Category: Press Releases

Round 6: Showdown at Texas Motor Speedway Results

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Round 6: Showdown at Texas Motor Speedway Results;
Michael Essa Takes the Victory and the Points Lead

Long Beach, Calif. – September 15, 2013 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro entered Texas Motor Speedway for the first time. Michael Essa in the GSR Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 takes the victory and the lead in the Pro Championship points chase heading into the final competition of the 2013 season.

Round 6: Showdown saw a return to Texas with the first Formula DRIFT event in the Lone Star State since 2005. Texas Motor Speedway hosted the highly anticipated event under the night sky. The new track proved to be challenging as one of the fastest drift tracks on the circuit and one of the most technical for tandem drifting.

The consolation round saw Patrick Mordaunt in the Diamond Lighting / APEXi Lexus SC430 against point leader, Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z. Forsberg won the battle to secure third place, but falls to second place overall in the Pro Championship standings with only 15.5 points separating him from the leader. The final battle pitted Essa against Matt Field in the CX Racing / Maxxis / Blacktrax Nissan 240SX. Essa bested Field for his second victory of the season and second straight podium finish to take the event win and lead in the point standings heading into the final competition of the season. This was Field’s first podium finish of his Formula DRIFT career.

“First year here at this track and the course was just insane with sustained speed throughout. It was just crazy out there, but we were able to take home the win,” said Michael Essa, winner of Round 6: Showdown. “Our GSR Autosport BMW E46 with Wisefab suspension and Bilstein suspension along with Yokohama Tires helped make this an amazing event for us. We are leading the points right now by about 15 points heading into Irwindale and we have a shot at the Championship which is not what we expected entering this season with a new car and can’t be more happy with the results.”

Heading into the final competition of the season for Round 7: Final Fight on October 11 – 12, 2013 at Irwindale Speedway. Less than 90 points separate the top six drivers and the championship. Additionally, the inaugural tire and manufacturer championship will be determined at the final competition of the tenth season of Formula DRIFT.

“It is always exciting to hold an event at a new venue and Texas Motor Speedway provided a great place to showcase drifting. The event outcome sets up a competitive finale, ” stated Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “With only one competition left in the season, the Championship is up for grabs with the top six drivers vying to be crowed champion.”

Formula DRIFT to Hold a Drift Demo at the Circuit of The Americas on September 21 -22 in Conjunction With American Le Mans Series and the World Endurance Championships

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Long Beach, Calif. – September 13, 2013 – Formula DRIFT has been invited to hold a drift demonstration at the Circuit of The Americas in conjunction with American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón (ALMS) and the World Endurance Championships (WEC) on September 21 – 22, 2013.

For the first time drifting will take place at the Circuit of The Americas track in Texas. Formula DRIFT professional drivers will be the first to drift at this new facility, one of the world’s premier racetracks. Tyler McQuarrie, Conrad Grunewald and Michael Essa are all crossover drivers with road racing background, while Justin Pawlak is part of Team Falken Tire that will also be fielding a team in ALMS’s GT Class over the weekend. The drift demonstration will take place during the race weekend for the ALMS and WEC Series.

“We are proud to showcase drifting to the ALMS and WEC fans at Circuit of The Americas and be part of a motorsport filled weekend,” stated Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “It is going to be a fantastic sight seeing the guys drift through turns 12-15 and around the iconic observation tower.”

The Formula DRIFT demonstration will take place on Saturday, September 21, from 2:15 PM – 2:35 PM and again on Sunday, September 22, from 9:30 AM – 9:45 AM.

Formula DRIFT Round 7: Title Fight Tickets On-Sale; Final Event of the 2013 Season at Irwindale Speedway on October 11-12

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Long Beach, Calif. – July 23, 2013 – Tickets for the final event of the tenth season of the Formula DRIFT Championship are on-sale now. Round 7: Title Fight on October 11-12, 2013 will be held at Irwindale Speedway. New all-venue reserved seating introduced.

The 2013 Formula DRIFT season will come to a close on October 11-12, 2013 at Irwindale Speedway. For the past three seasons the event has sold out. Early purchase is highly recommended. Tickets are on-sale now and available on www.formulad.com and through HERE.

A new all reserved seating arrangement for this venue has been implemented. The two reserved ticket options will include reserved main grandstand seating and the new reserved trackside seating. Additionally, skyboxes are available for the public to purchase.

