Team ATK's notable finish at the 2008 SCORE International Baja 1000 seems to have been a launching pad for the race crew. In an extremely competitive lineup of nearly 400 entries, the JeepSpeed Wrangler of Team ATK finished 31st overall, a remarkable finish for such a racer-saturated race. The winning momentum carried the team well into this year as Team ATK took the 1st place spot at the 2009 Baja 500 in Ensenada, Mexico.
Jon Krellwitz and Skyler Gambrell passing bystanders at the Baja 500
Team ATK parades their Wrangler in the streets of Mexico before the Baja 500
The Jeep Wrangler of Team ATK jumping through an inflatable at the 2009 Baja 500
Before starting the Baja 500, the Team ATK Jeep is paraded through the streets of Ensenada, Mexico
To begin the race, drivers Darren Skilton and his father Clive Skilton (20-year Baja racing veteran) were the first off the line in their class. The temperature was 70-degrees with a light breeze which created the ideal weather for a Baja race day. The perfect racing conditions followed through as the duo charged through droves of Limited Buggies, Mini Trucks, and Full-Size Stock Trucks that started ahead of the Jeep. As the team began approaching Class 7 Unlimited Mini Trucks, they were about 80 miles into the race and looking strong.
Keeping up the momentum, the father and son team blasted through the desert. As the Jeep whipped around a blind turn, Darren noticed a large rock in the middle of the course.
Unfortunately, there was not enough time to avoid the obstacle and the Jeep struck the rock with both driver's side wheels. The impact was substantial enough to crack both wheels. Luckily for Darren and Clive, they had set up their race truck with two spares. As they jumped out to swap the wheels, spectators crowded the truck eager to help with the repair. Well, the spectators ended up doing more bad than good and a few of the wheel studs were stripped in the process. Darren still managed to get a couple lugs on to secure the wheels and jumped back into the Jeep to make it back to the next pit stop.
After carefully maneuvering a few miles from the location where they struck the rock, Darren and Clive arrived to a BFGoodrich Tires pit. At the BFG pit stop the Jeep was fueled up with Sunoco unleaded race fuel and Team ATK filed the damaged threads to the rear hub in order to properly mount the wheels. Once the vehicle was back in good working order, Clive decided to switch seats with Skyler Gambrell. Skyler suited up and got in the co-pilot seat to help navigate through the technical crossing of the Sierra De Juarez mountain summit.
Heading through the summit, Darren and Skyler made good time and recovered most what they had lost due to the rock incident. As the team pulled into the second BFGoodrich pit, they estimated a comfortable 30 mile lead on the second-place Land Rover entry. Even with their lead, the team was not in the clear as of yet and more mechanical repairs were needed. This time, the crew noticed that the transfer case was leaking a considerable amount of fluid from the rear seal. The team weighed their options and decided to go for the repairs since they were already at a pit stop and had the spare parts on hand.
The transfer case swap cost the team about an hour and a half. By the time they were back on the road, the Land Rover entry was hot on their trail. This time driver Darren Skilton gave up the wheel to teammate Jon Krellwitz with Skyler remaining co-driver. Across the peninsula they went directly into the setting Baja sun. Jon and Skyler counted the minutes until sunset so they could stop squinting at the horizon. The blinding light lasted for about 50 treacherous miles of driving. Aside from being blinded for the entire time, the Wrangler made it across the peninsula smoothly and safely.
Once Team ATK reached the Pacific coast they were due for a refuel. So the team made their third scheduled pit stop to fuel up the Jeep in preparation for the last stretch of desert. By the time the team left the pit stop, it was pitch black in the desert. Jon flipped on the newly-equipped carbon-fiber KC HiLites POD light rack to ensure visibility of the ruthless terrain. With a sizeable lead over the Land Rover, Jon and Skyler made a decision to take it easy.
Taking the last stretch of the course easy proved to be a good decision and the team cut out any risk of crashing. In the end, the JeepSpeed Wrangler crossed the finish line at about 1am on Sunday morning taking the class win of the Baja 500! The team's elapsed time came out to 14 hours and 4 minutes with an average speed of 30.74 miles per hour with roughly two hours of downtime. Once the official time was released however, the team was penalized by adding 60 minutes to their time for a course deviation in San Vicente. Even with the hardships of the race, Team ATK still came out over two and a half hours ahead of the next competitor.
With a Baja 500 Class win under their belt, the team is looking forward to returning to Baja for the SCORE Baja 1000 later this year. With their continued success and determination, we look forward to hearing more good news from our friends at Team ATK. Congratulations guys!
