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Duns, United Kingdom — Rockstar Energy driver Tanner Foust battled through a tough field to advance to the final heat at the UK round of the European Rallycross Championship this weekend at the Lydden Hill Circuit.

"The racing in England this weekend was incredible," said Foust. "Rallycross is an unbelievably tough sport with lots of contact and aggression on the track; it's like the coolest video game ever."

Battling against more than 30 entries in the hotly contested Division 1, the driver fought his way into the final heat of six cars. Foust was set to race against the best in the sport – including defending champion Sverre Isachsen, from Norway, local hero Liam Doran and Belgian rally star Francois Duval. But a driveshaft failure at the start line of the heat left Foust unable to fight for the overall win. He finished in sixth-place overall.

It was a strong result for the series newcomer, who had said he was pleased to earn a spot in the A Final in only his second European Rallycross Championship race. "The mechanical failure was a disappointment, but getting to the A Final was a huge achievement for me and the team," said Foust. "I learned a lot, and I'm getting more competitive with every heat."

The versatile driver is the first American to compete in the FIA European Rallycross Championship. He had a successful debut in his latest motorsport discipline earlier this month with an eighth-place finish in Portugal.

Foust is scheduled to contest five European Rallycross events this season in a 600-horsepower, all-wheel drive Rockstar Energy Rallycross Ford Fiesta prepared by champion Andreas Eriksson's Olsbergs MSE Ford team.

He got his first feel for the vehicle at X Games in 2009 when he drove one of the team cars to a bronze medal. This summer's X Games contest in Los Angeles will feature an American version of the rallycross discipline, known as SuperRally.

The driver is a two-time Formula Drift champion and X Games Rally gold medalist who has twice represented Team USA at the international Race of Champions.

The sport is a blend of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. It promises intense crowd-pleasing action in a fan-friendly track environment. Six drivers line up to start at once, piloting high-horsepower compact cars through race traffic over a challenging short course that features jumps, unbanked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel.

Foust's 2010 competition schedule also includes a return to the Formula Drift series in his Rockstar Energy Drink Scion TC, ESPN's Summer X Games and select rally events.

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Photo: Tanner Foust hits the dirt in the second round of the 2010 FIA European Rallycross Championship.

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