Formula DRIFT Makes Sweeping Changes To Sporting Regulations

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Long Beach, Calif. – March 17, 2014 – Formula DRIFT deepens commitment to making competition the most exciting in motor sports by enacting more changes to the Sporting Regulations.

The changes that have been made are in the following areas:

PRO CHAMPIONSHIP AND QUALIFYING POINTS STRUCTURE

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS AWARDS

COMPETITION
1 – 100
2 – 80
3-4 – 64
5-8 – 48
9-16 – 32
17-32 – 16

QUALIFYING
1 – 10
2 – 7.5
3 – 6
4-8 – 4.5
9-16 – 3
17-32 – 1.5

PRO CHAMPIONSHIP AND QUALIFYING POINTS STRUCTURE

Automatic Formula DRIFT PRO License renewal = Top 32 and above ranking in Formula DRIFT PRO

Automatic Formula DRIFT PRO2 License renewal = 64 points in Formula DRIFT PRO2

FORMULA DRIFT PRO COMPETITION LICENSE
Formula DRIFT PRO drivers that have earned a rank of 32 and above in the previous season will automatically be eligible for a Formula DRIFT PRO license the following year.

All remaining drivers and any new driver wishing to obtain a provisional Formula DRIFT PRO license will have two (2) options. Provisional licenses will be valid for the season for which it was granted and for the number of events specified

Option 1: FORMULA DRIFT PRO2 CHAMPIONSHIP

Competitors wishing to obtain a Formula DRIFT PRO license have the option to compete in a Formula DRIFT PRO2 series. Competitors at the end of the PRO2 Championship season will be awarded Formula DRIFT PRO license based on their final standing in the PRO2 Championship. Formula DRIFT PRO2 series competitions will be judged by Formula Drift Judges at selected Formula DRIFT PRO Championship rounds. Courses will be the same as the Formula DRIFT PRO Championship course used during that round.

Option 2: PETITION

A driver that believes that he/she is qualified to compete in Formula DRIFT PRO Championship on a competitive level but chooses to not to compete in a Formula DRIFT PRO2 Championship may submit a petition to Formula DRIFT for review. The petition application format may be obtained by contacting the Formula DRIFT office. After a reasonable review period, Formula DRIFT will notify the driver on the status of their request. Driver’s with insufficient experience or credentials will not be considered and will be notified that they must obtain a license through Formula DRIFT PRO2 series. Upon approval of the petition, Formula DRIFT will grant a provisional license. The petition will be reviewed by the Formula DRIFT licensing committee.

The Formula DRIFT licensing committee members are:

Jim Liaw President, Co-Founder Ryan Sage Vice President, Co-Founder Formula DRIFT Judges

FORMULA DRIFT PRO2 COMPETITION LICENSE
Formula DRIFT PRO2 drivers that have earned 100 points in the previous Formula Drift PRO2 season will automatically be eligible for a Formula Drift PRO2 license the following year.

Formula DRIFT PRO drivers that have earned a rank of 16 and above in the previous season will not be eligible for the Formula DRIFT PRO2 Championship the following year.

All remaining drivers and any new driver wishing to obtain a provisional Formula DRIFT PRO2 license will have two (2) options. Provisional licenses will be valid for the season for which it was granted and for the number of events specified. Failure to perform competitively in a Formula DRIFT event and/or acquire any competition points will result in revocation of the provisional license.

Option 1: FORMULA DRIFT LICENSING SERIES (i.e. FD Asia Championship, FD PRO-AM Series, etc)

Competitors wishing to obtain a Formula DRIFT PRO2 license have the option to compete in a Formula DRIFT licensing series. Each of these approved affiliate Series operate a regionally based points series with a minimum of four (4) rounds. Competitors at the end of the licensing series season will be awarded Formula DRIFT pro Licenses based on their final standing in the series championship. Formula DRIFT licensing series competitions will be judged by officials selected through operating agencies approved by Formula DRIFT. Courses will be set up to replicate the speed and dynamics of a typical course in a Formula DRIFT Pro Championship event. Each licensing series may have their own rules and regulations so all competitors must contact the licensing series directly. For the most updated list of Formula DRIFT licensing series, please refer to Appendix D.

Option 2: PETITION

A driver that believes that he/she is qualified to compete in Formula DRIFT PRO2 Championship on a competitive level but chooses to not to compete in a Formula DRIFT licensing series may submit a petition to Formula DRIFT for review. The petition application format may be obtained by contacting the Formula DRIFT office. After a reasonable review period, Formula DRIFT will notify the driver on the status of their request. Driver’s with insufficient experience or credentials will not be considered and will be notified that they must obtain a license through Option 1. Upon approval of the petition, Formula DRIFT will grant a provisional license. The petition will be reviewed by the Formula DRIFT licensing committee.

