Tanner Foust
A wildly versatile driver who dominates everything from rallycross to stunt shows, bringing high-octane action to both the track and television screens.
Born 1973 (age 53)·American racecar driver, stunt driver and television host·Birthday: June 13·Generation X
Biography
Tanner Foust operates at the intersection of elite motorsport and pure entertainment. With a background in biomedical engineering, he approaches driving with a scientist's precision, whether he's launching a car off a ramp for a movie or threading through a dirt corner in a Global Rallycross championship. His competitive record is stunning in its diversity: he's a multiple X Games gold medalist in rally, a Formula Drift champion, and a record-setting hill climb driver. This technical prowess made him a natural fit as a host for 'Top Gear America', where he translated complex driving physics into thrilling television. Foust embodies the modern motorsports polymath, a driver whose skill set is as broad as his appetite for speed.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Tanner was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tanner Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Tanner's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won multiple X Games gold medals in Rally Car racing, including three consecutive wins from 2007 to 2010.
- Secured two championships in the Formula Drift professional drifting series (2007, 2008).
- Set a world record for the 'Fastest Vehicle Slalom' in a rally car on an episode of Top Gear USA.
- Served as a primary host and test driver for the American version of 'Top Gear' for several seasons.
Did You Know?
He holds a degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Colorado.
Foust has performed stunt driving for major films, including the 'Fast & Furious' franchise and 'The Bourne Ultimatum'.
He once held the world record for the longest vehicle jump in a car (332 feet) set at the Indy 500 in 2011.
He is a licensed helicopter pilot.
“The goal is always to be smooth. If you look like you're working hard, you're probably not going very fast.”
