Volkswagen returns to competition this year in partnership with the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team in the newly launched Americas Rallycross series. The Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team will continue to campaign the Beetle Supercars that have earned the team multiple championships over the past four years. Drivers Scott Speed and Tanner Foust hope to add to their previous success in this exciting new series.
The season begins May 25-27 in Silverstone, England, at the brand-new Silverstone Rallycross circuit during the Speedmachine Festival. The Americas Rallycross opener will be held in conjunction with the British round of the 2018 World Rallycross Championship (WRX).
“I’m excited to compete with ARX,” said Scott Speed, driver of the No. 41 Oberto Circle K Beetle. “The competition is going to be tough, but our Beetles are ready. I think this new series will be a great place to push our team and the cars in 2018.”
Tanner Foust is ready to return to the world stage at Silverstone, having won races in the 2011 and 2012 European Rallycross Championship, the first American to do so. “Having World Rallycross expand its reach to the U.S. is going to make the competition so much more accessible for fans to better understand the sport,” said the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Drink Beetle driver. “ARX will be a great platform to find new fans and spread the word about rallycross.”
The pair will continue to race in the Beetle Rallycross vehicles, which are built by Volkswagen Motorsport in Europe. The cars have been updated to improve their handling characteristics, but will race with the same 2.0-liter 560-horsepower turbocharged engines that propelled the team to success in 2017.
“Our team has been able to achieve great success in rallycross and we look forward to continuing that legacy with the new ARX competition,” said Michael Andretti, CEO Andretti Autosport. “Scott and Tanner are some of the finest drivers on the planet in this motorsport discipline, and our cars are ready and better than ever.”
For information on the livestream of the first round of the 2018 Americas Rallycross on CBSsports.com on May 25, visit www.arxrallycross.com.
After Silverstone, the series will continue with three events:
- July TBD, Austin, TX – Circuit of the Americas
- August 4-5, Trois Rivieres, Canada
- September 29, Austin, TX – Circuit of the Americas
About Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc., an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWoA) is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. VWoA’s operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state -of-the- art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Volkswagen Group is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. VWoA sells the Atlas, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, e-Golf, Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen, Jetta, Passat, Tiguan and Tiguan Limited vehicles through more than 650 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.
Notes: This press release and images are available at media.vw.com. Follow us @VWNews
About Andretti Autosport
Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport boasts a wide racing portfolio rooted in tradition and designed for success. Together with Andretti Formula E and Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IndyCar Series and Indy Lights, along with entries in the FIA Formula E Championship and Global Rallycross. The company boasts four IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005, 2007, 2012), two Indy Lights titles (2008, 2009), one Pro Mazda championship (2013) and one USF2000 championship (2010) and has captured victory at the famed Indianapolis 500 four times (2005, 2007, 2014, 2016). Additionally the team holds two X Games Gold Medals and three Global Rallycross championships (2015, 2016, 2017). To share in the Andretti story, please visit online at AndrettiAutosport.com and follow along on Twitter via @FollowAndretti.