VW-Andretti Rallycross Team Back At Full Strength

The Volkswagen-Andretti Rallycross team (VAR) is back at full-strength today as Cabot Bigham has taken over as the number two team driver. He joins Tanner Foust, who has been campaigning on the rallycross circuit for VW and Andretti since 2014 in the No. 36 Rockstar Super-Beetle.

One Of Rallycross’ Rising Stars

Bigham, one of the rallycross scene’s rising stars, will pilot the 02 machine for VW-Andretti. Bigham debuted on the rallycross circuit in 2016 when he won the Global Rallycross (GRC) Lites title. The young driver moved to GRC, driving for the Bryan Herta Rallysports team. He completed 10 rounds for the Herta team. Last year, he made his move to the ARX2 series at the Circuit of the Americas, capturing 51 points and scoring a second in his semi-final.

Foust has been driving on the Rallycross circuit for Andretti and VW since 2014. He is a three-time rallycross champion. In the last four years, he has scored three second-place finishes and a first in an ARX race at the Circuit of America in Austin, Texas.

He is enthusiastic about 2019. “I can’t express how excited I am to compete in this second season of ARX,” Foust said. The pilot of the No. 34 Rockstar Beetle said that he is “glad that we are back with what I think are the quickest and most capable Beetles ever built.”

Foust said he was “proud to be working with Andretti Rallycross again this year” – the final year of Beetle production. He hopes that he can help to “send the Beetle off in epic fashion in its last year of sales.”

Will Drive The Team’s Number 2 Vehicle

Bigham will compete in the 02 machine. He is one of rallycross’ most promising young drivers. “Working with Andretti is going to be massive,” he told an interviewer.

Continuing, he said, it is a “huge opportunity for me, specifically because of the amount of power, dedication, and momentum they have amassed throughout the past four years of winning Rallycross races. 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 an Amerca’s Rallycross championship.”

“Working with Andretti is going to be massive,” said Bigham. “It’s a huge opportunity for me, specifically because of the amount of power, dedication, and momentum they have amassed throughout the past four years of winning Rallycross races. 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 an Americas Rallycross championship.” Bigham will fill the driver’s seat vacated by Scott Speed, three-time rallycross series champ, who has taken a position with the Subaru team.

The team will continue to campaign the pair of Super-Beetles were built by Volkswagen Motorsport in Europe and developed by Andretti Rallycross in the U.S. Powering the Beetles will be the same 2.0-liter, 560-horsepower rear-drive powerplants that propelled the team to success in 2017 and 2018.

First Race To Feature Brand-New Venue

The season begins June 8-9 at historic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. This race kicks off the use of a brand-new 0.7-mile circuit, based on the “Keyhole” section of the track. After Mid-Ohio, the ARX series will consist of the following events:

• July 13-14: Madison, Ill. — Gateway Motorsports Park
• August 3-4: Quebec, Canada – Circuit Trois-Rivières
• September 28: Austin, Texas – Circuit of the Americas
• October 5: Lexington, Ohio -- Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

The pair of Beetle supercars are running under the Andretti Rallycross banner with support from Volkswagen R, the automaker’s performance division.

Source: Volkswagen