Team ATK Crew:
Clive Skilton
Darren Skilton
Jon Krellwitz
Skyler Gambrell
Matt McCallum
John Zambo
Keg Parker
Jerry Krellwitz
Bill Frey
Patrick Smith
How would you like to race for a living? Be sponsored by huge companies like AEM, Scion and Rockstar Energy? Get invited to drive the world's fastest and most exotic cars? Of course the majority of people would jump at the opportunity to do any of the above… but how about if this was your day-to-day life? Well, welcome to the life of Tanner Foust. Tanner is currently the driver of the AEM/Rockstar Energy Scion tC drift car. For the past few years Tanner has been on the race team of Papadakis Racing, which is managed by the drag-racing legend Stephan Papadakis.
Tanner Foust standing in front of his Scion tC after qualifying at FormulaD's Streets of Long Beach event
The newest addition to Papadakis Racing is Tanner Foust's Scion tC that has been converted to rear wheel drive
The side of Tanner Foust's TRD V8-powered Scion tC sporting the Number 1 competitor plate for the 2009 FormulaD season
So the question that comes to most people’s minds is ''How did Tanner Foust get to the place he is now? And how has he gained so much fame in the world of racing?'' Well, Tanner didn't exactly do a burn out of the hospital he was born in. Tanner has had to put in his dues just like anyone else in the world of motorsports. His love for speed and adrenaline began as a teenager but before getting behind the wheel of a racecar, Tanner pursed his education and completed a college degree. After those years of hard work, he decided it was time to have some fun and proceeded to figure out a way to get onto the racetrack.
Tanner's first opportunity came after he worked out a deal with a club racing team. The deal was that Tanner would turn a wrench on Formula Mazdas and Spec Fords and in return he would be blessed with some seat time on the track. Well as time would tell, Tanner was no SAE mechanic but gained a wealth of knowledge during his ordeal and learned quite a bit about the operation of racecars. This knowledge would later become of great value as a professional racer so he could properly give feedback on the setup of his cars. As more time and effort was put into the racecars on track, Tanner earned his professional racing license and competed in a couple races. Naturally, his talent shined through and a scholarship was granted which bought some more time to race. His communication skills and understanding of racecars led him into coaching other drivers and eventually Tanner began instructing car control and an ice driving school in Colorado. With an uncanny ability to control vehicles in the roughest of conditions, Tanner found a niche in rally racing. He later would begin rallying for Rockstar Energy Drink on a full-time basis.
While putting in some hard work at a driving school during cold and icy Colorado winters, Tanner met Samuel Hubinette. Sam attended a D1 Grand Prix drifting event in 2003 and relayed the excitement to Tanner and shortly thereafter Tanner competed in his first drifting event at an invitational at Laguna Seca raceway. Drifting seemed second nature to Foust as he placed third at this event in a Toyota Supra. In just a couple short years, Tanner climbed the ladder and took home the FormulaD Drifting Championship in 2007 and 2008. Drifting is what Tanner says converted his dreams of motorsports racing from a hobby into a profession. Not only did drifting open doors to showcasing his skills in stunt driving but it also gave him experience in front of cameras to become a television personality.
As an industry respected stunt driver, Tanner has worked behind the scenes on several big-screen productions such as the Dukes of Hazard, Bourne Ultimatum, as well as the Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift and a handful of TV shows and commercials. While Tanner has been an important aspect in providing daring car control footage, he has also carved a spot for himself as a TV show host as well. In 2008, a Los Angeles-based production company picked Tanner up to host such shows as Redline TV, Import Racers, RM Auctions and Supercars Exposed. 2008 also presented Tanner with a variety of unique opportunities where he he was invited to participate among the most elite racers in the world. These events included the Race of Champions (ROC) in Wembley (Europe). In this event Tanner was alongside racing gods such as Formula1 veterans David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher and five-time World Rally Champion Sebastian Loeb. In addition to the Race of Champions, Tanner competed in the Red Bull World Drifting Championship that was held in Long Beach, California with seasoned drifters like Rhys Millen and Diajiro Yoshihara.
Looking forward, the two-time defending FormulaD champion is extremely focused on his new drift car. The rear-wheel-drive Scion tC sponsored by AEM is an absolute riot, it features a V8 powerplant which came from Toyota Racing Development's (TRD) NASCAR racing program. Although these engines are from TRD's program, there are slight differences between the engines that NASCAR uses and the one found in Foust's tC. While constructing the tC, team manager Stephan Papadakis opted to use modern fuel injection. AEM stepped in and outfitted the Scion with a plethora of high-performance components. These parts include AEM's CDI Pencil coils for a direct-fire ignition system, the Engine Position Module (EPM), a massive DRYFLOW air filter to support all the additional naturally-aspirated airflow and of course, an AEM EMS Engine Management System to orchestrate the tuning and functions of the engine. This high-tech combination of parts generates an amazing 650 horsepower and 450 lb/ft of torque which is transferred to the rear wheels by a four-speed gearbox.
