Category: Press Releases

Formula DRIFT Announces Black Magic as the Title Sponsor for the Series

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Formula DRIFT Announces Black Magic as the Title Sponsor for the Series

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Long Beach, Calif. – November 10, 2016 – Formula DRIFT has announced an agreement with the Black Magic® car care brand to become the Title Sponsor of the Formula DRIFT Championship, now called the Black Magic® Formula DRIFT Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras.

“This new partnership with Black Magic is not just great for Formula DRIFT, but for all of the hard working participants in the Series,” stated Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “Black Magic will allow us to expand the Series as well as reinvest into strengthening our foundation. We are looking forward to this new era of Formula DRIFT.”

In addition to the entitlement sponsorship news, Formula DRIFT has announced the Black Magic® Championship Cup powered by Gumout®. Drivers will compete throughout the year to win the cup with the top driver taking home the trophy at the end of the season.

“Black Magic is excited about the partnership with Formula DRIFT,” says Rusty Waples, Group Brand Manager of Black Magic / Gumout. “Both brands are powerful with auto enthusiasts and a natural fit with Formula DRIFT. We can’t wait for the 2017 season to kick-off!”

The Black Magic Formula DRIFT Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras will begin in April at Round 1: Streets of Long Beach for the 2017 season.

2017 Black Magic Formula DRIFT Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras
Provisional Schedule*

Round 1: Streets of Long Beach

March 31 – April 1 – Long Beach, CA, USA

Invitational: Super Drift Challenge at the Grand Prix of Long Beach**

April 7 – April 8 – Long Beach, CA, USA

Round 2: Invasion

April 28 – April 29 – Orlando, FL, USA

Round 3: Road to the Championship

May 12 – May 13 – Atlanta, GA, USA

Round 4: The Gauntlet

June 2- June 3 – Wall, NJ, USA

Round 5: True North

July 14 – July 15 – Montreal, Quebec, CANADA

Round 6: Throwdown

August 4- August 5 – Monroe, WA, USA

Round 7: Showdown

September 1- September 2 – Texas, USA (Option 1)

September 8- September 9 – Texas, USA (Option 2)

Round 8: Title Fight

October 6 – October 7 – Irwindale, CA USA (Option 1)

October 13 – October 14 – Irwindale, CA, USA (Option 2)

*Subject to Change

**Non-Championship Points Competition

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

The O’Reilly Auto Parts “Title Fight” sponsored by Gumout at the Formula DRIFT Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras Round 8 Results

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The O’Reilly Auto Parts “Title Fight” sponsored by Gumout at the Formula DRIFT Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras Round 8 Results; Matt Field Takes the Event Victory and Chris Forsberg is Crowned Champion

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Long Beach, Calif. – October 8, 2016 – The O’Reilly Auto Parts “Title Fight” sponsored by Gumout at the Formula DRIFT Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras completed the 2016 Pro Championship season in dramatic fashion with Matt Field in the Gears of War 4 / Falken / Driftcave Motorsports Nissan 240 taking the event victory, while Chris Forsberg, in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Nissan 370Z is crowned both the Pro Champion and World Champion.

Irwindale Speedway, also known as the “House of Drift,” hosted the sold out event. Over 600,000 global viewers tuned in to watch the event unfold via the Livestream.

“This was a signature year for the Series,” said Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “We crowned our first 3-time champion, introduced an eighth event to the Pro Championship, and have a few things up our sleeves already for the 2017 season.”

The season culminated at the largest event of the year and with the championship at stake the drivers put it all on the line. Entering the event, only four drivers were mathematically eligible to take home the championship, 2-time champion, Chris Forsberg, returning champion Fredric Aasbo, 2010 champion, Vaughn Gittin, and Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis. As the event progressed, Gittin, had an early exit in the round of 32, which left Aasbo and Forsberg left to control their own destiny. The Top 16 saw many spoilers and upsets as Forberg crashed in his chase run against Patrick Mordaunt giving a small chance to Aasbo. In Aasbo’s Top 16 battle against Matt Field, Aasbo initiated contact on his chase lap giving the edge to Field, which ultimately cost him the decision to give Forsberg the 2016 Pro Championship. This makes Forsberg the first 3-time Formula DRIFT champion and first champion to win without winning a single round of competition. Forsberg also is awarded the 2016 Formula DRIFT World Championship.

“It’s been an insane year. I want to thank my partners that have given me endless support,” said Chris Forsberg, 2016 Formula DRIFT champion and World Champion. “Even though we didn’t get the win, I always say that consistency pays off and that’s how you win a championship by doing well every single round.”

