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Kyle Mohan Reveals New Formula Drift Fighter for 2016 Season

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Kyle Mohan Reveals New Formula Drift Fighter for 2016 Season

GT-Radial / Mazdatrix Mazda MX-5 to debut at Formula Drift Long Beach this weekend

April 5, 2016 (Signal Hill, Calif.) – The new Formula Drift season will bring a new vehicle for Formula Drift veteran Kyle Mohan, who will park his familiar Mazda RX-8 for a new car built on the Mazda MX-5 platform.

The KMR-built Mazda MX-5 is new but in some respects will be familiar to Mohan, as it is powered by a turbocharged, nitrous-fed three-rotor engine developed by Mazdatrix. Improvements to virtually every aspect of the drivetrain has resulted in more horsepower than the engine has produced before,

“I think ever since we first built the RX-8, we always considered what kind of car we would eventually replace it with,” said Mohan. “However as a small team, we always felt that we would be better off by continuing to improve the RX-8 instead of trying to build an entirely new car. But we made the decision last season to switch to the MX-5, and not only that, to build it to make the best use of our GT-Radial Champiro SX2 tire package. Considering how quick and nimble it felt in our first tests, I think we’ve accomplished that.”

Recent testing with the car left Mohan looking forward to competing with the car in the first Formula Drift event of the season this weekend on the Streets of Long Beach.  Mohan grew up and lives in Long Beach, and enjoys strong support for his team in the city.

“Testing the car at first was very different than the RX-8,” said Mohan. “But I felt extremely comfortable right away. After burning down my first set of GT-Radial tires I could really feel the potential that this car has. I have to give a lot of credit to our partners and our crew for giving us the resources to get this new car completed. There were a lot of long days and lost weekends to get ready to be here, and I hope to bring them a good finish this weekend. I’ll be honest – slinging our brand new car in between those concrete walls makes me a little nervous, but we did the exact same thing when we first came out with the RX-8 and there’s no event I enjoy more than Long Beach.”

Qualifying for this weekend’s Formula Drift season opener on the Streets of Long Beach will be streamed live on Friday, April 8 at 4:00 PM EST. On Saturday, April 28 the round of top-32 competition will be streamed starting at 2:00 PM EST with the round of top-16 starting at 6:30 PM EST. All the sessions will be streamed at Formulad.com

About Kyle Mohan Racing

Kyle Mohan competes in the Formula Drift Pro Championship in the no. 99 GT Radial / Mazdatrix Mazda MX-5. More information can be found at www.kylemohanracing.com.

Contact: Efrain Olivares | 818.254.7196 | [email protected]

Aurimas Bakchis Partners with Drifz for 2016 Formula Drift Season

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Aurimas Bakchis Partners with Drifz for 2016 Formula Drift Season

Genesis 2016

Ontario, CA – Bakchis Motorsports is excited to announce a new partnership with Drifz for the 2016 Formula Drift season. Drifz offers multiple wheel styles and sizes and Aurimas ‘Odi’ Bakchis will be driving the Ark Performance Feal Suspension Falken Tires Hyundai Genesis on Drifz 308B Spec-R wheels.

Drifz has been working with Bakchis to produce a custom race ready wheel that is machined from billet forged 6061 aluminum alloy. Bakchis will debut these superlight one-piece wheels at Formula Drift in Long Beach, CA on April 8-9th. He will be running 18×9” wheels on the front and 18×10” wheels on the rear of the car.

Bakchis is looking forward to showcasing the style and performance of the Drifz wheels throughout the season. He stated “I’m very impressed by the resources Drifz has to make a one-of-a-kind billet custom race wheel from concept to reality. And it’s been a pleasure to work with a wheel company that is open to the specific needs of my drift car and then makes it happen.”

Jhonnattan Castro Joins Papadakis Racing

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Jhonnattan Castro Joins Papadakis Racing

Professional Formula Drift driver teaming up with series leader

Portland, OREGON (March 30 2016) – Jhonnattan Castro has officially announced the move and formation of a satellite team to Papadakis Racing, and with him will bring sponsorship from Nexen Tire and longtime sponsor Gerdau Metaldom, KW and Advan Racing.

As part of the new partnership Jhonnattan Castro Racing will take on an ownership role as a semi-works team to Papadakis Racing, and will be driving the 2016 Scion FR-S alongside current series champion Fredric Aasbo.