On paper the Scion definitely has what it takes to take home another championship. In reality however, dialing in a new car is a feat of its own. Thankfully, Tanner has the racing background and mechanical knowledge to communicate feedback to the team manager Stephan Papadakis and head mechanic Shawn Hillier, which should speed up the process of getting
''comfortable'' with the car and tweaking it to perform the way Tanner would like. We will have to wait and see if there is a three-time FormulaD championship in line for Tanner. One thing we can be sure of is Tanner's staying power in the world of racing. Rest assured that we'll be seeing more of Mr. Foust for years to come and his skill set will keep amazing and entertaining us as he continues to hone his phenomenal driving skills and builds upon the brand he’s created known as Tanner Foust.
Are you a sport compact enthusiast living in SoCal? Do you
unsuccessfully try to attend the SEMA show year after year? Do you want the
chance to meet with reps from the top companies in the automotive aftermarket
industry and be entertained all day with the hottest import models and sickest
sport compact rides of our scene? If you answered yes to any of three questions
just asked then you should be attending the 2009 SpoCom show. Not only is it the
closest thing you're going to get to SEMA (you might actually enjoy SpoCom just
as much if not more), its open to the public, and the event is centrally located
at the Long Beach Convention Center on Sunday, June 14th.
Bisimoto Engineering's All-Motor Honda Insight at the dragstrip
SpoCom trophies designed by Troy Sumitomo of 5-Axis Designs
The two-time back-to-back Formula Drift champion Tanner Foust's new rear-wheel-drive V8-powered Scion tC
You may be asking yourself, what makes this event different than your run-of-the-mill car show/meet? Well, SpoCom has taken a fresh approach to sport compact events by hand picking the best aspects of all automotive events, completely doing away with the lame parts and creating an outstanding one-day, once-a-year event. There will be something for everyone at this year's SpoCom show. First and foremost, let's just say… eye candy! You'll see some of the highest-quality builds at this event. The car show brings together jaw-dropping cars from diehard show car builders while over 75 featured manufacturers bring out their over-the-top demo cars and race vehicles. Now do we even need to mention the other form of eye candy, the import models! You know those girls that are featured on all the magazine covers posing next to your favorite cars, yes they will be there. In fact, SpoCom has confirmed that over 100 models are booked for activities such as a bikini contest and of course classy lingerie show.
This year, AEM will be setting up an awesome display with the AEM Racing rig to highlight Papadakis Racing's brand spanking new, rear-wheel-drive, TRD V8-powered, drift Scion tC driven by Tanner Foust. Papadakis Racing is made up of two drivers, Stephan Papadakis and Tanner Foust along with their Head Mechanic, Shawn Hillier and Race Tech, Carlos Rivas. Stephan and Tanner have been on top of their game for the past two seasons in the Formula D drift series, taking home the Champion title twice in a row. In addition to having the two-time Formula Drift team's new car, the record-setting Honda Insight of Bisimoto Engineering will be alongside Tanner Foust's new Scion tC. The Bisimoto Engineering Honda Insight driven and tuned by Bisimoto Founder, Bisi Ezerioha holds the current unibody record of 9.5-seconds at 145.28 MPH in the quarter mile. The car is a gross display of knowledge and science since it performs in a naturally-aspirated state and still lays down scorching numbers on the 1320. Both Tanner Foust's new Scion tC and Bisi's Honda Insight are truly masterpieces and are a "must see" to any real enthusiast.
AEM's display will also include a slew of products on display. On the air induction side, there will be air intake systems from each of AEM's product offerings such as the Cold Air, Short Ram, Dual Chamber and Hybrid intakes for sport compacts. For those that drive SUVs and/or trucks, we'll have the BruteForce and BruteForce HD lines on display as well. Also expect to see demos of AEM's oil-free DRYFLOW air filter. See how easily you can clean the DRYFLOW air filter and how extremely durable it is. Learn about the Bypass valve that helps to deter engine hydro-locking for cold air intakes. On the Electronics side, AEM will have a presentation of the highly-anticipated Series 2 EMS (Engine Management System) with live demos of the completely retooled AEMTuner EMS tuning software. You'll also be able to see the new Analog Wideband Air/Fuel Ratio Gauge in an exhibition of colors as it demonstrates its seven user-selectable color choices. Of course, you'll also be given the chance to grab free AEM catalogs and decals all day long while supplies last.
