Season 16 brings big changes and new partnerships for 2019
Formula DRIFT – the world’s premier drifting series – is embarking on its sweet sixteenth season with a raft of updates to enhance the experience for fans both at the track and online. This includes a new FormulaD.com website, which has been optimized for mobile use, allowing fans to follow the action wherever they are. In addition to its new look, the website will have live bracket updates throughout competition. There are also brand new driver bios and a media section with event photography and videos from the new FD Studios production team. The new website will launch immediately after the opening round in Long Beach, CA this weekend.
As previously highlighted, Formula DRIFT has partnered with Facebook Watch for 2019. The social media channel is the place to find scheduled content of more than 100 original videos created by FD Studios. The first piece: FD PRO:FILE – Fredric Aasbo is available now and can be viewed here.
FD on FB Watch also extends to the series Livestream, which is enjoyed by millions of fans around the world every year. For 2019, the action will be enhanced with more cameras to capture the excitement from every angle. This includes the high-speed drone, which was a fan favorite last year and will provide its unique perspective for every 2019 FD round. Regular viewers will also enjoy new Livestream graphics to support the on-track action. The Formula DRIFT Championship is also shown on CBS Sports Network.
The aforementioned updates to the driver bios highlights a packed grid for the 2019 season. New faces in the top-flight Formula DRIFT Black Magic Pro Championship include Joao Barion (Brazil), Mitch Larner (Austrailia) and Manuel Vacca (Italy). The ranks are further bolstered by the top three drivers from the 2018 Formula DRIFT Link Pro 2 category, who are Travis Reeder (USA), Dylan Hughes (USA) and Sebastien Gauthier (Canada), respectively.
With 37 drivers competing for 32 places, it means fans are guaranteed thrilling qualifying sessions on Friday before the main event on Saturday. It also means that, barring mechanical issues or collisions, there should be no bye rounds for the leading drivers, as every place will be fiercely contested.
The 2019 Formula DRIFT series kicks off on April 5-6 with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Streets of Long Beach presented by Permatex. Visit formulad.com for event details, ticket purchases, driver profiles and livestream information. A limited number of tickets are still available for what will be a sell-out opening round. Tickets can be purchased here: formulad.com/schedule/long-beach
