Category: Press Releases

X-mini™ Increases Support of Formula DRIFT in 2012

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Long Beach, Calif. – March 20, 2012 – Formula DRIFT has announced the continued support from X-mini that will include the introduction of the “X-mini Rookie Challenge.”

The X-mini™ Capsule Speaker™ is the leader in pocket-sized portable speakers hailing from Singapore and currently sold in 80 countries around the world.

Ryan Lee, CEO of Xmi Pte Ltd, the company behind the X-mini™ Capsule Speakers™, said, “X-mini™ is proud to be a partner of Formula DRIFT and we are thrilled to offer support to the growing talent pool competing in the Formula DRIFT circuit.”

X-mini™ will continue as an associate sponsor of the Series through the 2012 Pro Championship Season and will introduce the new “X-mini™ Rookie Challenge.” Any Formula DRIFT rookie driver placing two X-mini™ Rookie Challenge decals for the season will be eligible for the bonus prize. For every Formula DRIFT X-mini™ Capsule Speaker™ sold via Formula DRIFT, five dollars will be placed in a pot. X-mini™ will match the Formula DRIFT pot dollar for dollar. The eligible rookie with the most championship points will win the entire earnings at the end of the season. Additionally, the Driftstream will provide updates on the X-mini™ Rookie Challenge standings throughout the live event.

“We are excited to continue our relationship with X-mini™ and also to have them support the young guns of drifting,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “This will be a great incentive for the 2012 rookies to compete for.”

Later this season Formula DRIFT and X-mini™ will release a limited edition branded speaker. The speaker will feature Formula DRIFT logo and traditional red and black colorway.

For more information visit: www.formulad.com
www.X-mini.com

Samuel Hübinette Announces Change of Focus for 2012 Formula DRIFT Season

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Long Beach, Calif. – March 15, 2012 – The 2-time Formula DRIFT champion, Samuel Hübinette has announced today that he will not be returning for the full 2012 Formula DRIFT pro championship season.

After 8 seasons with the Series, Hübinette will not be competing in the full Formula DRIFT schedule due to sponsors’ changing interest. Team Samuel Hübinette Racing will continue to participate in Formula DRIFT international demos and is still working on participating in some Pro Championship events. Hübinette will concentrate on other racing opportunities for 2012.

“Two of our main sponsors changed their marketing direction, so we decided that the best thing to do with the Dodge Challenger SHR drift car is to focus on doing demos. For competition, we’re pursuing opportunities in rallycross and off-road truck. We hope to run a round or two of the Formula DRIFT competitions for 2012, but won’t know for sure until things settle down,” said Samuel Hübinette, professional driver and team owner of SHR. “It has been such a good time to be part of the Formula DRIFT Series from day one and to be the inaugural Series champion means a lot to me. Drifting and Formula DRIFT has given me many opportunities in my career including stunt driving in movies and car commercials. “

In 2011, Hübinette drove in both Formula DRIFT and the Traxxas TORC Series ending up with a few conflicts that resulted in missing a couple rounds in Formula DRIFT. The highlight of the season was gaining a first qualifier spot in the Samuel Hübinette Racing Dodge Challenger at the —– round. With 2 championships and 9 event victories, Hübinette maintains the record for most Formula DRIFT victories.

“We will miss having a competitor like Samuel this season,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “We know that when the funding and sponsorship re-align, Samuel will be able to return to the Series and continue to be a competitive driver.”

NOS Energy Drink to Continue as “Official Energy Drink of Formula DRIFT”

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Long Beach, Calif. – March 2, 2012 – Formula DRIFT has announced that they will continue their partnership with NOS® Energy Drink as the Official Energy Drink of Formula DRIFT for the 2012 Pro Championship Series.

“Formula D embodies exactly what NOS stands for –high performance energy, unwavering mental focus, and aggressive determination,” said Eric Helms, Director of Marketing for NOS Energy Drink. “Through our partnership the past two years, both NOS and Formula D have continued to fortify motorsports credibility and attract new fans. We’re excited for more of the same in 2012.”

This will be the third consecutive year that NOS will be an official sponsor of the Series. NOS will continue to support former Formula DRIFT champion Chris Forsberg into the 2012 season.

“We are excited to have NOS back on board again this yea, “said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “Over the last 2 seasons the NOS team has been a great sponsor but also proactive promotional partner. Their presence at each event adds to the festivities for the fans and their promotional support is one of the factors to our continuous spectator growth. Everyone at Formula DRIFT is looking forward to working with the NOS team again this season.”

Nitto Tires Continues Support of Formula DRIFT for Seventh Consecutive Season

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February 23, 2012

Long Beach, Calif. – February 23, 2012 – Formula DRIFT is proud to re-sign Nitto Tires as a Major Sponsor for the 2012 Pro Championship Series.

Nitto Tire will be on-site at each event as a sponsor of the Series as well as competing with their drift team. The Nitto team will compete on the NT05 tire.

“Nitto Tire is proud to continue its support for Formula DRIFT for the seventh season,” said Harry Kong, Marketing and Events Specialist for Nitto Tire. “This motorsport combines competiveness with excitement for both automotive enthusiasts and the general public. For 2012, Nitto will continue to use the Nitto NT05 as the tire of choice for the drift due to its predictability and durability under drifting environments. As a major sponsor, Nitto Tire will be integrated into 14 episodes of the Formula DRIFT TV broadcast on NBC Sports as well as a contributor to Formula DRIFT’s successful live-stream coverage. As the popularity of this motorsport grows, our fan base grows with it. Currently with over 1.2 million fans on the Nitto Tire Facebook page, we have a large outreach to help bring the excitement of drifting to our fans.”

For 2012, Nitto will be sponsoring Joon Maeng with the Nitto Tire / Mazda RX-8, Matt Powers with Need for Speed / Nitto Tire S14, Michael Essa with the GSR Autosport / Nitto Tire Z4, and lastly a new addition to the Nitto Tire team, Toshiki Yoshioka with the RS-R / Nitto Tire S15.

Formula DRIFT Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Tickets On-Sale

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Formula DRIFT Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Tickets On-Sale;
Ninth Season of Competition Begins on April 6-7, 2012

Long Beach, Calif. – February 15, 2012 – Formula DRIFT prepares to begin the ninth professional championship season. Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 6-7 tickets are now on-sale and can be purchased online via the Formula DRIFT website, www.formuladrift.com.

“We are especially excited to kick-off another season in Long Beach,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “This will be our fifth consecutive year utilizing the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Street Course, which is the only street course in the Championship. With new drivers, new competition vehicles and non-stop drifting action we are expecting another sell-out crowd.”

Round 1: Streets of Long Beach will feature the championship defense for Daijiro Yoshihara, the debut of the Scion Racing FR-S driven by Ken Gushi, and the introduction of a new judge to the Series. New drivers and vehicles will make their debut at this season opener including 2011 Formula Drift Asia Champion Daigo Saito leading the international charge of drivers from 14 nations.

Tickets are now available for Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 6-7, including reserved seating, 2-day ticket packages, and VIP tickets. Tickets can be purchased through http://formulad.com/schedule/tickets/, Ticketmaster outlets, and the Long Beach Convention Center box office. Ticket prices start at $28 online with reserved tickets available for Saturday’s competition day. 2-day packages are also available along with VIP ticket packages. Save on additional fees by purchasing your ticket at the Long Beach Convention Center box office directly.