Formula DRIFT has been featured in the Long Beach Press Telegram newspaper the last 3 days with more coverage from today’s main event competition.
Author: FormulaD
Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Top 32 Qualifying Results
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
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
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
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.