“The finale of our 10th championship season is shaping up to be a very special one,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “The competition is fierce and the championship chase is as close as ever, which means the finale will decide the 2013 champion. We invite fans to purchase their tickets early so they don’t miss out on a history making event, the crowning of a champion and the conclusion of our 10th season.”

Ticketing options include the following:

Main Grandstand Reserved Seating
– $33 Pre-Sale for Saturday Only when purchased online
– $38 Pre-Sale for Two-Day Ticket when purchased online
– Includes assigned / reserved seat located in the main grandstand

Trackside Reserved Seating
– $60 Pre-Sale for Saturday Only when purchased online
– $65 Pre-Sale for Two-Day Ticket when purchased online
– Includes assigned / reserved seat located trackside next to the judging tower

Skybox VIP
– $4,000
– Includes 30 Two-Day passes to the event and access to the skybox, 10 parking passes, FD gifts

The championship chase is as close as its ever been with less than 35 points separating the top five drivers heading into Round 6: Showdown at Texas Motor Speedway on September 13-14, 2013. The championship will again be determined at the finale. The event will additionally feature the Slammed Society car show, vendor midway, open pits to the public and more. This event also marks the end of the first 10 years for the Formula DRIFT Championship.

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com

Round 5: Throwdown at Evergreen Speedway Results; Chris Forsberg Takes the Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – July 21, 2013 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro returned to the Pacific Northwest to a sold out crowd. Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z takes the victory and the championship points lead.

The fans came out in droves for Round 5: Throwdown at Evergreen Speedway and for the second year in a row the event was held in front of a sell-out crowd.

“Each year we look forward to the action and excitement at Evergreen Speedway and this year did not disappoint. The championship chase is heating up with only two events left in the season,” stated Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “The chase is as close as it has ever been and we look forward to returning to Texas for the next round of competition and then the Finals in Irwindale.”

Heading into the event, returning champion Daigo Saito had a commanding points lead, but with an early exit in the Top 32, an opening for the other drivers became present. In the consolation round, Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Nexen Tire Nissan 240SX battled Fredric Aasbo in the Hankook Tire / Scion Racing tC. Wheel and tire problems helped give Aasbo the win and the third place finish. The final battle pitted Michael Essa in the GSR Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 against Chris Forsberg. After a close battle, Forsberg edged out Essa to take the victory and the lead in the 2013 Pro Championship points standings. Essa also moves into second place overall.

“Hats off to my crew for giving me a perfect running car this weekend as they were hustling really hard since Thursday’s practice to get the car dialed in for today,” said Chris Forsberg, winner of Round 5: Throwdown. “It is a testament from last year’s season to this year just how much you can improve with a hard working crew and the support of great sponsors. I’m excited for the win and the lead and can’t wait for the next event.”

With only 2 events remaining the championship is up for grabs with less than 35 points separating the top five drivers from the title. Formula DRIFT continues to Round 6: Showdown at Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas Fort Worth, Texas on September 13-14, 2013.

Newegg Signs on an Official Livestream Sponsor of the Formula DRIFT Championship

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Long Beach, Calif. – July 15, 2013 – Formula DRIFT has announced online retailer Newegg as an official sponsor of its Livestream broadcast. Newegg branding and clickable links to Newegg’s selection of automotive products will be featured on Formula DRIFT’s website, Livestream and newsletter. Newegg will also provide digital content to be seen through the Formula DRIFT channels along with special promotions.

Upcoming Livestream events take place at the Evergreen Speedway on July 19-20, Texas Motor Speedway on September 13-14 and Irwindale Speedway on October 11-12. Formula DRIFT’s Livestreams can be viewed at www.formuladrift.com/live.

“Formula DRIFT fans and Newegg customers have a lot in common which is why we thought this sponsorship was a great fit for both of us,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “We are happy to have Newegg on board for the rest of the season.”

In addition to featuring a comprehensive selection of computers and consumer electronics, Newegg also carries a wide selection of the latest and greatest automotive products for the Formula DRIFT fan. Through the company’s Newegg Marketplace program, professional sellers are able to market their automotive products in a range of categories such as car electronics, performance parts and accessories, replacement parts and exterior/interior accessories to Newegg’s 22 million registered users.

“We’re proud to sponsor Formula DRIFT’s Livestream broadcast and look forward to working together,” said Sophia Tsao, head of Newegg Marketplace. “We hope Formula DRIFT fans will take advantage of Newegg’s great prices and deals on automotive products.”

For more information about Formula DRIFT, visit www.formuladrift.com. To shop Newegg’s selection of automotive products, visit www.newegg.com/auto/promotionstore/ID-19.