ROUSH Performance Partners with Formula Drifter Justin Pawlak for 2016 Season

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ROUSH and JTP a winning combination

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, MICH. (March 29, 2016) — Professional Drifter Justin T. Pawlak is ready to steer his way to the finish line during the 2016 Formula Drift series. Teaming with main sponsor ROUSH Performance, Pawlak will drive a 2016 ROUSH Supercharged Mustang with a Ford Performance Aluminator crate engine.

Pawlak, who began his drifting career in 2005, secured first place finishes at Los Angeles NOPI Drift and the first round of 2011 Formula Drift. He has been a consistent top-7 performer in Formula D since 2011.

“I know what it takes to win, but ROUSH Performance’s support in 2016 is a huge advantage in competing for a Formula D title,” said Justin Pawlak, who is based in Covina, California. “I can’t wait to get on the track, push the limit and start shaking down.”

For the 2016 drifting season, Pawlak built a brand new S550-chassis Mustang that features the ROUSH 2.3-liter TVS supercharger, which pushes out almost 1,000 horsepower and 831 lb-ft of torque. “It’s a really solid platform using factory components, and gives me the power I need to compete,” Pawlak said.

A hands-on driver, Pawlak does his own mechanical, fabrication and suspension design. He also welds his own roll cages, and is one of the highest-ranked drivers that does his own vehicle work. 

“When we first looked at getting involved with Formula Drift, Justin immediately became our top pick,” said Jack Roush Jr., brand manager for ROUSH Performance. “Justin is a great driver, and he knows a lot about Mustangs. He is also a very down-to-earth guy, and he’s built his program from the ground-up with his own hard work.”

When Pawlak isn’t in the shop or on the track, he’s mentoring other youth drivers, volunteering at his church with youth community activities, or attending meets, shows and charity events in the automotive industry.

About ROUSH Performance: ROUSH Performance, a division of Roush Enterprises, designs, engineers and manufactures completely assembled pre-titled vehicles, aftermarket performance parts, performance crate engines, and marine engine superchargers for the global performance enthusiast market. Based in Plymouth Township, Michigan, ROUSH Performance was founded in 1995 by motorsports legend Jack Roush. Visit us at ROUSHperformance.com or call 800.59.ROUSH.

Tanner Foust returns to Formula Drift with Nexen Tire

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March 22, 2016

Tanner Foust joins Nexen Tire

Multi-time champion returns to Formula Drift for select events in 2016

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (March 22, 2016) – Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust has a new tire partner onboard for his return to three Formula Drift rounds in 2016. Nexen Tire will back Foust and supply tires for the Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Volkswagen Passat for the select Formula Drift season.

“The cars on the Formula Drift circuit are some of the wildest motorsport builds on the planet right now and maximizing grip is a critical part of having the right package,” said Foust, who will compete in the Atlanta, Seattle and Texas rounds this year. “I’m excited to be working with Nexen in 2016 with a very competitive tire.”

The driver made his first appearance under the new partnership at the Leadfoot Festival, a special invitational celebration of cars and speed hosted annually in New Zealand by celebrated rally champion Rod Millen. 

Watch the video:

Continue reading Tanner Foust returns to Formula Drift with Nexen Tire

Formula DRIFT Announces 2016 CBS Sports Network Television Schedule

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Long Beach, Calif. – March 22, 2016 – Formula DRIFT presented by BlackVue has announced its 2016 CBS Sports Network television schedule. “Formula DRIFT” will begin on Sunday, May 15 at 5:30 PM (ET). The fast paced action featuring bracketed head-to-head match-ups will anchor the coverage and be featured across 12 episodes. Coverage will also include an additional 8 shows of the behind-the-scenes program, “Formula DRIFT Insider.”

“We had a phenomenal opening year with CBS Sports Network,” said Ryan Sage, Vice President and Co-Founder of Formula DRIFT. “With awesome primetime original airings and well placed re-airs, CBS Sports Network has become an incredible partner to the Series and a destination for Formula DRIFT fans.”

