Formula DRIFT, Irish Drift Championship, and British Drift Championship Form Strategic Alliance

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Formula DRIFT, Irish Drift Championship, and British Drift Championship Form Strategic Alliance

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Long Beach, Calif. – August 8, 2017 – Formula DRIFT has aligned with the Irish Drift Championship (IDC) and British Drift Championship (BDC) to form a strategic alliance to develop the future rules and regulations for drifting.

“Drifting, by it’s very nature, has always been geographically segregated and this, in my opinion, naturally restricts global progression,” stated David Egan, CEO, Zigen Promotions – Irish & British Drift Championship.  “Those in a position of influence generally work independently, without the additional knowledge gained by fellow organizations. I believe this strategic partnership with Formula Drift opens a positive channel to which we can combine resources and experience, with the betterment of the sport being the prime objective.  I think the correct time has come to work together for what has always been a common goal: making the sport of professional drifting as successful as possible for all involved.”

The two of the most reputable and longest running drifting organizers have come together to forge a closer relationship to work hand in hand in an effort to improve the sport.  As part of the new relationship, IDC and BDC champions will receive Black Magic Formula DRIFT Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras Pro licenses, while the #2 to #8 ranked drivers from IDC and BDC will receive a Formula DRIFT Pro2 Championship license beginning in the 2018.

“We have had long time ties to Europe via various European drivers that have come into the Series,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT.  “There is no better time to deepen these ties to ensure the future of our sport.”

“Professional drifting has witnessed a dramatic increase in global popularity and professionalism within recent years and I feel that much of this success can be credited to the ambitious and methodical approach of the Formula Drift championship,” stated David Egan, CEO, Zigen Promotions – Irish & British Drift Championship.  “While we at the Irish and British Drift Championships have certainly forged our own paths and enjoyed numerous successes, we have looked to Formula Drift (as a world leader) for inspiration from afar.”

For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaDrift, and Snapchat – formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Round 3 Seattle Results

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Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Round 3 Seattle Results;

Hometown Hero Matt Vankirk Takes the Win

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Long Beach, Calif. – August 4, 2017 – The Formula DRIFT PRO 2 season continued to Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington. Local driver Matt Vankirk takes the win and moves to second place in the PRO 2 standings with one event remaining in the season.

PRO 2 returned to Evergreen Speedway for the third event of four for the season. The young drivers took center stage for the Northwest fans.

“This was one of the most exciting and competitive PRO 2 events,” said Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “The drivers pushed the limits and gave the fans a great show.”

The semi-finals pitted Matt Vankirk in the Fortune Auto / Achilles Nissan 240 with number one qualifier, Dirk Stratton in the Lingenfelter Performance / Achilles Corvette. Vankirk outdrove his opponent to move into the Finals. On the other side of the bracket Josh Robinson faced Dylan Hughes in the DHR Dirtfish Nissan 240. Robinson had a few errors that gave Hughes the win. The finals was a tight battle and after a One More Time, Vankirk was able to edge out his opponent to get his first victory of the season and move within 20 points from the current leader, Travis Reeder.

“It was a tough fight here. The team worked hard, ” said Matt Vankirk, winner of PRO 2: Seattle. “And we came out with the win. Hats off to my team and all my sponsors.”

Formula DRIFT continues to Round 7: Showdown at Texas Motor Speedway on September 8-9, 2017. For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaDrift, and Snapchat – formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Formula DRIFT PRO 2: Seattle Results

1. Vankirk, Matt

Winner

2. Hughes, Dylan

2nd Place

3. Stratton, Dirk

3rd Place

4. Robinson, Josh

4th Place

5. Lawrence, Kevin

5th Place

6. Reeder, Travis

6th Place

7. Schmidt, Brandon

7th Place

8. Brockway, Donovan

8th Place

9. Jaeger, Ola

9th Place

10. Filippi, Chris

10th Place

11. Goble, Brody

11th Place

12. George, Danny

12th Place

13. Meeks, Austin

13th Place

14. Szilveszter, Gyorgy

14th Place

15. Beechum, Trenton

15th Place

16. Waters, Randall

16th Place

2017 Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Championship Standings After 3 Events

1. Reeder, Travis

Nissan 240

228.00 Points

2. Vankirk, Matt

Fortune Auto / Achilles Nissan 240

208.00 Points

3. Stratton, Dirk

Lingenfelter Performance / Achilles Corvette

154.00 Points

Formula DRIFT Round 8: Title Fight Tickets On-Sale

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Formula DRIFT Round 8: Title Fight Tickets On-Sale;
2017 Pro Championship Finals at Irwindale Speedway;

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Long Beach, Calif. – August 2, 2017 – The Black Magic Formula DRIFT Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras will conclude the 2017 Pro Championship season on October 13-14 at Irwindale Speedway. Tickets are now on-sale and can be purchased online via the Formula DRIFT website, www.formulad.com/schedule.

