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Formula DRIFT 2014 Round 3: Miami Heat Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 3: Miami Heat Results;
Vaughn Gittin Takes His Second Consecutive Event Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – May 31, 2014 – Formula DRIFT entered Homestead-Miami Speedway for the first time for Round 3: Miami Heat. Vaughn Gittin, Jr. in the Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR takes his second consecutive victory.

Round 3: Miami Heat entered Homestead-Miami Speedway for the first time. The Pro Championship competition highlighted a jam-packed weekend of activities that included the kick-off of the PRO 2 Series competition and Offset Kings car show.

“Homestead-Miami Speedway provided a great new venue for our Championship,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “The increasingly bigger fan base was treated to some impressive driving all weekend with the first event PRO 2 Series competition and Round 3 of the Pro Championship.”

The final battle pitted Vaughn Gittin , Jr. against points leader and the number one qualifier, Chris Forsberg in the Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z. The final battle was close, but Gittin was able to out perform his rival to earn his second consecutive event victory moving into second place overall in the championship standings. Forsberg retains the lead by with a ten point margin heading into the fourth round of competition. Rounding out the podium in third place was the number three qualifier, Kenny Moen in the Achilles Radial / Bridges Racing Nissan 240SX.

“It feels really amazing to be here and come to a brand new track and work with my team to get my Monster Energy, Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR on rails to be able to hit every mark and compete with some of the best drivers in the world,” said Vaughn Gittin Jr., winner of Round 3: Miami Heat. “Back to back wins is just amazing and we are working hard and it just feels good that its paying off and I’m just pumped.”

The 2014 Formula DRIFT Championship season continues with Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway in New Jersey on June 20-21.

Ford Returns to Formula DRIFT with Top Mustang Team and 2014 Fiesta ST Giveaway

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Ford Returns to Formula DRIFT with Top Mustang Team and 2014 Fiesta ST Giveaway

• Ford returns to Formula DRIFT with sweepstakes for custom EcoBoost®-powered Fiesta ST

• Former champ Vaughn Gittin Jr. and past winner Justin Pawlak competing in Ford Mustangs

• Gittin won the second round of the drifting event in Atlanta earlier this month

Long Beach, Calif. – May 31, 2014 – To celebrate its second year as an official sponsor of Formula DRIFT, Ford Motor Company will continue its support of Mustang drivers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Justin Pawlak in the third round of the seven-event series in Miami, May 30-31. Ford also will host a sweepstakes in conjunction with Formula DRIFT events for a custom Fiesta ST.

“The competitiveness of Ford Mustang and the passionate fans convinced us to return to Formula DRIFT this year,” said Steve Ling, Ford North America car marketing manager. “Outsiders sometimes ask why we support Formula DRIFT so strongly. Anyone who follows the sport knows it’s the perfect place to connect with enthusiasts who value performance as much as we do at Ford Motor Company.”

Ford has supported drivers in Formula DRIFT since 2005, when the sport triggered a successful Ford Racing performance parts engine development program for a supercharged 4.6-liter V8 crate engine. This year, crowd favorites Gittin and Pawlak are competing again in customized Ford Mustangs. Gittin won round two of the series in Atlanta earlier this month, drifting his way into second place overall.

“Fans enjoyed seeing Ford’s capabilities on the track last year,” said Mickey Matus, Ford Racing marketing communication manager. “The two Mustang drivers consistently finished at the top, keeping Ford in the hunt for the manufacturers’ cup throughout its first year. Following Gittin’s recent victory in Atlanta, we’re confident our drivers will continue to show the Formula DRIFT world that Mustang is a winner.”

Amidst the excitement of North America’s foremost professional drifting championship, Ford is giving fans the opportunity to enter online to win an EcoBoost®-powered Fiesta ST. Anyone can enter the contest while watching the hot action online each weekend at www.formulad.com.

