Category: Featured

Formula DRIFT Announces Details on Canadian Events

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Formula DRIFT Announces Details on Canadian Events;
Autodrome St-Eustache Speedway in Quebec, Canada to Host

Long Beach, Calif. – May 6, 2014 – Formula DRIFT has announced information regarding Formula DRIFT Canada which will be composed of two events; Formula DRIFT Qualifier and Formula DRIFT Challenge at Autodrome St-Eustache located just outside Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The Formula DRIFT Qualifier will be held on June 8, 2014 at the Autodrome St-Eustache in Quebec, Canada. The goal of the Formula DRIFT Qualifier is to see which non-Formula DRIFT licensed driver will have the chance to compete against some of the best drifters in the world. The top 8 placed drifters and 2 wild cards chosen by the event promoters will be invited to compete at the Formula DRIFT Challenge on Labor Day weekend. Tickets will start at $25 and can be purchased online or at the gate. The event will feature a vendor village and car show.

“The Autodrome St-Eustache, commonly referred to as the Canadian House of Drift, is extremely honored to have been chosen by the world’s leading Professional Drift Series, “ stated Alan Labrosse, owner of Autodrome St-Eustache. “As exclusive host to the inaugural Formula DRIFT Invitational Competition to take place in Canada, we continue to show our commitment to the evolution of the sport of drifting in this country. Competitors, fans, and sponsors from across Canada and the USA will have the opportunity to be a part of history and enjoy the excitement of world class professional drifting.”

The Formula DRIFT Challenge will be held on August 31 – September 1 at the same venue. For the first time ever Formula DRIFT drivers will be stepping foot on Canadian soil to compete in a top 16 competition against the best Canadian drifters. Tickets will start at $20 for on-site Sunday entry, while Monday’s on-site price will be $35. Tickets for both days will be $50 at the gate and $40 online for the weekend pass. The event will feature a vendor village, skateboard demo, and Offset Kings car show.

“To be able to bring Formula DRIFT to the Autodrome St-Eustache, Québec’s most popular motorsports venue, during their 50th anniversary is a great milestone for us,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “Canada has a great drifting culture and to be able to help grow the sport in this region is a major accomplishment.”

More information can be found on www.formuladriftcanada.com and www.facebook.com/formuladriftcanada.

Formula DRIFT Releases Comprehensive Fan Study

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Long Beach, Calif. – April 24, 2014 – Formula DRIFT has released a comprehensive fan study compiled from thousands of live event attendees from each round of the 2013 season. The study reveals that Formula DRIFT fans are nearly exclusive to the Series and a majority of fans have watched the online live stream.

The report was produced by surveying thousands of Formula DRIFT live event attendees over the course of the 2013 season. The study has found that nearly 50% of Formula DRIFT fans did not attend at least one other major league sports or major motorsports event in 2013 showing the exclusivity of the audience. The closest sport that had a quantifiable overlap was Major League Baseball at 16.62%, while the closest motor sport was Supercross at 12.73%.  Another finding shows that over 80% of Formula DRIFT fans have watched the “Driftstream,” in 2013.  The full report can be seen below.

“This study clearly demonstrated what we have thought all along about our audience,” says Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “These are not just average event goers. The event attendees of Formula DRIFT are exclusive to the brand, not only in terms of general events, but more importantly, our fans are highly preferential to us in the realm of motor sports. Further, when not attending a Formula DRIFT event, the fans follow the brand by watching our live stream. These statistics infer a highly engaged, highly exclusive fan.”

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Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge Results

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Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge Results;
Daigo Saito Takes the Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – April 12, 2014 – Formula DRIFT hosted the Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge during the 40th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Daigo Saito in the Achilles Radial Lexus SC430 takes the victory.

The Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge for the second consecutive year brought motorsports action under the lights during the annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach with a filled capacity within Turns 9, 10, and 11 of the famous street course. Sixteen of the top Formula DRIFT drivers competed for a $25,000 prize purse. Eight vehicle manufacturers and seven tire companies were represented in the competition.

“It is an honor to be able to bring drifting to the masses during the 40th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach,” stated Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “And to be able to showcase our sport for the second year in a row under the lights on the city streets is something special.”

