Category: Press Releases

Formula DRIFT Announces Formula DRIFT Japan

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December 17, 2013

Formula DRIFT Announces Formula DRIFT Japan

Long Beach, Calif. – December 17, 2013 – Formula DRIFT announced today another step in global expansion with the introduction of Formula DRIFT Japan. The venture with MSC Co, Ltd is set to be a three-year deal beginning in 2014.

“It’s very exciting to be taking our brand to the birthplace of drifting with MSC. MSC is a reputable company that has been involved in drifting for many years. We feel that this is a great way to expand our brand as it fits with our global aspirations,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT.

Starting in 2014, Formula DRIFT Japan will hold two competition events as a pre-cursor to the Formula DRIFT Japan Championship in 2015, with one of the events being held a points round of the Formula DRIFT Asia Championship. In 2015, Formula DRIFT has plans to expand the brand to a minimum of four events that will comprise an actual championship. The plan for 2016 will also be a minimum of a four-event championship.

Japanese motor sport icons Nobuteru Taniguchi and Max Orido have committed to judging the events, notwithstanding any other racing obligations. The three-year plan will include a groundbreaking marketing and promotions campaign never done before in Japanese drifting such as a weekly television show, live stream of the event competitions and a media partnership with Kotsu Times.

“MSC has been a long time partner with Formula Drift since its start and we are thrilled to be working with the global brand of drifting in Japan. With the support of the new generation media networks, we are aimed to grow as spectacular motorsports events. Please look forward to our events” said Kaz Iwata, founder of MSC Co, Ltd

Formula DRIFT Japan details will be announced at the official launch at the 2014 Osaka Auto Messe in February.

[PRESS RELEASE] Formula DRIFT Surpasses a Million Fans on Facebook

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November 25, 2013

Formula DRIFT Surpasses a Million Fans on Facebook

Long Beach, Calif.  November 25, 2013.  Formula DRIFT is celebrating a milestone after its Facebook page achieved over 1 million likes from its fans around the world. The Formula DRIFT Facebook page (www.facebook.com/formuladrift) provides information on the Series, drivers and more.

“We would like to thank our fans for supporting the Series and helping our Facebook page organically grow to reach over 1 million fans,  said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “Our young tech savvy fans challenge those of other motorsports for being the most active and engaging fans on social media.

Growth to 1 million Facebook fans has been done organically without the help of social media agencies, purchases of “likes or special Facebook promotions. Additionally, the fan count from Formula DRIFT Asia Facebook page was not taken into account, which currently has over 100,000 Facebook fans.

Comparatively, to other motorsport Facebook pages, Formula DRIFT ranks amongst the top for quantity of fans. NASCAR currently has 3,711,205 fans, Formula 1 has 1,448,735, World Rally Championship (WRC) has 1,074,102 and IndyCar with 173,531 fans on Facebook.

During Formula DRIFT event weekends the Formula DRIFT Facebook page receives over 2 million impressions. The Facebook platform is a key component in Formula DRIFT’ cross-media portfolio, which also includes Twitter and Instagram.

[PRESS RELEASE] Formula Drift Asia Returns to Thailand

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FORMULA DRIFT ASIA SERIES TO RETURN TO THAILAND

Singapore, 22 November 2013 – Formula Drift Asia will be returning to Thailand in 2014, in replacement of Formula Drift Indonesia initially scheduled for December 2013. This will serve as the final leg of the 2013 season, as well as the opening round of the 2014 season. The last time the Series was held in Thailand was back in 2010.

To be held at Pathum Thani Speedway on 18 and 19 January, Formula Drift Thailand 2014 is co-organised with Grand Prix International Co., Ltd (GPI), which owns the Bangkok International Motor Show, several motorsport events, a host of magazines such as Grand Prix and XO Autosport, as well as television channel Grand Prix Channel. For the first time ever, there will be ‘live’ streaming for Formula Drift Asia events so fans from all over the world can keep up with the sideways smoking action.

Marcus Lim, Co-Founder of Formula Drift Asia, “We are excited to return to the Thailand market, after three years of absence, and we look forward to coming back to Indonesia in the near future. 2013 also marks the end of a fruitful chapter with Achilles as the title sponsor of the Asia series. We look forward to welcoming new partners to the fold as we move on to a combined platform globally. The integration of operations with the US side will give us better strategic alignment for the development of the sport in Asia. ”

“We brought the first international drifting competition to Thailand four years ago and we are excited to be able to bring Formula Drift back.  The timing is right as we have integrated and merged the Formula Drift Asia and USA offices to lay a foundation to create a world championship series,” said Jim Liaw, President and Co-Founder of Formula Drift.

In other exciting news, Formula Drift will merge their USA and Asia operations from 2014 with a global headquarters in Long Beach and a regional office in Singapore, in anticipation for a World Championship in 2015. The merger comes after six years of successful event operations in Asia taking Formula Drift to Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. Formula Drift Asia licensor Driftpac will remain an integral part of the Formula Drift events in Asia and will continue to assist in expansion of the brand.

The plan for 2015 is to operate a world championship where some or all of the events on the Formula Drift USA and Formula Drift Asia calendars, as well as possible new host venues, will count towards the world championship.

Formula Drift Asia has been a key drifting event within the region since its inaugural season in 2007, bringing the excitement and heart-stopping track action to fans in iconic locations such as the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix’s Marina Bay circuit and the historic Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur.

The most diverse and talented pool of drivers from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, USA and Japan have competed in the series. Expect the usual array of international drifting stars like Daigo Saito, Fredric Aasbo, Robbie Nishida, Kenshiro Gushi, Josh Boettcher and Tengku Djan.

Do look out for more details on Formula Drift Thailand 2014 and also the rest of the 2014 calendar. For more information, kindly log on to www.formuladriftasia.com or www.facebook.com/formuladriftasia.

For enquiries or requests, contact Cheryl at [email protected] or +65 9733 5122.

 

[PRESS RELEASE] Formula DRIFT to Launch World Championship in 2015

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November 20, 2013

Formula DRIFT to Launch World Championship in 2015 

Long Beach, Calif. – November 20, 2013 – Following the recent announcement of the merger between Formula DRIFT USA and Asia operations, Formula DRIFT has announced a World Championship series slated for 2015. Formula DRIFT will begin to operate a world championship that will be integration of the Formula DRIFT USA and Formula DRIFT Asia operations. Current Formula DRIFT USA and Formula DRIFT Asia Pro Championships will continue to run as is with the World Championship as the over arching pinnacle.

“This move is inevitable. With two firmly established operational series on at least three continents, it makes sense to link them together. Drifting is a global sport and we believe we are the global leader in the Sport. The gold standard in international motorsports is that when a championship series is able to be held on three continents, it can then be classified as a world championship, otherwise the moniker would not have real meaning,” stated Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “We’ve also given ourselves plenty of time to plan and build this out so that our methodical planning can be integrated into the World Championship in a productive and meaningful way. Our focus has always been one that targets longevity and sustainability.”

Starting in 2014, Formula DRIFT will merge their USA and Asia operations with a global headquarters in Long Beach, CA and a regional office in Singapore. The merger comes after six years of successful event operations in Asia taking the Formula DRIFT Asia Championship Series to Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and earlier this year, Australia. The Formula DRIFT licensor, Driftpac will remain an integral part of the Formula DRIFT events in Asia and will continue to assist in expansion of the brand but the Formula DRIFT global operations will begin to operate each event internationally as it does with the USA Series.

In 2015, Formula DRIFT will consider some or all of the events on the Formula DRIFT USA and Formula DRIFT Asia calendar as well as possible new host venues into a points championship that will include events on at least three continents. The Formula DRIFT USA and Asia Series will still operate status quo but the new Formula DRIFT World Championship will be created to sit on top of both of the existing Series as the first global championship for drifting. The World Championship will also have its own prize purse, media package and champion. Drivers that are currently competing in both Series’ include Daigo Saito, Robbie Nishida, Fredric Aasbo and Ken Gushi.

Additional information will be announced prior to the start of the 2014 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship season.

 

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Round 7: Final Fight at Irwindale Speedway Results;
Daigo Saito Takes the Event Victory and Michael Essa is Crowned Champion

Long Beach, Calif. – October 13, 2013 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro returned to Irwindale Speedway for the final event of the 2013 season. Daigo Saito in the Achilles Tire / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430 takes the event victory. Michael Essa in the GSR Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 is crowned champion. Lexus wins the inaugural manufacturer’s championship and Hankook Tire wins the tire championship for 2013.

Round 7: Final Fight at Irwindale Speedway was held in front of a sellout crowd and was the largest motorsport event in the venue’s history. The exciting event marked the end of the tenth season for the Series and was also the most attended for the Series with approximately over 20,000 attendees over the two day event.

“What a way to complete the tenth season with the biggest crowd and probably the biggest motorsport event ever in Irwindale Speedway history,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “We are extremely grateful for the fans, sponsors and drivers that have helped grow the series over the ten years and we look forward to many more seasons to come.”

The action unfolded beginning with Michael Essa, who entered the event with the point lead, earning the number one qualifying position giving him a good position into the Top 32 and advancing into the Top 16 where he was unable to continue in the event with a blown motor. This opened the door for Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy / Hankook Nissan 370Z, who entered the event in second place in the standings. Essa secured the championship when Forsberg lost to the 2012 champion, Daigo Saito, in the Great 8. This marks the first time a European vehicle has won the Formula DRIFT championship.

“Coming into this event I wanted to prove that this season wasn’t a fluke and sitting on the sideline wasn’t how I wanted the event to go down, but unfortunately that is what happened tonight,” said Michael Essa, 2013 Formula DRIFT champion. “The Formula DRIFT championship has always been my goal and I am extremely excited. There are so many amazing drivers and teams in the Series and being able to just compete with them is an honor. We are hoping to carry this momentum into the next season and earn more wins.”

The consolation round saw Robbie Nishida in the Bridges Racing / Achilles Tire Lexus SC300 against Forrest Wang in the Get Nuts Lab / Achilles Nissan 240SX. Wang got the best of Nishida to earn third place for his first ever Formula DRIFT podium. The final battle pitted Daigo Saito vs Tyler McQuarrie in the Mobil 1 / GoPro Chevrolet Camaro. McQuarrie hit the wall on the second battle to give Saito the event victory.

“To tell the truth I was not really feeling it in practice, but when the battles began and the lights turned on I was able to pull it together when it counted and am happy for the win to end the season,” said Daigo Saito, winner of Round 7: Final Fight. “I had a lot of issues with the car this year and I feel we weren’t able to get the car to the condition I really needed to be more competitive, but coming in third overall is something I am proud and happy about.”

Two new championships were added to the Series that included the tire and manufacturer championship. After seven events for the season, Lexus comes out on top for the inaugural manufacturer championship, while Hankook Tire takes the first tire championship.

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com

Formula DRIFT Professional Championship Presented by GoPro 2013 Final Standings After Seven Rounds
1. Essa, Michael GSR Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 555.50 Points
2. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Nissan 370Z 538 Points
3. Saito, Daigo Achilles Tire / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430 510.50 Points
4. Aasbo, Fredric Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC 487.50 Points
5. Gittin Jr., Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 481.00 Points
6. Pawlak, Justin Falken Tire Ford Mustang 425.00 Points
7. Field, Matt CX Racing / Maxxis / Blacktrax Nissan 240SX 407 Points
8. McNamara, Darren Falken Tire Nissan S14 388.50 Points
9. Nishida, Robbie Bridges Racing / Achilles Tire Lexus SC300 387.25 Points
10. Bakchis, Aurimas Nexen Tire Nissan S14 379 Points
11. Yoshihara, Daijiro Discount Tire / Falken Tire Nissan S13 333.50 Points
12. Grunewald, Conrad Hankook Tire / Megan Racing Chevrolet Camaro SS 309.50 Points
13. DeNofa, Chelsea BC Racing BMW 3 Series 291.00 Points
13. Tuerck, Ryan Team Retaks / Maxxis Scion Racing FR-S 291.00 Points
15. McQuarrie, Tyler Mobil 1 / GoPro Chevrolet Camaro 290.50 Points
16. Powers, Matt Fatlace / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX 282.00 Points

Round 7: Final Fight Event Results
1. Saito, Daigo Achilles Tire / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430 First Place
2. McQuarrie, Tyler Mobil 1 / GoPro Chevrolet Camaro Second Place
3. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab / Achilles Nissan 240SX Third Place

Manufacturers Championship Final Standings After Seven Rounds
1. Lexus 975.50 Points
2. Nissan 912.50 Points
3. Ford 906.00 Points
4. Scion 866.50 Points
5. BMW 846.00 Points

Tire Final Championship Standings After Seven Rounds
1. Hankook 1053.50 Points
2. Falken 1008 Points
3. Achilles 973.25 Points
4. Nitto 834.50 Points
5. Yokohama 788 Points