“I’m very excited and proud to be forming this strategic partnership with Papadakis Racing, this is the #1 team,” Jhonn shared. “I’m looking forward to taking my career to the next level and I’m grateful for the opportunity from Stephan to race with him and Fredric. Stephan Papadakis is a team owner who keeps winning and keeps surprising people, and always is advancing, and I’ve worked hard to make this a reality and I knew I needed to make a change if I was going to advance. I’m really looking forward to our future together.”

“It is our pleasure at Papadakis Racing to partner with Jhonnattan Castro and Nexen Tire with our organization,” said Stephan Papadakis, owner of Papadakis Racing. “We think Jhonn is a great addition to our team and a dedicated competitor, and we look forward to his success on the track in 2016, we expect this year to be his best season yet. We are also honored to welcome Nexen Tire and Gerdau Metaldom to our team alongside Jhonnattan, and we look forward to working with them and helping them maximize their results on and off the track.”

Jhonnattan Castro is managed by Motorsports Marketing Agency Drive Motorsports International.

MORE ON PAPADAKIS RACING

For More Information on Papadakis Racing, please visit www.papadakisracing.com, Facebook, and Instagram.

MORE ON JHONNATTAN CASTRO

For More Information on Jhonnattan Castro please visit him on www.jcastroracing.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

 

 

Fredric Aasbo and Ken Gushi Gets New Livery for Formula DRIFT 2016

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Last week we dropped a quick snippet of both Aasbo and Gushi’s liveries for 2016 but today we’re unleashing the full renderings for their SR by Toyota competition cars for the Formula Drift series. Both drivers have found amajor tire sponsor with Nexen Tire and are continuing respective partnerships with several companies, including GReddy/TRUST, Rockstar Energy Drink, Garrett, Rocket Bunny, Wisefab, OS Giken and many more.

Ken Gushi / GReddy Racing 86 - SR by ToyotaKen Gushi / GReddy Racing 86 - SR by ToyotaKen Gushi / GReddy Racing 86 - SR by Toyota Continue reading Fredric Aasbo and Ken Gushi Gets New Livery for Formula DRIFT 2016

ROUSH Performance Partners with Formula Drifter Justin Pawlak for 2016 Season

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ROUSH and JTP a winning combination

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, MICH. (March 29, 2016) — Professional Drifter Justin T. Pawlak is ready to steer his way to the finish line during the 2016 Formula Drift series. Teaming with main sponsor ROUSH Performance, Pawlak will drive a 2016 ROUSH Supercharged Mustang with a Ford Performance Aluminator crate engine.

Pawlak, who began his drifting career in 2005, secured first place finishes at Los Angeles NOPI Drift and the first round of 2011 Formula Drift. He has been a consistent top-7 performer in Formula D since 2011.

“I know what it takes to win, but ROUSH Performance’s support in 2016 is a huge advantage in competing for a Formula D title,” said Justin Pawlak, who is based in Covina, California. “I can’t wait to get on the track, push the limit and start shaking down.”

For the 2016 drifting season, Pawlak built a brand new S550-chassis Mustang that features the ROUSH 2.3-liter TVS supercharger, which pushes out almost 1,000 horsepower and 831 lb-ft of torque. “It’s a really solid platform using factory components, and gives me the power I need to compete,” Pawlak said.

A hands-on driver, Pawlak does his own mechanical, fabrication and suspension design. He also welds his own roll cages, and is one of the highest-ranked drivers that does his own vehicle work. 

“When we first looked at getting involved with Formula Drift, Justin immediately became our top pick,” said Jack Roush Jr., brand manager for ROUSH Performance. “Justin is a great driver, and he knows a lot about Mustangs. He is also a very down-to-earth guy, and he’s built his program from the ground-up with his own hard work.”

When Pawlak isn’t in the shop or on the track, he’s mentoring other youth drivers, volunteering at his church with youth community activities, or attending meets, shows and charity events in the automotive industry.

About ROUSH Performance: ROUSH Performance, a division of Roush Enterprises, designs, engineers and manufactures completely assembled pre-titled vehicles, aftermarket performance parts, performance crate engines, and marine engine superchargers for the global performance enthusiast market. Based in Plymouth Township, Michigan, ROUSH Performance was founded in 1995 by motorsports legend Jack Roush. Visit us at ROUSHperformance.com or call 800.59.ROUSH.