The Formula DRIFT licensing committee members are:
Jim Liaw President, Co-Founder Ryan Sage Vice President, Co-Founder Formula DRIFT Judges

Please refer to Appendix E – Formula DRIFT PRO and Formula DRIFT PRO2 Factsheet

PROTESTS IN COMPETITION

LODGING A PROTEST

A protest based on a judges call occurring during competition shall be made prior to the start of the following round of competition and is only allowed from the Great 8 to the Finals. Protests must be made prior the next round of competition. (Final Four protests must be made prior to final battle, etc).

Protests must be based on a judge’s call that was missed and that is non-subjective in nature. Such an example would be a missed, “zero” run.

Judges qualifying scores are not protestable.
The subjective areas of a judge’s score and decision are not protestable. All protests shall be made to the Driver’s Steward only.

Every protest shall be made in writing specifying which part of the Formula DRIFT Rules & Regulations is considered to have been violated, signed by the entrant or driver making the protest and accompanied by a protest fee of $50.00 within the time limits specified in these rules, and in accordance with section 4.4. The protest fee will be returned if the protest is deemed to be well-founded and is upheld by the Competition Manager.

A protest against an entry, validity of an entrant or driver, or a vehicle’s eligibility may be made at any time. All vehicle eligibility protests will be reviewed and arbitrated by the Technical Manager.

A protest against any other action of an official shall be made within 10 minutes of the action.

Notification of a protest does not guarantee that the Drivers Steward and/ or Competition Manager will hear the argument. The needs of the operation may take precedent over the protest.

QUALIFYING FORMAT AND CRITERIA POINTS ALLOCATION

QUALIFYING
The format for qualifying is a traditional format. Drivers will complete two (2) non-consecutive runs on the track in reverse order of current rank in the Championship. Drivers will receive a score after each run and the top 32 drivers will move on to Head-to-Head competition. In the event of a tie in qualifying, the tie-breaker will first be the Style points allocated followed by rank followed by logged speed.

In the event of rain or weather that does not cause cancellation of qualifying or head-to-head, the judges have the right to make adjustments to the criteria of judging and to subsequently disseminate this information to the spotters and drivers.

In the event that qualifying cannot be completed, such as a rain-out or other circumstances, qualifying order will be established by rank or by previous season points.

QUALIFYING SCORING

In qualifying, each judge will be assigned to a criterion: Line, Angle, or Style. Line judge can award up to 25 points + 10 points for Style
Angle judge can award up to 25 points + 10 points for Style
Style judge can award up to 30 points

Total maximum points is 100

In the event of a tie, the driver with the higher Style score will take the position.

GENERAL JUDGING CRITERIA FOR QUALIFYING AND HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPETITION

ITEMS THAT CONSTITUTE AN AUTOMATIC ZERO Spinning out

Clear and punctuated straightening or losing drift (Losing drift and reinitiating quickly is a major deduction, but not a zero. Judges will determine if an action results in a zero)

Two tires of course
Hood, hatch and/or doors open during a run
Resulting contact causes an abrupt change in the vehicles drift and/or causes a spin

TANDEM ELIMINATION ROUNDS
32 drivers will compete in single elimination head-to-head battles and win his/her way through a standard 32-Driver bracket. Tandem rounds are based on two (2) runs, in head-to-head format, with competitors paired up based on qualifying position. The higher qualifier will lead the first run and the second led by the lower qualifier.

Starting in 2014, there will no longer be a 3rd place consolation round. 3rd place will now be decided based on the highest qualifier of the two losing competitors in the Final Four.

LEAD CAR
The lead car is to drift the course using the line, angle and style as defined by the judges for qualifying. Typically, the lead car should driver 90 percent of his/her qualifying run(s) and focus specifically on hitting all clipping point and zones with the maximum line, angle and style as possible.

CHASE CAR
In general, the chase car needs to treat the lead car as a moving clipping point and showcase more angle and style while in chase. With regards to proximity, a chase driver may get as close to the lead car as possible as long as the chase car’s front wheels DO NOT reach in front of the lead car’s front wheels. In essence, if done properly, a chase driver can be door-to-door with the lead car without being in violation of being on a lower line. Drivers that do surpass the lead drivers front wheels will receive a deduction for their chase run. For a chase car to show true dominance to the lead car, the driver must follow the line the lead driver chooses, maintain consistent and larger angle than the lead car and use the vehicles power to maintain consistent and close proximity to the lead car.

