Author: FormulaD

Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Top 32 Qualifying Results

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This is the results for today’s qualifying session.

Qualifying Drivers – Top 32

Driver:                  Car #:         Score:      Speed 1:     Speed 2:
1 R. Millen             6                   89             61.8            50.6
2 T. McQuarrie     17                 88.3          58.9           51
3 V. Gittin              25                84.7           58.4          43
4 D. McNamara    8                  83.9           56.4          50
5 T. Foust              34                 83.8           57.4          48
6 R. Tuerck           44                 81.2           58.8          50
7 F. Aasbo             151                80.9          57.3           48.5
8 S. Hubinette      77                 80.7          56.9           48
9 J. Pawlak            13                 79.3          56.8           50
10 C. Forsberg      64                79.1           55.9           50
11 R. Miki              26                78.2          58.8           51
12 D. Yoshihara     9                 78             58.6           49
13 K. Gushi           33                77.5          56.5            50
14 T. Aono            86                76.3          57.7            47
15 P. Mordaunt   90                75.3          54               49
16 A. Pfeiffer       88                74.5          59.9           48.9
17 S. Verdier        12                74.1           57.3            49
18 C. Grunewald 79                73.6          58.2            49
19 T. Brakohiapa 18               72.1           57.5             47
20 J. Deane          16               71.9           56.3            48.7
21 J. Russakoff    87               71.2           56.2             51
22 R. Petty          808             70.6           58.9            49
23 K. Mohan       99               70.4           54.6            47
24 F. Wang          30              69.3           54.6            49.7
25 M. Powers     665             68.8           56.5            47.7
26 D. Kearney     43              66.9           57.2             47
27 J. Abbott        518             66.8           53.4             51
28 J. Maeng         51              64               55.1             50
29 C. Ng               84              63.9           56.4           48.7
30 D. Mertzanis 323            63.5           57.2             50
31 M. Takatori      5              63.2           54.4             50
32 J. LeJeune     333           60.3           55.7             49.7
33 M. Whiddett  111             58.4
34 I. Fournier      11              58.1
35 C. Kregorian  14              55.6
36 C. Martinez  951             54.2
37 R. Gallagher 425            49.7
38 D. Blunt         59              47.7
39 M. Field        777             29
40 T. Roberts     2                24.3
41 K. Arreloa     818             0
42 R. Walker     121              0
43 K. Wong       310             0
44 A. Picard       20              0
45 V. Moore         7               0
46 B. Wilkerson 55              0
47 C. Parkhouse 562           0
48 B. Sherman   22              0
49 R. Ewerth      27               0
50 J. Jones         29              0
51 Y. Kondo       52               0
52 M. Essa        101              0
53 E. O’ Sullivan 35             0
54 R. Nishida     31               0

Art of Formula D: A 2009 Season Retrospective

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Tonight the private / VIP opening night for the Art of Formula D: A 2009 Season Retrospective was held. Featuring the photography of Jose Martinez, Linhbergh, and Estevan Oriol. A special video from Will Roegge was also released (we will post it ASAP.)

A complete posting will be completed soon, but for now enjoy the flyer and be sure to come by to check out the gallery in Long Beach this weekend. The gallery is a phantom gallery meaning it does not have to be open for you to view the amazing photography prints as you can browse through the gallery spaces windows at the art. The gallery will be open for a short time during the Formula DRIFT weekend and also during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend. Check back for a more complete update tomorrow.

USA Today Mentions Formula DRIFT and Falken Tires

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Sliding upward: Formula Drift’s season opener runs Friday and Saturday on the streets of Long Beach, and Team Falken returns as a four-car juggernaut that has been called the sport’s version of Penske Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.

Similar to those NASCAR powerhouses, Falken is housed primarily in the Charlotte area at Autosport Dynamics.

“It’s been very flattering to draw those comparisons,” says Nick Fousekis, the senior manager of consumer marketing for Falken Tire, which also is fielding two cars in the American Le Mans Series. “The easy way out is to write a check. We’re aggressive about sending our message properly.”

Falken recently tested at Charlotte Motor Speedway with drivers Vaughn Gittin Jr. (Ford Mustang) and Tyler McQuarrie (Nissan 350Z convertible). Gittin says Charlotte’s rich talent pool and access to parts was a major reason he was able to persuade Falken to base its team there a few years ago.