The “Formula DRIFT” schedule adds to CBS Sports Network’s robust lineup of motorsports programming, which includes more than 350 hours of coverage throughout the year. The program will consist of live to tape coverage of each of the eight rounds of the Pro Championship including the newly added Canadian round of competition along with eight additional episodes of “Formula DRIFT Insider.”

CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

The 2016 Formula DRIFT Championship begins on April 9-10 in Long Beach, CA. Tickets can be purchased through www.formulad.com, Ticketmaster outlets, and the Long Beach Convention Center box office.

For more information visit: www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Nexen Tire Announces Partnerships with Formula Drift and Scion Racing by Toyota

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Nexen Tire Announces Partnerships with Formula Drift and Scion Racing by Toyota

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Diamond Bar, CA, Mar. 17, 2016 – Nexen Tire America has announced an official two-year partnership with Formula Drift as a Major Sponsor for the 2016 and 2017 race seasons. The sponsorship will include signage on Formula Drift live stream, on track signage, and video commercials both onsite and on CBS Sports coverage.

Nexen Tire has also reached agreement with Scion Racing by Toyota and will be represented by its top two drivers. Driving for Nexen will be 2015 Formula Drift Champion Fredric Aasbo with Rockstar Energy Papadakis Racing and driving the Scion Racing by Toyota tC. Also representing Nexen is 2015 Formula Drift runner-up Ken Gushi with Greddy Performance and driving the Scion Racing by Toyota 86.

Additionally, Nexen has signed two-time Formula Drift Champion Tanner Foust with Rockstar Energy. Foust will be competing in a VW Passat R.

“We are making a long-term investment in motorsports to help increase our brand awareness and image,” said James Kwon, Nexen Tire America CEO. “Formula Drift is a great avenue for us to showcase our Ultra High Performance line of products while creating engagement with our fans and consumers.”

President and Co-Founder of Formula DRIFT Jim Liaw comments on the partnership with Nexen. “We are excited to have Nexen Tire return as a major partner in Formula DRIFT. Nexen has made great advancements globally since the last time they were in the Series and this is reflected by their commitment to the 2016 and 2017 championship season, and with the signing of some of the best Formula DRIFT drivers and teams. We are looking forward to this partnership for the coming years.”

The Formula Drift investment is just a piece of Nexen’s new push into the motorsports arena. The company has launched a new Extreme Ultra High Performance tire which it will use for competition. The N’fera SUR4 is a UTQG 200 tire designed for Formula Drift, SCCA and Time Trials is available immediately in 20 sizes. The SUR4 has optimal grip performance and response with minimal performance drop under extreme conditions.

To manage its latest push into motorsports, Nexen has hired Paul Jho as Senior Motorsports Manager to lead the Formula Drift team and the roll out of the N’fera SUR4 to the market. “We are looking forward to a very competitive season with Frederic Aasbo, Ken Gushi and Tanner Foust as our new ambassadors in Formula Drift,” said Jho. “There is no better way to showcase our cutting-edge technology and performance of the new N’Fera SUR4 tires than to witness our drivers place podium after podium this coming season.”

Formula DRIFT Long Beach Kick-Off Event presented by SR by Toyota

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It’s that time of the year again! The 2016 Formula DRIFT season is right around the corner and we want to kick-off the season with a special event for all Scion owners. To show our appreciation, we would like to provide you an opportunity to display your (stock or modified) Scion vehicle and cheer for our drivers at Formula DRIFT Long Beach on Saturday, April 9th. Come join us for an epic day of drifting as we cheer on defending champion Fredric Aasbo, Ken Gushi and Ryan Tuerck, our newest addition to the team!

Selected participants will receive:

• Showcase spot in designated SR by Toyota area
• Free admission for you and one guest
• Free food and drinks
• Assigned seating in Grandstand 21
• Detailing Kit

We will be accepting submissions until Monday March 28 at 2PM PT. Selected participants will be notified via email with details of the event that week. Limited availability. Entry subject for approval.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER