Team Hot Wheels’ “Fearless at the 500” record jump attempt – Click above for high-res image gallery
Prior to the start of today’s Indy 500, fans finally got to see the long-awaited Team Hot Wheels world-record jump attempt. The mystery “Yellow Driver” piloted specially-prepared truck down the 90-foot ramp that had been under construction in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s infield over the last several weeks. The neat gimmick behind Hot Wheels’ “Fearless at the 500” event was that the launch ramp itself was built to simulate that orange track we all grew up with, hung from a giant 10-story door. Talk about pandering to a guy’s inner child…
Anyhow, the stunt itself was a success, and fans at the Brickyard watched the truck sail, ramp-to-ramp, 332 feet through the air, setting a world record for four-wheeled vehicles in the process. Upon landing, the mystery driver doffed his helmet to reveal himself as American Top Gear host Tanner Foust. If you want to see the jump yourselves, be advised that ABC will air the stunt at 3:30 PM Eastern time today, following the conclusion of its Indy 500 race coverage. Check out the first few photos from the event below, and follow the jump for the press release.
UPDATE: Video of the jump now added after the break as well.
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IZOD Presents Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500
IZOD Presents Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500
IZOD Presents Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500
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TEAM HOT WHEELS™ SETS NEW WORLD RECORD WITH 332 FT. DISTANCE JUMP AT
CENTENNIAL INDIANAPOLIS 500
Mystery Yellow Driver Revealed as Tanner Foust, Three-Time X Games
Gold Medalist, Takes New Four-Wheeled Vehicle Distance Jump Record,
Exclusive Content on Facebook
May 29, 2011 (Indianapolis, Ind.) – Today as part of “IZOD Presents
Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500™,” Team Hot Wheels™ Yellow Driver
Tanner Foust successfully landed a ramp-to-ramp distance jump of 332
feet. Foust, a three-time X Games gold medalist and professional stunt
driver smashed the previous world record by an impressive 31 feet at
the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.
“Fans witnessed not only a record-breaking jump today, but also an
incredible childhood fantasy come to life which engaged multiple
generations,” said Simon Waldron, vice president of marketing for Hot
Wheels®. “Hot Wheels has a deep and rich history in racing that spans
over 40 years and there was no better global stage than the Indy 500
to create this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Spectators at the Indy 500 watched anxiously today as a masked mystery
driver sped down a 90 ft. ramp, suspended on an enormous 10-story high
door (100 feet tall) and flew across the infield of the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. Moments after the jump occurred, Foust was revealed as
the mystery Team Hot Wheels™ Yellow Driver. The “IZOD Presents Hot
Wheels Fearless at the 500™” jump brought to life the iconic Hot
Wheels® V-Drop® track set boys have played with on their bedroom doors
for years. The stunt will be nationally televised today at 3:30 PM EST
in a 30-minute ABC Special highlighting various Team Hot Wheels™
stunts, including the new world record distance jump. Additional
behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Tanner Foust will be
available on Facebook after the ABC Special. Complete footage of the
jump will be available on www.youtube.com/hotwheels at 4:00 PM EST.
“As a kid playing with Hot Wheels I could only dream of experiencing
something as outrageous as a life-sized V-Drop track set, and today it
became reality,” said Tanner Foust, Team Hot Wheels Yellow Driver.
“There’s a lot that goes into being on Team Hot Wheels and the
training and testing leading up to the jump gave me the confidence
needed to push the mechanical and mental limits of the challenge and
land the world-record title.”
Foust is a professional stunt driver with a record number of top
finishes and thrilling behind-the-wheel moments captured on-screen. In
addition to being a three-time X Games gold medalist and two-time
Formula Drift champion, Foust is also an on-air host for Top Gear USA
on HISTORY. He recently became the first American ever to win a round
of the FIA European Rallycross championship in his Rockstar Energy
Drink Ford Fiesta. His professional stunt driving credits include Fast
and Furious: Tokyo Drift, Dukes of Hazzard, Bourne Ultimatum, Iron Man
2, and the remake of Red Dawn.