“It’s great to have Ford Motor Company back in the series again in 2014,” said Ryan Sage, Formula DRIFT vice president and cofounder. “The excitement level is at an all-time high with the news of a custom Fiesta ST to be given away at our events. Fans can expect to be blown away.”

“The hot new Fiesta ST featuring the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine is a huge hit, especially among the tuner crowd,” said Ling. “So we partnered with Formula DRIFT to create an innovative way to give one to a lucky fan. We added a Ford Racing performance parts exhaust, some cool new wheels and touches to make this a true, one-of-one car. We plan to show it off at the Long Beach competition, at the event in Monroe, Washington, in July, and at the Irwindale series finale in October.”

The first official drifting series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme, attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life. High-skilled and high-powered – drivers intentionally maneuver cars into controlled slides at high speeds through a marked course – this season’s competition features pro drivers and teams running seven events. Judged on speed, execution and style rather than fastest time, drifting is a crowd pleaser that’s often compared to the freestyle nature of skateboarding and motocross.

The 2014 Formula DRIFT season will continue with Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway on June 20-21. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.

Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Series Round 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Results

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Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Series Round 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Results;
Geoff Stoneback Takes the Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – May 31, 2014 – Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Series kicked off the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the first of four rounds of competition. Geoff Stoneback in the Geoff Stoneback Racing Nissan S14 takes the first victory in PRO 2 history.

The inaugural PRO 2 competition held at Homestead-Miami Speedway marked the start of the PRO 2 season. PRO 2 Series was introduced as an intermediary series between the Formula DRIFT Pro-Am and Pro Championship to help drivers get acclimated to the competition level and venues, while gaining valuable experience. As the first year of the PRO 2, drivers that are eligible include both licensed Pro-Am and Pro Championship drivers. In addition, the PRO 2 competition was available on the Driftstream for the fans at home and remaining events in the PRO 2 Series will be streamed live this season.

“PRO 2 proved to be successful in delivering quality competition for the Friday fans,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “The PRO 2 drivers are able to compete against each other while gaining valuable experience on the professional level.”

Geoff Stoneback faced off against Nate Hamilton in the ONE44 Motorsports / Enkei Wheels Nissan 240 SX in the finals. Stoneback out drove his competitor to earn the very first victory in the PRO 2 and take the lead in the PRO 2 standings. Coming in third place was Carl Rydquist in the Road Race Engineering / Berk Nissan 350Z powered by Garrett Turbo.

“It was a long day running both in the Pro Championship and PRO 2,” said Geoff Stoneback, winner of Round 1 of PRO 2. “It was definitely great to run in PRO 2 as it bridges the gap between the Pro Championship and PRO 2. We are happy to be on the podium and the team did great.”

The 2014 Formula DRIFT PRO 2 season continues with Round 2 on July 18-19 at Evergreen Speedway. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.

Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Standings After One Round

1. Stoneback, Geoff GSR Nissan S14 107.50 Points
2. Hamilton, Nate ONE44 Motorsports / Enkei Wheels Nissan 240SX 84.50 Points
3. Rydquist, Carl Road Race Engineering / Berk Nissan 350Z 74.00 Points
4. Lowe, Jeremy Enjuku Racing Mazda RX-7 67.00 Points
5. Savage, Dan Sikky Manufacturing Mazda RX-8 52.50 Points
6. Heyl, Brad Standard Automotive Apparel / Sikky Manufacturing Nissan 350Z 52.50 Points
7. Parsons, Will NonStop Tuning AutoComp Racing Toyota AE86 52.50 Points
8. Briggs, Dave Achilles Radial / Turbo by Garrett Nissan S14 51.00 Points
9. Primozich, Rob Garage Autohero Track Attack Nissan 240SX 38.00 Points
10. Coffman, Matt Coffman Racing / PSI Nissan S13 36.50 Points
11. Wolfson, Tyler GT Radial SAE Motorsport Mazda RX-7 35.00 Points
12. Evans, James Sikky Manufacturing Nissan 350Z 35.00 Points
13. Van Den Brink, Doug Denofa Motorsports BMW 35.00 Points
14. Hateley, Andy Hately Motorsports BMW E30 325i 35.00 Points
15. Ewerth, Ron Vision / Buddyclub / BRE Scion FR-S 35.00 Points
16. Cisneros, 116 Motorsports Nissan 240SX 35.00 Points