With the championship determined, the remaining drivers continued to make a statement and end their season on a high note. Ryan Tuerck faced off against Tyler McQuarrie in the Top 16 and edged out his opponent, but at the finish line had mechanical issues, which forced him out of the competition, but by qualifying in second, he secured third place. The final battle pitted number one qualifier, Dai Yoshihara and Matt Field, who won Round 7. Continuing on the momentum from Texas, Field drove hard and consistent, and caught a break as Yoshihara’s power steering went out pushing him into the wall on his chase run which gave him the victory.

The event was highly competitive with many battles often too close to call for the judges leading to several “one more time” calls. In the Great 8, returning champion Fredric Aasbo in the Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire SR by Toyota tC, who entered the event second in points by only five points faced the 2-time champion and point leader, Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Nissan 370Z. This battle was significant for the championship chase. An over correction by Aasbo opened the door for Forsberg to enter the semi-finals.

“We just finished the war here in Irwindale,” said Matt Field, winner of Round 8: Title Fight. “We won and came out on top! With the new Gears of War 4 livery with its release a lot changed since Texas, but winning didn’t.”

Rookie of the year honors goes to Alex Heilbrunn in the RTS Monster BMW M3, while SR by Toyota takes the Manufacturer Championship, and Falken Tire comes from behind to win the Tire Championship.

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

Round 8: Title Fight Event Results
1. Field, Matt Gears of War 4 / Falken Tire / Driftcave Motorsports Nissan 240 Winner
2. Yoshihara, Dai Falken Tire / Turn 14 Subaru BRZ 2nd Place
3. Tuerck, Ryan Gumout / Nameless Performance / Hankook SR by Toyota FRS 3rd Place
4. Mordaunt, Patrick Drift Paddock Nissan 350Z 4th Place
5. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab / Hankook Tire Nissan 240 5th Place
6. Pawlak, Justin Roush Performance Ford Mustang 6th Place
7. McQuarrie, Tyler Mobil 1 Chevy Camaro 7th Place
8. Rintanen, Juha PP Design and Art Nissan 240 8th Place
9. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 9th Place
10. Ng, Charles Sogun Motorsports / Achilles Nissan 240 10th Place
11. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire SR by Toyota tC 11th Place
12. Heilbrunn, Alex RTS Monster BMW M3 12th Place
13. Bakchis, Aurimas Ark Performance / Feal Suspension / Falken Hyundai Genesis 13th Place
14. Stoneback, Geoff CFR / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 14th Place
15. Whiddett, Mike Red Bull / Nitto Tire Mazda MX5 15th Place
16. Bluss, Kristaps HGK / Mast / Motul / Achilles Tire BMW M3 16th Place

2016 Formula DRIFT Championship Presented by BlackVue Final Standings

1. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 539.00 Points
2. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire SR by Toyota tC 502.00 Points
3. Gittin, Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 462.00 Points

2016 Manufacturer Championship Final Standings

1. SR by Toyota 933.00 Points
2. Nissan 748.00 Points
3. Ford 710.00 Points
4. BMW 461.00 Points
5. Mazda 366.00 Points
6. Chevrolet 310.00 Points
7. Infiniti 262.00 Points
8. Dodge 239.00 Points
9. Lexus 158.00 Points

2016 Tire Championship Final Standings

1. Falken 1096.00 Points
2. Nexen 969.00 Points
3. Hankook 940.00 Points
4. Nitto 752.00 Points
5. Achilles 706.00 Points
7. GT Radial 374.00 Points

2016 World Championship Final Standings

1. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 573.00 Points
2. Field, Matt Gears of War 4 / Falken Tire / Driftcave Motorsports Nissan 240 469.00 Points
3. Whiddett, Mike Red Bull / Nitto Tire Mazda MX5 349.00 Points

Formula DRIFT Round 7: Showdown Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 7: Showdown Results;

Matt Field Earns His First Career Victory
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Long Beach, Calif. – September 10, 2016 – Formula DRIFT presented by BlackVue returned to Texas for Round 7: Autozone Showdown presented by Black Magic.  Matt Field in the Falken Tire / Driftcave Motorsports Nissan 240 takes his first ever victory.

Texas Motor Speedway played host for the action packed event. With only one event until the final event of the season the drivers put it all on the line in their chase for the championship.  Heading into the event only 15 points separated the Top 3 drivers.

“The competition tonight showcased the diversity and talent of the driver pool,” said Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT.  “We had a mix of past champions and young guns drive their hearts out at a very high level on a challenging and competitive course.”

The event was highly competitive with many battles often too close to call for the judges leading to several “one more time” calls.  In the Great 8, returning champion Fredric Aasbo in the Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire SR by Toyota tC, who entered the event second in points by only five points faced the 2-time champion and point leader, Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Nissan 370Z.  This battle was significant for the championship chase.  An over correction by Aasbo opened the door for Forsberg to enter the semi-finals.

Forsberg met the young gun, Alec Hohnadell in the Enjuku / Get Nuts Lab / Nexen Tire Nissan 240, in the semi-finals.  Hohnadell had car issues throughout the competition, which got the best of him helping to advance Forsberg into the Finals.  Matt Field faced Kristaps Bluss in the HGK / Mast / Motul / Achilles BMW M3.  A major mistake by Bluss on his chase run took him off course to give Field the win.  Forsberg and Field met in the Finals.  Forsberg drove aggressive, but that lead to him running into Field and that ultimately gave Field his first Formula DRIFT victory.  This marks Forsberg’s sixth consecutive podium and he now leads the chase for the championship by 36 points with one event remaining.

“I knew we could do it, it took a little while, but we are there,” said Matt Field, winner of Round 7: Showdown.  “We did it. We got the “W.”  Thank you to everybody.”

The 2016 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship will continue to Round 8: O’Reilly Auto Parts Title Fight sponsored by Gumout on October 7-8, 2016 at Irwindale Speedway.  For more information visit,www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaD, and Snapchat – formula_drift.  Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Round 7: Showdown Event Results

 
1. Field, Matt Falken Tire / Driftcave Motorsports Nissan 240 Winner
2. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 2nd Place
3. Hohnadell, Alec Enjuku / Get Nuts Lab / Nexen Tire Nissan 240 3rd Place
4. Bluss, Kristaps HGK / Mast / Motul / Achilles Tire BMW M3 4th Place
5. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire SR by Toyota tC 5th Place
6. Bakchis, Aurimas Ark Performance / Feal Suspension / Falken Hyundai Genesis 6th Place
7. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab / Hankook Tire Nissan 240 7th Place
8. Whiddett, Mike Red Bull / Nitto Tire Mazda MX5 8th Place
9. Gittin, Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 9th Place
10. Tuerck, Ryan Gumout / Nameless Performance / Hankook SR by Toyota FRS 10th Place
11. Gushi, Ken GReddy Racing / Nexen Tire SR by Toyota 86 11th Place
12. McQuarrie, Tyler Mobil 1 Chevy Camaro 12th Place
13. Yoshihara, Dai Falken Tire / Turn 14 Subaru BRZ 13th Place
14. Pawlak, Justin Roush Performance Ford Mustang 14th Place
15. Stoneback, Geoff CFR / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 15th Place
16. Essa, Michael Loudmouth Exhaust / Achilles Tire BMW M3 16th Place
 

2016 Formula DRIFT Championship Presented by BlackVue Standings After 7 Events
1. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 503.00 Points
2. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire SR by Toyota tC 467.00 Points
3. Gittin, Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 443.00 Points
 

2016 Manufacturer Championship Standings After 7 Events
1. SR by Toyota 828.00 Points
2. Nissan 677.00 Points
3. Ford 639.00 Points
4. BMW 441.00 Points
5. Mazda 314.00 Points
6. Chevrolet 258.00 Points
7. Dodge 221.00 Points
8. Infiniti

9. Lexus

 209.00 Points

140.00 Points
 

2016 Tire Championship Standings After 7 Events
1. Nexen 915.00 Points
2. Falken 905.00 Points
3. Hankook 817.00 Points
4. Nitto 683.00 Points
5. Achilles 621.00 Points
7. GT Radial 356.00 Points

Formula DRIFT PRO2 Round 3 at Texas Motor Speedway Results

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Formula DRIFT PRO2 Round 3 at Texas Motor Speedway Results;

Marc Landreville Takes the Win and a Commanding Lead in the Standings

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Long Beach, Calif. – September 9, 2016 – Formula DRIFT PRO2 presented by BlackVue entered Dallas, Texas for Round 3 at Texas Motor Speedway. Marc Landreville in the Perry Performance Nissan 240 took his second consecutive PRO2 victory to increase his lead for the PRO2 championship with only one event remaining this season.

Texas Motor Speedway hosted Round 3 of the PRO2 Championship. The action packed evening saw Dirk Stratton in the Lingenfelter Performance Corvette C6 face Trenton Beechum in the Falken Tire / JoyHollywood Ford Mustang in the semi-finals. Stratton spun on the first run and made a few more errors in the second run helping to send Beechum into the Finals. Landreville met Andrew Lewis on the other side of the bracket and outdrove his opponent to move into his second consecutive Finals. In the Finals, Beechum lacked consistency in his driving, which helped Landreville take the victory and ultimately the points lead.

“This was a great battle. Last weekend we had issues with the car and this weekend it ran perfect,” said Marc Landreville, winner of PRO2 Round 3. “My team did a great job and we took the win. I was leading only by a couple points and now have a good lead going into the final round so there’s less pressure and we can have fun and just do what I need to do on the track.”

The 2016 Formula DRIFT PRO2 Championship will continue to Round 4 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix, AZ on September 30 – October 1, 2016. For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaD, and Snapchat – formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

PRO 2 Round 3 Event Results

1. Landreville, Marc

Perry Performance Nissan 240

Winner

2. Beechum, Trenton

Falken Tire / JoyHollywood Ford Mustang

2nd Place

3. Lewis, Andrew

Andrew Lewis Racing Nissan 240

3rd Place

4. Stratton, Dirk

Lingenfelter Performance Chevy Corvette C6

4th Place

5. Hull, Taylor

Aloha Green Tea Hawaii Asphalt Anarchy Nissan 240

5th Place

6. Jones, Jeff

DOC Racing Nissan 240

6th Place

7. Meeks, Austin

Committed Service Brands / Meeks Drift Nissan 240

7th Place

8. Waters, Randall

8th Place

9. Hamilton, Nate

Enjuku Racing / Fortune Auto Built Nissan 240

9th Place

10. Litteral, Ryan

Ryan Litteral Racing Nissan 240

10th Place

11. Brockway, Donovan

Red Baron Racing BMW E30

11th Place

12. Lawrence, Kevin

Enjuku Racing Nissan 240

12th Place

13. McGuire, Josh

Enjuku Racing / Fortune Auto Built Nissan 240

13th Place

14. Madrigali, Matt

Matt Madrigali Racing Nissan 240

14th Place

15. Nian, Sheng Ng

Powervehicles Toyota Chaser

15th Place

16. Rowlings, Kelsey

Kaizen Performance / Ford Performance Parts Nissan 240

16th Place

2016 Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Championship Standings After 3 Events

1. Landreville, Marc

Perry Performance Nissan 240

296.00 Points

2. Jones, Jeff

DOC Racing Nissan 240

230.00 Points

3. Lewis, Andrew

Andrew Lewis Racing Nissan 240

170.00 Points

Formula DRIFT Japan Round 3 / World Championship Round 8 Results

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Formula DRIFT Japan Round 3 / World Championship Round 8 Results;

Andrew Gray Takes the Victory and Chris Forsberg Moves to the Top of the World Championship Standings

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Long Beach, Calif. – August 23, 2016 – Formula DRIFT Japan presented by G-Shock returned to the Okayama International Circuit for Round 3 of the Formula DRIFT Japan Championship / Round 8 of the World Championship. Andrew Gray battled to victory to solidify his defense of his 2015 Formula DRIFT Japan title. Chris Forsberg moves atop the World Championship Standings.

The famed Okayama International Circuit, home to previous Formula One events, hosted the event round. Andrew Gray took the victory through consistent driving at the historic track.

“The whole weekend I focused on being consistent and to take each battle as it came,” said Andrew Gray, winner of Formula DRIFT Japan Round 3. “I never play it safe, but the team helped me out to get the win in the end.”

The highly competitive event saw a new driver enter the field. 2-time Formula DRIFT champion, Chris Forsberg, set his sights on securing a Formula DRIFT World Championship. After a One More Time battle with second place finisher Kazuki Hayashi, Forsberg failed to reach the podium, but secured a healthy lead in the overall chase for the World Championship.

“I’m really happy with where I finished this weekend. It was a grueling event where I had to deal with lots of travel as well as trying to figure out how to drive at a high level on the other side of the car, but with my Top 16 finish, I have put my campaign for the World Championship in a good position,” said Chris Forsberg.

The 2016 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship will continue to Round 7: Showdown on September 9-10, 2016 at Texas Motor Speedway. For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaD, and Snapchat – formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Formula DRIFT Japan Round 3 / Formula DRIFT World Championship Round 8 Event Results

1. Gray, Andrew Team Kazama with Powervehicles Toyota JZX100 Chaser Winner
2. Hayashi, Kazuya T-Select HID Shingen w/DMAX Nissan Silvia
2nd Place
3. Kasahara, Masaki Team Masaki Nissan S15 Silvia 3rd Place

2016 Formula DRIFT World Championship Standings

1. Forsberg, Chris
NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z
453.00 Points
2. Whiddett, Mike Redbull / Nitto Tire / TCP Magic RX7
264.00 Points
3. Field, Matt Falken Tire / Driftcave Motorsports Nissan 240
258.00 Points