Global Rallycross 2016 Finale: Battle at the Port of Los Angeles
What do you imagine when you hear of Subarus flying through the air and 600-horsepower Volkswagen Beetles sliding around corners, banging doors with turbocharged Civics, driven by the likes of Tanner Foust, Brian Deegan and Scott Speed? Those images may sound like they're straight out of a "Fast and Furious" scene, but they aren't.
This is Red Bull Global Rallycross.
Battleship, LA
For 12 rounds, these sport compacts have been going head-to-head on racetracks all over the country. Recently, Global Rallycross (GRC) made its way to the Port of Los Angeles for the season finale to determine a champion.
Civic Enters the Battlegrounds
Honda was a new entry this season with the Honda Red Bull OMSE Civic, reaffirming the Civic’s "race car" status. 20 years ago, you would've never thought you could get a turbo Civic from off the showroom floor, let alone see one that competes in Rallycross with 600 horsepower and the ability to do 0-60 in 2 seconds.
Battle of the Beetles: Speed vs. Foust
The big story at the Finale was around which VW driver would be crowned GRC Champion. The Volkswagen Andretti Team’s Beetles driven by Scott Speed and Tanner Foust have dominated the series since their introduction in 2016.
Separated by only 6 points, who would claim the title?
Would it be defending champ, Speed?
Or fan favorite, Foust?
Foust was second going into the finale and had a nearly perfect season with a GRC record of over 20 consecutive first place finishes (including qualifying pole positions and first place finishes in heats, semifinals and finals).
Semifinal A
In Semifinal A, Speed had eked out a win by passing Steve Arpin’s Eneos-sponsored Fiesta ST in one of the last turns of the last lap.
Semifinal B
In Semifinal B, there was contact between Foust and Deegan that resulted in a controversial penalty for Foust. Missing the podium, Foust was forced into the Last Chance Qualifier for a spot on the grid for the final. This scenario closed the gap between Speed and Foust to a mere 4 points. The championship would go to whoever finished higher in the final.
12 Cars, 12 Laps, 1 Final Chance
With all 12 cars on the grid, the stage was set for the 12-lap final. In turn 1, Patrick Sandell’s Fiesta ST had the lead on Speed’s Beetle; meanwhile, Metal Mulisha’s Deegan was charging hard from behind in his NOS Energy Drink Fiesta.
While all eyes were on the championship chase going on up front, Austin Dyne only had his eyes on the hood of his Fiesta—it had flipped up blocking most of his windshield.
Earlier this year, David Higgins set a record time at the Isle of Man; this past weekend, he drove half a race with just three tires.
With two laps left, Speed dove into P1, taking the lead from Sandell. But as quickly as Speed held P1, he unfortunately lost it to Deegan in the Joker Lap.
By the time the checkered flag was dropped, it was 1, 2, 3—Deegan, Speed, Sandell. Ford, VW, Ford.
Speed Still Wins
This was Deegan's first GRC win since 2011, but it was Speed who claimed the ultimate victory, defending his Championship title. Foust had just missed the podium by 6 points, finishing fourth.
Congratulations to the 2016 Red Bull Global Rallycross Champion, Scott Speed!
