driving, I wanted them to explain it, they didn't explain it."

In fact, it was just before the podium ceremony that Ward and Arpin discovered their positions had been swapped. But despite missing on a stunning top three in only his second final, Ward didn't dwell on the incident too much.

"I said it's fine with me I'm not in the series and I told him (Arpin) when the stewards came after," he added. "I'm not going to complain about it because it gives my team mate more points and he's running the whole series."

Brian Deegan will be back in the car for the 4th July weekend event at MCAS New River, meaning Ward's next rallycross outing will be at the series' return to the US capital, Washington DC. With effectively two race weekends now behind him (Daytona being a double header event), Ward is looking forward to improving and once again fighting at the sharp end.

"I think I'll have more confidence now. I think I'll be a little quicker and the track I'm sure will be different," he said. "Now I'll be able to change the car a little bit and try some stuff with suspension and try and get some grip and do a couple of things now I at least know where the baseline is."

With talks underway to add Los Angeles to his meagre Red Bull Global Rallycross schedule, Ward is hoping that his strong debut performance will allow him to run a full season campaign in the near-future.

"We just have to sit down and see what's going on next year with Ford, if it's a factory effort, if the money's involved or what it's going to take to put it together with funding and all that," Ward said regarding a potential full-time seat.

"It definitely helped me get something going for the following year and I'm sure the next races I'll do well as well so it's not like I'm going to get slower."

Read the full interview with Jeff Ward HERE





Images:  Chip Ganassi Racing, Larry Chen, Red Bull Global Rallycross

Florida: American motorsport's prime premier location

Last month Red Bull Global Rallycross kicked off their 2015 season with an event on the streets of Fort Lauderdale in Florida.

The event marked the second time the series has visited the southern state and the first time that the opening round of the year had been held there.

Of course, the Sunshine Sate is no stranger to hosting motor racing curtain raisers. Each of North America's biggest racing series have hosted their openers there for a number of years.

NASCAR

Since 1982 the biggest racing series in America, the NASCAR Sprint Cup, has held their season opener on the east coast in Daytona Beach.

The Daytona 500, as it has been known since the early 60s, began following the construction of the famed Daytona International Speedway in the 1950s. Prior to the 500 miles races on the purpose built facility, stock car races took place on the beach and surrounding roads a few short miles away.

The first Daytona 500 in 1959 saw Lee Petty triumph in a race that saw a staggering 59 cars start the race in what was one of the very few times a NASCAR race had managed to go from start to finish without a single caution period.

The first time Daytona held the season opener was a little more controversial however.

During the race, eventual winner Bobby Allison lost his bumper after contact with Cale Yarborough, resulting in a big wreck for those who hit the wayward piece of bodywork.

When the race resumed, Allison's was now considerably quicker, allowing him to go on to lead the most laps on his way to victory. Allison and his crew were accused of intending for the bumper to detach from the car, a claim they have always denied.

Nowadays, NASCAR's top-three series all begin their seasons at Daytona, as does the similar but not affiliated ARCA Racing Series.

United SportsCar Championship

Daytona has also played host to one of America's biggest sports car endurance races, The 24 Hours of Daytona.

The traditional first stop on the Rolex Sports Car Series calendar for a number of years, since 2014 the endurance classic has been the opening round of the unified United SportsCar Championship.

Despite the merger of the Rolex series with the American Le Mans Series, the first two 24 Hours of Daytona for the unified series have been won by Daytona Prototypes, a class born in the days of the NASCAR affiliated Rolex Sports Car Series.

This year's event saw Chip Ganassi Racing take the victory with a driver roster filled with NASCAR and IndyCar talent. In fact, Ganassi is currently the only organisation that has entered each of the races on this list.

IndyCar

St. Petersburg in Tampa first held an open-wheel curtain-raiser back in 2003 when it held the first round of the CART season that year. Paul Tracy won the race that year, going on to claim the CART title in the process, becoming the last driver to win the championship before Sebastien Bourdais' dominance and the series' eventual merger with the Indy Racing League.

The race didn't return the following year with promoter disputes to blame. When the race did return in 2005 it was part of the IRL calendar - the series' first even non-oval event.

It wasn't until 2009, one year on from the unification of CART and the IRL, when St. Petersburg would host the opening round of an open wheel season. Besides 2010 when the honour went to Sao Paulo, St. Petersburg has held the first round of the IndyCar season for every year since.

That looked to change this year when again the opening round of the season was scheduled to take place in Brazil, this time in Brasilia. However, the money soon dried up and round one was quickly back in St. Pete.

Global Rallycross

Irwindale, Charlotte, Foz do Iguaçu, Barbados - The Global Rallycross series has had a different host for it's opening round for each of it's five seasons.

This year though, like all of America's top-level motorsport championships, Florida welcomed Global Rallycross to the state to kick-off their season.

The event was won by fan favourite, Ken Block, who took an easy victory in the event final after making a clean getaway at the start whilst the rest of the field fought over positions behind him.

Block was consistently top of the speed charts at the series last visit to the sate in 2014 when the Red Bull-backed series stopped off at Daytona of all places. This year not just round one, but round two of the championship will take place in Florida with the series' return to Daytona taking place this weekend. 

Earlier in the year to avoid the high temperatures of last season's event, this year the event will be a double header, meaning twice as much racing and twice as many points up for grabs.

Images: floridamemory.com, nascar.com, imsa.com, IndyCar Media, Larry Chen, Dominik Wilde

'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