The action under the lights along with ever changing track temperatures proved to be a test of driver skill. Number one qualifier, Forrest Wang in Get Nuts Lab / Hankook Tire Nissan S14 finishes in third place. Daigo Saito met teammate Kenny Moen in the Bridges Racing / Achilles Radial Nissan 240SX in the finals. Saito, the 2012 Formula DRIFT champion, was able to edge out Moen to take the victory. For the second consecutive weekend, Moen takes the second spot on the podium.

“Last weekend at Round 1 of Formula DRIFT was no good for me, but this week with a few modifications on the vehicle I was able to get the win,” said Daigo Saito, winner of the Motegi Super Drift Challenge. “I am happy with the win and look to continue the momentum into the next round.”

Formula DRIFT Announces Further Details on the 2015 World Championship

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Long Beach, Calif. – April 11, 2014 – Formula DRIFT has announced additional information on the 2015 World Championship that include details on event rounds and locations, competition format, confirmation of all Formula DRIFT Pro licenses to be valid for the World Championship and the petition process for international drivers. In addition, Formula DRIFT has confirmed that three rounds of the World Championship will offer a separate Triple Crown prize purse with a possible USD $100,000 up for grabs.

The World Championship will encompass all US Formula DRIFT Championship rounds plus two to three international rounds. The select international rounds will be vetted by Formula DRIFT through the 2014 season with all existing Formula DRIFT international rounds to be considered, including previous international venues.

The competition format will be based off the traditional top 32 head-to-head format. Formula DRIFT also confirms that all Formula DRIFT Pro Licenses are considered valid for the World Championship as well as selected Formula Drift Affiliate Series drivers will be eligible as well, while all other international drivers will need to go through a petition process in order to qualify. Additionally, three selected rounds of the World Championship will constitute its own Triple Crown with a prize pool of a possible USD $100,000.

“We have laid out the groundwork to complete this ambitious task in front of us in an effort to help bring the sport of drifting to the next level,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT.

Formula DRIFT recently completed the first event of the 2014 season with Round 1: Streets of Long Beach with over 20,000 fans in attendance and a Driftstream live broadcast shown to over 235,000 unique IPs/individual connections with over 1 million views.

Newegg Renews Formula DRIFT Sponsorship for 2014 Championship

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Newegg Renews Formula DRIFT Sponsorship for 2014 Championship;
Sponsorship Includes Official Livestream and 2013 Champion Michael Essa

Long Beach, Calif. – April 10, 2014 – Newegg today announced it is renewing and expanding its sponsorship of the 2014 Formula DRIFT Championship. In addition to the event’s official Livestream, this year Newegg is sponsoring 2013 Formula DRIFT Championship winner, Michael Essa. All of Formula DRIFT’s 2014 Livestreams can be viewed at www.formuladrift.com/live.

“Newegg is thrilled to sponsor Formula DRIFT’s Livestream broadcast again this year,” said Soren Mills, Chief Marketing Officer of Newegg North America. “It’s a great privilege to sponsor 2013 Champion Michael Essa in this year’s event. His driving skill, automotive knowledge and do-it-yourself approach align perfectly with many of Newegg’s tech and automotive enthusiasts.”

From now until April 19th, Newegg.com will feature a landing page dedicated to Formula Drift activities. Viewers can watch a livestream of Formula DRIFT events and shop great deals covering a huge selection of automotive products.

Jennifer from Newegg TV will host a series of newscasts throughout the season to keep viewers up to date and engaged in the Formula DRIFT season. The scheduled event coverage includes:

• April 4: Excerpts from Formula DRIFT Media Day
• April 11: Streets of Long Beach
• May 9: 2013 Formula DRIFT Champion, Mike Essa Documentary Part One
• October 14: Formula DRIFT Final Fight
• October 17: P2013 Formula DRIFT Champion, Mike Essa Documentary Part Two
• TBD: Coverage of the Montegi: Super Drift event at the Long Beach Grand Prix

“We are happy to have Newegg back with Formula DRIFT for the 2014 Championship,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT Holdings, LLC. “Newegg’s custom computer builders, gamers and digital lifestyle early adopters are a great fit with our tech-savvy audience.”

Newegg is the e-commerce destination of choice for automotive enthusiasts, offering more than 1.6 million products from top brands including Bilstein, K&N, KW Suspension, Motul Lubricants and Wilwood Brakes. The company’s vast automotive marketplace sources competitive deals on car electronics, performance parts, accessories and replacement parts to empower Newegg’s DIY-minded customers to keep their cars race-ready without breaking the bank.