PASSING
Passing is allowed in Formula DRIFT. Passing is allowed anywhere on course as long as the lead car is clearly off the line the judges have specified. Any passing that occurs outside the scope of the aforementioned criteria will be deemed illegal and constitute an equivalence to a zero (0) run. A chase driver will be considered the lead driver once a legal pass has been completed and clearly shows the original chase driver has assumed control as the lead driver.

ITEMS THAT CONSTITUTE AN AUTOMATIC ZERO

The following constitute a ZERO in tandem: Spinning Out

Clear and punctuated straightening or losing drift (Losing drift and reinitiating quickly is a major deduction, but not a zero. Judges will determine whether or not this is a zero)

Two tires or more clearly off course

Contact to the other driver that is considered, “avoidable”.

A chase driver not actively chasing the lead driver after the opponent had, “zero’d” out on the prior run

GENERAL

Judges may also use logged drivers speed as a reference or assistance in judging, but speed of drivers is typically used for entertainment purposes, such as those purposes served through TV, live and live stream.

USE OF REPLAYS IN COMPETITION

REPLAYS

Use of multiple replays in tandem competition is prohibited until Great 8 onward. The typical run of show will be a replay after each run of tandem, but nothing more until the Great 8 has started. Once the great 8 has started, judges may request multiple replays. The Competition Manager may request that time be allocated for a replay in any round if a technical issue has occurred that could affect a judging call.

“We are excited to start off our eleventh season with the motif of, “Dawn of a New Decade,” and with that comes changes to the competition that we feel will enhance the show by making it more thrilling, while keeping the flow consistent and in-line with what we consider to be the most electrifying motor sport on the planet,” says Ryan Sage, Vice President and Co-Founder of Formula DRIFT.

Formula DRIFT Signs Exclusive Two-Year Deal For Live Stream and Content Distribution With Dailymotion

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Long Beach, Calif. – March 12, 2014 – Formula DRIFT announced today a deal with Dailymotion to become the exclusive partner for the Formula DRIFT domestic live stream, known as the Driftstream, as well as all Video On Demand (VOD) content produced by Formula DRIFT.

The Driftstream is considered to be the most widely viewed motor sports live stream in the world boasting over 1.5M unique IP’s with an average viewing time of 38 minutes. Formula DRIFT also logs hundreds of hours of VOD content per year including “Formula DRIFT Insider,” which will now stream live exclusively on Dailymotion.

“This deal really cements not only the value of Formula DRIFT content but shows that the direction of web based content as a platform for revenue generation is a real and viable phenomenon,” says Ryan Sage, Vice President and Co-Founder of Formula DRIFT. “We feel that we have always been on the forefront of new trends and creating this partnership with an industry leader like Dailymotion is an amazing milestone for us.”

Formula DRIFT will be promoted widely to the Dailymotion audience, which currently generates 25M monthly unique visitors in the U.S. and 120M globally (comScore 2013).

“Dailymotion couldn’t be more excited to be the official online video platform for Formula DRIFT. Over the last few seasons, we’ve seen the league’s passionate fan base grow steadily as well as their demand for video,” comments Martin Rogard, COO of Dailymotion. “Bringing this thrilling sport to our platform and leveraging our reach as well as live stream capabilities marks an optimal partnership for us.”

Dailymotion is one of the biggest video platforms in the world with 120 million monthly unique visitors (comScore, 2013) generating over 2.5 billion video views every month. Dailymotion is the most popular European site – across all categories – in the world according to comScore.

Using the most advanced technology for both users and content creators, Dailymotion provides HD video in a fast, easy-to-use online service. Dailymotion offers a high quality user experience across all digital devices (computers, mobile devices, connected TVs and tablets) via one of the most powerful video players on the market.

Dailymotion offers the best content from users, independent content creators and premium partners in the media and entertainment industries all over the world. Dailymotion provides free access to live content such as cultural events, sport competitions around the world or breaking news as it happens, and allows its users to watch free or on-demand movies, series or creative and exclusive programs from an international catalogue of tens of millions of videos.

Dailymotion is available around the world in 18 different languages and 35 localized versions featuring local home pages and local content.

For further information, please visit www.dailymotion.com.

The 2014 Formula DRIFT season will begin with Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 4-5. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.