The final event of the season never fails to disappoint with drivers putting it all on the line for their chance to complete their season on top of the podium on a high-note. The high-energy and exciting competition at Irwindale Speedway is one of the largest drifting events in the world and will feature world-class drivers, fan midway featuring over 60 companies on display, the AutoCon car show, and the crowning of a champion.

“Formula DRIFT has always showcased the best drifters from around the world and the level of international talent within the Series is at an all-time high,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “The chase for the championship will come down to the wire with previous champion, Fredric Aasbo, from Norway battling against Irishman James Deane with Latvian driver, Kristaps Bluss and former champion, Michael Essa on their heels.”

Tickets are now available for Round 8: Title Fight, including reserved seating, 2-day ticket packages, and VIP tickets and can be purchased through www.formulad.com. Ticket prices start at $40 online with all seats reserved for Saturday’s competition day. VIP experiences are also available for purchase including reserved seating, front of the line autograph pass, and VIP track walk.

For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaDrift, and Snapchat – formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes and on the Formula DRIFT Livestream.

Formula DRIFT Round 5: True North Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 5: True North Results;

Fredric Aasbo Takes the Victory and the Most Wins in the History of the Series

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Long Beach, Calif. – July 15, 2017 – Formula DRIFT Black Magic Pro Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras returned to Autodrome St-Eustache in Canada. Fredric Aasbo in the Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla iM took the victory for his tenth event win – the most in Formula DRIFT history.

In one of the most action packed and chaotic rounds of competition, Round 5: True North brought the top drifting talent in the world into Canada to a capacity crowd. The Livestream drew over 1 millionviews over the course of the weekend.

“What an event! In what I can only describe as a historic and carnage filled, the event showcased true sportsmanship amongst the drivers and crew members often seeing them help each other in the pits,” said Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “Congratulations to Fredric Aasbo for overtaking Samuel Hubinette to become the driver to hold the most event victories in the history of our Series. Today it was also about the crew members, many who are unsung heroes of the sport, as we saw how hard-working and talented these guys are.

In the Top 4, number one qualifier and current points leader, James Deane in the Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 faced off against Fredric Aasbo. In the second battle, Deane had an error on the latter part of the course to give Aasbo the edge and win. On the other side of the Top 4 bracket, Kristaps Bluss in the HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46 had a bye run to advance into the Finals. His opponent Vaughn Gittin in the Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR had a mechanical failure during his Great 8 bye run forcing him out of the competition. The Finals saw its share of mechanical issues as Bluss while in the lead on the 1st run, straightened out and decreased speed forcing Aasbo to adjust and make slight contact. With the advantage in the second battle, Aasbo in the lead was then forced off the course as Bluss made door-to-door contact, which the judges deemed him at fault, giving Aasbo the event win. This marks Aasbo’s second consecutive win in Canada as he won in 2016, moving him into second place in the standings. Bluss moves up to third place in the standings, while Deane retains his lead with only two events remaining in the season.

“What a crazy weekend! I love this place and the fans here and we had some luck here in the past,” said Fredric Aasbo, winner of Round 5: True North. “My highlight of the day was battling James Deane, who I haven’t battled since 2012. That battle took everything out of me. Now with Kristaps in the Finals he blew his transmission in his lead run. We took the win and now we are the first team to get to 10 wins. This one is for the team, Papadakis Racing for believing in me.”

The action continues to Round 6: Throwdown at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA on August 4-5. For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaDrift, and Snapchat – formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Round 5: True North Results