“It makes a lot of sense to be here (in Charlotte),” says Gittin, who unveiled Monster Energy drink as his new sponsor this week.

Contributing: Nate Ryan

more USA TODAY

Nitto Tire Announces Formula D Team Sponsorships

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NITTO TIRE ANNOUNCES FORMULA DRIFT TEAM SPONSORSHIPS

Cypress, Calif., April 8, 2010 – Nitto Tire proudly announces four team sponsorships for the 2010 Formula Drift racing series. Joon Maeng of Bergenholtz Racing will campaign a Mazda RX-8; Michael Essa will campaign a brand-new BMW 350R; grassroots racer, Matt Powers, will campaign a Nissan S14, and Alex Pfeiffer of Tanaka Racing will campaign a C5 Corvette. All four teams will use Nitto’s NT05, a max-performance street tire.

Nitto plans to extend its racing heritage by partnering with talented teams. Joon Maeng, who is supported by Bergenholtz Racing and Full Tilt Poker, is relatively new to Formula Drift. Nonetheless, in his 2009 rookie season he finished an impressive 17th place overall. For 2010 he will campaign the Bergenholtz Racing/Full Tilt Poker/Nitto Tire Mazda RX-8. Its tri-rotor 20B engine, built by Mazdatrix, was fully ported and powered by a custom-matched turbocharger to produce 600 hp at the wheels with a rotary engine scream. Maeng stated, “In drifting it is crucial to have tires that can handle harsh driving conditions. The NT05s provide plenty of traction and predictability.”

Michael Essa will debut a brand-new BMW this season. Under the hood Essa shoehorned a more powerful M5 V10 powerplant built specifically for drifting in place of the stock in-line six motor. Essa is the first driver to campaign an E92 BMW in the series. To accommodate the switch, GSR Autosport rerouted piping and parts throughout the engine bay. His career highlights include being a drift instructor, race car fabricator and professional drift driver. “The Nitto NT05 is a great tire; it’s incredibly consistent and has tons of grip,” said Essa. “They give me the confidence to drive the car at the limit, sideways, next to walls.”

Matt Powers is a longtime grassroots racer who made his way into the professional arena in 2009. In the four events in which he competed in his rookie year, he finished three of them in the top 32. During the series break, he teamed up with Team Need for Speed added some serious power upgrades to his Nissan S14. All of this newfound power will be transferred to the pavement via Nitto’s NT05 max-performance tire. Powers said, “I love the insane smoke and awesome grip of the NT05. My car is an animal and it feeds on NT05s.”

Last but not least, Alex Pfeiffer teamed up with Tanaka Racing for the 2010 season. His career includes stints in the SCCA road race series, and 2-1/2 years as a Formula Drift judge before he returned to the driver’s seat in 2009, piloting a Lexus SC300. This year he will campaign a completely different vehicle, the 800-hp C5 Corvette. This is the only Corvette running in the series this season to date.

All four teams will use Nitto’s NT05 max-performance radial. The NT05 was created using advanced computer simulation and extensive on-track testing. The result is a tire that provides precise and responsive handling and performance, which are needed for the grueling demands of drifting. See Nitto, the NT05 and all four sponsored teams in action at the 2010 season opener held in Long Beach, Calif., on April 9-10.

Nitto Tire develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in both Japan and the United States, Nitto provides innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding automotive enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto or its products, visit the company’s web site or contact the company directly. Nitto and Fueled by Enthusiasts are registered trademarks or trademarks of Nitto Tire U.S.A., Inc., located at 6021 Katella Ave., Ste 250, Cypress, CA 90630.

BFGoodrich Tires Announces 2010 Formula DRIFT Lineup

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BFGoodrich® Tires Announces 2010 Formula Drift Lineup

* Samuel Hübinette Racing and Team Drift Emporium choose BFGoodrich
g-Force(tm) T/A®KDW tires for 2010 Formula Drift season

GREENVILLE, S.C. – April 8, 2010 – BFGoodrich Tires is proud to announce its 2010
Formula Drift series lineup, featuring two of the top teams on BFGoodrich
g-Force T/AKDW tires – Samuel Hübinette Racing and Team Drift Emporium. This season
marks seven years that BFGoodrich Tires has supported Formula D, known as “the”
series for drifting in the United States.

