ANDRETTI RALLYCROSS ANNOUNCES TWO-CAR TEAM OF FOUST, BIGHAM
Four-time U.S. rallycross championship team Andretti Rallycross has confirmed its driver lineup for the 2019 Americas Rallycross Championship (ARX) season. Tanner Foust, two-time rallycross champion, will be joined by “The Big Ham”, Cabot Bigham, who will make his ARX Supercar debut. Foust will again pilot the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink machine and Bigham will compete in the No. 02 machine, both with support from Volkswagen R GmbH in Germany.
“We’re really pleased to continue with Americas Rallycross competition, and we are excited to have Tanner back and welcome Cabot to the team,” said Andretti Autosport CEO Michael Andretti. “Cabot has proven, from a very young age, that he can compete with some of the best drivers in rallycross. The Andretti crews have worked to build a dominant presence in U.S. rallycross, and we’re looking forward to carrying that through the 2019 season as we defend our team title. I think Cabot and Tanner are going to form a great team and that with our continued Volkswagen relationship we will once again be the team to beat in Americas Rallycross.”
Bigham is one of rallycross’ most promising young drivers, having won a Rallycross Lites championship in his debut season in 2016. The young American than graduated into U.S. Rallycross with Bryan Herta Rallysport, where he competed in 10 rounds, scoring 473 points and finishing 10thin the championship. The young driver was also able to get some valuable experience last season, racing in ARX2 during the season-finale at Circuit of The Americas, where he scored 51 points and a second-place finish in his semi-final.
“Working with Andretti is going to be massive. It’s a huge opportunity for me, specifically because of the amount of power, dedication, and momentum that they have amassed throughout the past four years of winning rallycross races,” said Bigham. “Being able to align myself with this team and see what they can do in the future, is not only very exciting for me but an amazing opportunity to advance my career and eventually obtain a Americas Rallycross championship.”
Foust is a versatile and multi-talented driver known for his supreme car control and a proven track record of podium placements, national championships and world records. He is a three-time U.S. rallycross champion (2012, 2011, 2010) who has also won four X Games gold medals (2013, 2010, 2007), and two Formula Drift championships (2008, 2007). Foust joined Andretti Rallycross in 2014 and has been part of multiple manufacturer and team championships.
“I’m excited to compete in this second season of ARX,” said Tanner Foust, driver of the No. 34 Rockstar Beetle. “I am glad that we are back for a fifth season with these awesome Beetles and are continuing the relationship with Andretti Rallycross. I think Cabot’s speed will open a few eyes and I’m really looking forward to racing against Scott Speed again, now he is lining up for a rival automaker.”
Foust and Bigham will continue to race in the Beetle Rallycross vehicles, built by Volkswagen Motorsport in Europe and developed by Andretti Rallycross in the U.S. The cars will race with the same 2.0-liter 560-horsepower turbocharged engines that propelled the team to success in 2017 and 2018.
The season begins June 8-9 at historic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where a brand-new 0.7-mile circuit around the “keyhole” section of the track. The cars will then compete through the rest of the season, taking in races at Gateway Motorsports Park in Illinois, Trois-Rivieres in Canada, and Circuit of The Americas, TX, before the final round at Mid-Ohio in October.