If you're there to show off your car instead of checking some out, then you're in luck too because SpoCom doesn't dilute the car show competition with a million categories. What this means is the best of the bunch will shine at this show and you'll see it throughout the day as SpoCom delegates the task of judging to an all Import Industry Panel. According to SpoCom's website, "These are the guys who know about cars, work in the industry or attend all the major car shows all over the world. These guys know what it takes to win on the show car circuit." Now, if you're one of the lucky ones that win, you'll take home more than a cheesy plastic trophy. Instead, SpoCom has put together a real treat for car show winners. Not only do you get paid for your win, you take home a trophy designed by Troy Sumitomo of 5-Axis Designs. To top off the notoriety, cash and amazing trophy, this event is covered by leading media outlets of our industry. AutoImportCraze.com, DSport Magazine, EuroTuner, ImportTuner, Jtuned.com, Octane TV, PAS Magazine, SpeedLounge, StreetFire.net, Sub5Zero.com, Super Street Magazine, UrbanRacer.com and many more will be plastering the web with images from the SpoCom event and publishing coverage in print publications to immortalize your involvement forever. What more can you ask for?
Now that you're in the know and since you're still ready, we're assuming somewhat of an interest in the sport compact scene, you need to attend this year's SpoCom show. This is an event you do not want to miss. When you're there, make sure you come by the AEM booth to say hello, grab some freebies, ask any questions you may have and scope out the newest products for 2009. We hope to see you there!
For more information, go to www.SpoComUSA.com or call (626) 333-1400.
Long Beach, California, Saturday April 11th, 2009— 2007 and 2008 Formula Drift Champion, Tanner Foust won third place and a podium spot at the 2009 Formula Drift Championship season opener on the Long Beach Grand Prix course this weekend. It was a successful debut for the all-new Papadakis Racing built Scion TC that Tanner stepped into for the first time just days earlier.
Foust took third place from Robbie Nishida after being beaten in a hard fought semi-final by eventual winner Ryan Tuerck. Both races with Tuerck and Nishida featured two “one more times” as the competition was so close. Foust ran the Toyota Nascar V8 motored Rockstar Energy Scion TC eighteen times in tandem competition without missing a beat--a phenomenal feat for a car that was developed from scratch in the off-season and testament to the car building skills of Stephan Papadakis and crew.
Foust said, “To walk away from the event with a podium spot on the Rockstar Energy Scion TC's maiden voyage is a huge success. The guys in the shop worked so hard. I'm just glad I could reward their great efforts with a good result. We're all very stoked!”
Team manager and car builder, Stephan Papadakis also commented, “"What an amazing weekend! So many things came together to make this podium finish happen. Tanner drove flawlessly as usual and the Rockstar Scion TC didn't skip a beat thanks to our crew. There are many people and companies that are helping to make this year a success. Thank you everyone!!
Foust will take his new Scion back into battle at the Formula Drift second round in Atlanta on May 8th and 9th. Foust is back in the driving seat defending his current first place in the Rally America championship at the Olympus Rally outside of Seattle, Washington on April 18th and 19th.
About: Tanner Foust is the 2007 and 2008 Formula Drift Champion. The Rockstar Energy Drink Drift Team is operated by Papadakis Racing. Additional sponsors are Scion Racing, Hankook Tires, AEM, ACT, Eneos, Motegi, Tokico, SPC Performance Alpinestars, Fulmer Helmets and Memphis Car Audio.
2008 Race of Champions To Air Domestically On Discovery HD Featuring Team USA’s Tanner Foust and Carl Edwards
March 31st, 2009— It has just been announced that the 2008 Race of Champions will be aired on Discovery HD beginning Sunday April 5th at 9pm EST.
Rockstar Energy race driver Tanner Foust competed for Team USA along side Nascar super star Carl Edwards. They will be featured in the special version of the event edited for US audiences. The one-hour program is scheduled to air eleven times through May 23rd.
In his first trip to the legendary Race of Champions, 2007 and 2008 Formula Drift champion and this year’s X Games Rally silver medalist, Foust, in front of fifty thousand plus spectators and millions of live TV viewers, beat current Formula One championship leader, Jensen Button, in a tight head-to-head race. Foust moved on to the event’s quarter-finals but was beaten by another F1 star, David Coulthard, while racing KTM X Bows. Coulthard was the event’s runner up, and was undefeated racing the X Bows even against 2008 ROC Champion Sebastien Loeb.
The Race of Champions annually pits the best race drivers in the world against each other in head-to-head races on a tarmac course inside Wembley Stadium. The drivers race various identical cars including, for this year, KTM X-Bows, Ford Focus WRC cars and Abarth Assetto Corsas. The winner of the Race of Champions is crowned Champion of Champions. The event attracted fifty thousand plus live spectators and millions of TV viewers worldwide. This is the twenty first year of the Race of Champions.