1. Aasbo, Fredric

Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla iM

Winner

2. Bluss, Kristaps

HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46

2nd Place

3. Deane, James

Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240

3rd Place

4. Gittin, Vaughn

Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR

4th Place

5. Field, Matt

Falken Tire / Vapetasia / ARK Nissan 240

5th Place

6. Gushi, Ken

GReddy Racing Nexen Tire Toyota Racing 86

6th Place

7. Landreville, Marc

Marc Landreville Racing Nissan 240

7th Place

8. Nishida, Robbie

Jerry Yang Racing Nissan GT-R

8th Place

9. Pawlak, Justin

Roush Performance Ford Mustang

9th Place

10. Denofa, Chelsea

BC Racing / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR

10th Place

11. Tuerck, Ryan

Gumout / Nameless Performance / Hankook Toyota 86

11th Place

12. Wiecek, Piotr

Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240

12th Place

13. Kearney, Dean

Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper

13th Place

14. Hamilton, Nate

Team Enjuku / BC Racing / Hankook Tire Nissan 240

14th Place

15. Coffman, Matt

Nexen Tire / Coffman Racing Nissan 240

15th Place

16. Yoshihara, Dai

Falken Tire / Turn 14 Distribution Subaru BRZ

16th Place

2017 Formula DRIFT Black Magic Championship Presented by BlackVue Standings After 5 Events

1. Deane, James

Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240

368.00 Points

2. Aasbo, Fredric

Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla iM

334.00 Points

3. Bluss, Kristaps

HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46

293.00 Points

2017 Manufacturer Championship Standings After 5 Events

1. Toyota

596.00 Points

2. Ford

429.00 Points

3. BMW

259.00 Points

4. Dodge

239.00 Points

5. Nissan

173.00 Points

6. Infiniti

120.00 Points

2017 Tire Championship Standings After 5 Events

1. Falken

713.00 Points

2. Achilles

663.00 Points

3. Nexen

638.00 Points

4. Nitto

475.00 Points

5. Hankook

469.00 Points

Formula DRIFT Round 4: The Gauntlet Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 4: The Gauntlet Results;
Aurimas Bakchis Fights His Way to Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – June 3, 2017 – Formula DRIFT Black Magic Pro Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras returned to Wall Speedway in New Jersey for the fourth event of the season. Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Falken Tire / Drifz Wheels Nissan 240 battled his way to victory.

“As we hit the half way point of the season, there’s still plenty of action left,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “These are the best drifters from around the world and the championship is still up for grabs.”

The Advance Auto Parts Round 4: The Gauntlet showcased tough competition throughout the event weekend. Over 1 million viewers tuned into the Livestream to watch the exciting action.

The Final 4 pitted Michael Essa in the Achilles Tire / Essa Autosport BMW M3 against Kristaps Bluss in the HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46 on one side of the bracket. The battle of the BMWs went to the 2013 champion, Essa as he took advantage of a mistake by his opponent. Bakchis was set to face off against Matt Coffman in the Nexen Tire / Coffman Racing Nissan 240, but after failing to repair his vehicle within the allotted 5 minutes, Coffman had to bow out giving Bakchis the win. In the final battle, Essa faced off against Bakchis, with the first run being a very competitive outing. The second battle ended in dramatic fashion as Essa’s tire debeaded coming off the bank and Bakchis’ motor gave out just as he crossed the finish line. Bluss rounded out the podium in third place for the second consecutive event.

“I feel amazing. It was a very hard battle for us the whole weekend,” said Aurimas “Odi” Bakchi, winner of the Advance Auto Parts Round 4: The Gauntlet. “We had lots of challenges, but my crew pulled it together and allowed me to drive like an animal and kept my car somewhat together just enough as it literally blew up right at the finish line. The timing couldn’t have been better and I couldn’t be happier.”

The action continues to Round 5: True North at Autodrome St-Eustache in Montreal, Canada on July 15-16. For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaDrift, and Snapchat – formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Advance Auto Parts Round 4: The Gauntlet Event Results

1. Bakchis, Aurimas Falken Tire / Drifz Wheels Nissan 240 Winner
2. Essa, Michael Achilles Tire / Essa Autosport BMW M3 2nd Place
3. Bluss, Kristaps
HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46 3rd Place
4. Coffman, Matt Nexen Tire / Coffman Racing Nissan 240 4th Place
5. Deane, James Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan Silvia 5th Place
6. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla iM 6th Place
7. Yoshihara, Dai Falken Tire / Turn 14 Distribution Subaru BRZ 7th Place
8. Jones, Jeff DOC Racing Nissan 240 8th Place
9. Denofa, Chelsea BC Racing / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 9th Place
10. Tuerck, Ryan Gumout / Nameless Performance / Hankook Toyota 86Falken 10th Place
11. Pawlak, Justin Roush Performance Ford Mustang 11th Place
12. Gittin, Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR
12th Place
13. Rintanen, Juha STR Racing Wheels / Nexen Tire Nissan Silvia 13th Place
14. Heilbrunn, Alex IMR / Nitto Tire BMW M3
14th Place
15. Hamilton, Nate Team Enjuku / BC Racing / Hankook Tire Nissan 240 15th Place
16. Nishida, Robbie Jerry Yang Racing Nissan GT-R 16th Place

2017 Formula DRIFT Black Magic Championship Presented by BlackVue Standings After 4 Events

1. Deane, James Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 297.00 Points
2. Essa, Michael Achilles Tire / Essa Autosport BMW M3 241.00 Points
3. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla iM 230.00 Points

2017 Manufacturer Championship Standings After 4 Events

1. Toyota 441.00 Points
2. Ford 326.00 Points
3. BMW 241.00 Points
4. Dodge 204.00 Points
5. Nissan 155.00 Points
6. Mazda 86.00 Points

2017 Tire Championship Standings After 3 Events

1. Falken 590.00 Points
2. Achilles 526.00 Points
3. Nexen 483.00 Points
4. Hankook 398.00 Points
5. Nitto 373.00 Points