Two-time Formula D champion Samuel “The Crazy Swede” Hübinette is coming off an
impressive fourth place finish in 2009, with plans to take his new Dodge Challenger
to the top in 2010. The Challenger’s Mopar engine pushes out in excess of 865
horsepower and promises to be a crowd favorite. Hübinette recently formed his own
racing operation, Samuel Hübinette Racing, and added veteran rally driver and
Formula D newcomer Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard to the team. Comrie-Picard will take
the wheel of the famed Dodge Viper SRT10 that Hübinette piloted to a Formula D
championship in 2005 and 2006. Both vehicles will sport BFGoodrich g-Force T/AKDW
tires during all seven rounds of Formula D action.

“Our new team, with the addition of the Challenger and ACP, has a lot of potential
this year and we’re excited to finally get this season started,” said Hübinette.
“We feel confident that our BFGoodrich tires will lead us to the podium as they did
in 2006, 2007 2008 and 2009.”

“If you thought watching the Viper scream around each turn for the last couple years
was exciting, wait until the Challenger joins in on the action,” said Roberts
Kukainis, motorsports manager, BFGoodrich Tires. “The BFGoodrich g-Force T/AKDW
tire has proved that is has what it takes to come in hot at the entry point and hug
each and every turn that these tricky Formula D courses offer. The BFGoodrich
g-ForceKDW tire is a great bolt-on performance fit for Hubinette’s 865hp Dodge
Challenger muscle car and we’re excited to be part of what promises to be a great
season.”

Team Drift Emporium has put together yet another impressive team that includes 2008
Formula D “Rookie of the Year” Michihiro Takatori, Formula D rookie Forrest Wang,
drifting veteran Jodin LeJeune and experienced motorsports pro Ron Ewerth. Each of
the team’s four vehicles will be wrapped with BFGoodrich g-Force T/AKDW tires.

Michihiro Takatori will be back behind the wheel of his Nissan Silvia S15 and has an
extensive international drifting resume making him a top contender in 2010.
Takatori was Formula D’s 2008 “Rookie of the Year,” he placed second in the 2008
Triple Crown and has had a number of great eight and top four finishers.

Forrest Wang will be making his Formula D debut in 2010. He will be piloting Drift
Emporium’s hot Lexus SC430. With top finishes in D1GP and numerous wins along the
west coast, Wang is far from a rookie and looks to make a name for himself in the
Formula Drift Championship series.

With extensive drifting experience, Jodin LeJeune has competed for more than two
years in the NOPI Drift Series. His high entry speed consistently places him at the
top of the qualifying charts. In 2010, LeJeune will pilot his blue Nissan
Motorsports-sponsored Stillen supercharged Titan V8-powered Infiniti G35 Coupe.

Ron Ewerth has been involved in professional motorsports for more than 25 years and
has competed in the NOPI Drift Series for the past two years. Ewerth will pilot his
orange Nissan Motorsports-sponsored Stillen supercharged Titan V8-powered Infiniti
G35 Coupe in 2010.

“The Drift Emporium team always puts on a good show and they have a great chance to
really make some noise this year with the return of Takatori, LeJeune and Ewerth and
the addition of Wang,” added Kukainis. “BFGoodrich is proud to partner with them
again in 2010.”

BFGoodrich Tires’ g-Force T/AKDW tire is the ultimate go-to ultra high-performance
tire. With more than 80 sizes to fit 15 to 24 inch wheels, the BFGoodrich g-Force
T/AKDW covers more car, truck and SUV fitments than any other Ultra-High Performance
(UHP) tire line. The BFGoodrich g-Force T/A®KDW tire features the highest level of
balanced wet or dry performance in the industry, providing stability in rain or
shine, using a double compound silica reinforced tread and unidirectional tread
design.

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 35 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is
involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag,
desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combine
technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a
high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires online at
www.BFGoodrichTires.com. In 2009, BFGoodrich Tires
developed a gathering place for auto enthusiasts to celebrate the thrill of GO
through an online community, Nation of GO, where people with a passion for driving
can celebrate and share what they love to do best at
www.NationofGo.com.