PRO 2 Round 1 Event Results

1. Stoneback, Geoff GSR Nissan S14 Winner
2. Hamilton, Nate ONE44 Motorsports / Enkei Wheels Nissan 240SX 2nd Place
3. Rydquist, Carl Road Race Engineering / Berk Nissan 350Z 3rd Place

Formula DRIFT and the Irwindale Event Center Announce Thursday Drift Nights

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Formula DRIFT and the Irwindale Event Center Announce Thursday Drift Nights; Events to Begin June 12 at Irwindale Speedway

The on-track sessions will consist of various drifting courses for drivers of all skill level to learn the techniques of drifting in a safe environment under the supervision of Formula DRIFT officials. There will be three different courses that are created based on experience, with each course progressively more difficult and faster than the previous with the final course being the full Formula DRIFT course that the Series uses during their annual season finale at Irwindale Speedway.

This will be a rare occasion that non-professional and licensed drivers will be able drift on the infamous course at the, “House of Drift.” The events will be open to all drivers and their vehicles that meet basic safety specifications. Registration will take place on the day of each event beginning at 2pm at the venue, which will then be followed by a technical inspection on-site. Registration cost is $100 per entrant. Event hours are slated for 5pm to 9pm.

“The event will not only caters to amateurs, but also to the professional teams that would like to test and tune their competition vehicles,” says Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “Drivers of all skill levels will be able to interact with each other and amateurs will be able to receive valuable tips from the pros. We are excited to give the drivers some additional practice time at a place like Irwindale Speedway.”

The Formula DRIFT Thursday night sessions will be open to the public. Admission to the track’s grandstands will cost $10 including free parking and access to both drift and drag. Gates will open at 4:00 PM with the event ending at 9:30 PM. The event will begin on June 12 and continue on the following Thursday dates: July 24, August 14, September 25, November 13 and December 18.

“There have been so many drivers and fans who have asked about setting up a series of sessions like this,” said Jim Cohan, CEO of Irwindale Speedway. “These unique Thursday night sessions here at Irwindale Speedway are going to answer a need that we’ve been hearing about for a long time.”

Formula DRIFT Round 2: Road to the Championship Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 2: Road to the Championship Results;
Vaughn Gittin Takes the Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – May 10, 2014 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro entered Road Atlanta for Round 2: Road to the Championship. Vaughn Gittin in the Monster Energy / Nitto Ford Mustang takes the victory moving him into second place in the championship standings.

Round 2: Road to the Championship marked the eleventh visit to Road Atlanta. The thousands of fans in attendance witnessed an action packed event weekend.

“It’s wonderful to see the growth in attendance each year at Road Atlanta, where we held our first Formula DRIFT event eleven years ago,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “The fans of the South are so passionate for the sport and we love coming to this venue.”

Vaughn Gittin fought his way to the top of the podium through tough competition to take his first victory of the season and move into second place in the point standings. Gittin matched up against Fredric Aasbo in the Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC in the finals. After a tightly fought battle Gittin was awarded the win. Chris Forsberg in the Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z rounded out the podium in third place to remain in first place in the championship.

“Tonight my team and I were truly one. We communicated and worked super hard,” said Vaughn Gittin, winner of Round 2: Road to the Championship. “These were some of the most hard fought battles that I remember ever having and it says a lot about our sport, where we are going and what we are doing. And I’m just super proud to be standing on the top step.”

The 2014 Formula DRIFT season continues with Round 3 on May 30-31 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.