Formula DRIFT Renews with NBC Sports Network for 2014 Television Broadcast

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Long Beach, Calif. – March 10, 2014 – Formula DRIFT has renewed its agreement with NBCSN for the 2014 season, a partnership that began in 2009. The seven-stop Formula DRIFT Pro Championship will air a minimum of 24 times on Sundays beginning July 27. Programming will include on-track and off-track action as the world’s best drifters compete for the coveted Formula DRIFT championship.

“We are proud to continue our relationship with NBCSN,” said Ryan Sage, Vice President and Co-Founder of Formula DRIFT. “The reach of NBCSN is phenomenal with access into 85 million homes in the US.” To be able to bring our progressive sport in front of the their audience is thrilling.”

Formula DRIFT will begin airing on the NBCSN on Sunday, July 27. A full television program schedule can be found on www.formulad.com.

“We are excited to showcase a new season of Formula DRIFT here on NBCSN for our ever-growing motor-sports audience,” said Jeff Macaluso, Sr. Director of Programming at NBCSN. “The adrenaline pounding excitement is a great compliment to our line-up.”

The 2014 Formula DRIFT season will begin with Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 4-5. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.

Formula DRIFT Announces the Return of All 4 Major Tire Partners and 3 Tire Suppliers

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Formula DRIFT Announces the Return of All 4 Major Tire Partners and 3 Tire Suppliers;
GT Radial Joins Series as Tire Supplier 

Long Beach, Calif. – March 4, 2014 – Formula DRIFT has announced the return of all 4 Major Tire Partners; Achilles, Falken, Hankook and Nitto and returning Tire Suppliers; Kenda, Maxxis and Yokohama. In addition, GT Radial signs on as a new Tire Supplier for the 2014 season.

Formula DRIFT continues to be the proving grounds for tire manufacturers. The extreme conditions created through competitive drifting pushes the limits of the drivers, cars and the tires creating the ultimate performance test for the brands. Current returning tire partners include: Falken Tire (11th season), Hankook Tire (current tire manufacturer champion, 8th season), Nitto Tire (9th season), Achilles (3rd season), Yokohama (3rd season), Maxxis Tire (3rd season) and Kenda (5th season).

“We are proud to have all 4 Major Tire Partners and 3 Tire Suppliers return to the Series and happy to welcome GT Radial for the 2014 season,” said Jim Liaw, President and Co-Founder of Formula DRIFT. “Tires are such an integral part of drifting and the demands that the sport places on the product is high. These are off the shelf products for the everyday consumer and thus have immediate real world application.”

GT Radial will enter the Series with their Champiro SX2 tire, developed for driving enthusiasts who want higher levels of traction, response and driving control in dry and wet conditions. Driving for GT Radial will be back-to-back feeder series champion, Tyler Wolfson.

“As the premier North American professional drifting competition with a very large and growing fan base, Formula DRIFT is an ideal platform for demonstrating the technology and performance of the GT Radial brand to North American drivers, “ said Armand Allaire, vice president of marketing for Giti Tire USA, which markets and sells GT Radial tires in North America.

The 2014 Formula DRIFT season will begin with Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 4-5. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.

Formula DRIFT Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Tickets On-Sale; Eleventh Season of Competition Begins on April 4-5, 2014

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Long Beach, Calif. – January 29, 2014 – Formula DRIFT kicks off the eleventh season of competition beginning with Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 4-5. Tickets are now on-sale and can be purchased online via the Formula DRIFT website, www.formuladrift.com.

“This will be our seventh consecutive year drifting on the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Street Course,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “With the new season brings new cars and new drivers to the Series and we are excited to kick off the action in April to another sell out audience.”

To satisfy the demand for seating over 2,000 reserved tickets seats have been added to the venue to ensure that fans can sit and enjoy the action. Tickets are available online for purchase with the option to select from any of the available grandstands. A new VIP experience is also being added for purchase. The FD VIP Experience will grant access to preferred seats in grandstand 18, a track-walk during opening ceremonies where fans will be inches away from the drivers, a line pass for the autograph session and a signature Formula DRIFT credential. No matter where fans sit they can also expect to see every inch of the course with the newly updated, massive jumbotrons at the facility.

Tickets are now available for Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 4-5, including reserved seating, 2-day ticket packages, and VIP tickets and can be purchased through www.formuladrift.com, Ticketmaster outlets, and the Long Beach Convention Center box office. Ticket prices start at $35 online with all seats reserved for Saturday’s competition day.

Round 1: Streets of Long Beach will feature the championship defense for Michael Essa and top contenders Chris Forsberg, Daigo Saito, Fredric Aasbo and Vaughn Gittin, Jr. in addition to new drivers and vehicles that will make their debut at the season opener. The season kickoff will also showcase the new Offset Kings car show.