Category: Press Releases

Nexen Tire Announces Partnerships with Formula Drift and Scion Racing by Toyota

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Nexen Tire Announces Partnerships with Formula Drift and Scion Racing by Toyota

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Diamond Bar, CA, Mar. 17, 2016 – Nexen Tire America has announced an official two-year partnership with Formula Drift as a Major Sponsor for the 2016 and 2017 race seasons. The sponsorship will include signage on Formula Drift live stream, on track signage, and video commercials both onsite and on CBS Sports coverage.

Nexen Tire has also reached agreement with Scion Racing by Toyota and will be represented by its top two drivers. Driving for Nexen will be 2015 Formula Drift Champion Fredric Aasbo with Rockstar Energy Papadakis Racing and driving the Scion Racing by Toyota tC. Also representing Nexen is 2015 Formula Drift runner-up Ken Gushi with Greddy Performance and driving the Scion Racing by Toyota 86.

Additionally, Nexen has signed two-time Formula Drift Champion Tanner Foust with Rockstar Energy. Foust will be competing in a VW Passat R.

“We are making a long-term investment in motorsports to help increase our brand awareness and image,” said James Kwon, Nexen Tire America CEO. “Formula Drift is a great avenue for us to showcase our Ultra High Performance line of products while creating engagement with our fans and consumers.”

President and Co-Founder of Formula DRIFT Jim Liaw comments on the partnership with Nexen. “We are excited to have Nexen Tire return as a major partner in Formula DRIFT. Nexen has made great advancements globally since the last time they were in the Series and this is reflected by their commitment to the 2016 and 2017 championship season, and with the signing of some of the best Formula DRIFT drivers and teams. We are looking forward to this partnership for the coming years.”

The Formula Drift investment is just a piece of Nexen’s new push into the motorsports arena. The company has launched a new Extreme Ultra High Performance tire which it will use for competition. The N’fera SUR4 is a UTQG 200 tire designed for Formula Drift, SCCA and Time Trials is available immediately in 20 sizes. The SUR4 has optimal grip performance and response with minimal performance drop under extreme conditions.

To manage its latest push into motorsports, Nexen has hired Paul Jho as Senior Motorsports Manager to lead the Formula Drift team and the roll out of the N’fera SUR4 to the market. “We are looking forward to a very competitive season with Frederic Aasbo, Ken Gushi and Tanner Foust as our new ambassadors in Formula Drift,” said Jho. “There is no better way to showcase our cutting-edge technology and performance of the new N’Fera SUR4 tires than to witness our drivers place podium after podium this coming season.”

Formula DRIFT Extends Partnership With Road Atlanta into 2018

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For Immediate Release

March 1, 2016

Formula DRIFT Extends Partnership With Road Atlanta into 2018

Long Beach, Calif. – March 1, 2016 – Formula DRIFT presented by BlackVue has renewed their partnership with Road Atlanta for three years extending into 2018. The inaugural Formula DRIFT event was held at Road Atlanta in 2004 and will now be one of the longest relationships for the Series.

“Road Atlanta will always be a historic and sentimental venue for the Series,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “Since the beginning Road Atlanta has believed in this then unknown sport of drifting and here we are thirteen years later. The venue dedicated resources to build the now famous Turn 10 “horseshoe” that fans and drivers have come to love for exciting door-to-door action.”

Formula DRIFT held the first event in Road Atlanta back in 2004 and 2016 will mark the 13th consecutive season for the Series and the venue. The event has become a staple for the sport of drifting with a dynamic course layout and competitive driving, the fan base in the South East have grown to be one of the largest in the nation.

“In 2004, the first-ever Formula DRIFT event was held at Road Atlanta,” said Geoff Lee, president and general manager of the legendary racetrack in North Georgia. “Since then, Drift Atlanta has grown into one of the hottest motorsports destinations in the world. We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with Formula DRIFT and announce that the series will be returning to Road Atlanta, where it all began, for at least three more years. This means that for the foreseeable future, Formula D fans can expect to see the same big names and wheel-to-wheel drifting action at Road Atlanta that they’ve come to love.”

Formula DRIFT returns to Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA on May 6-7, 2016 for Round 2, Road to the Championship at Drift Atlanta. Tickets are available now on www.formulad.com starting at $34.90 online for a one-day Friday ticket.

The 2016 Formula DRIFT Championship begins on April 9-10 in Long Beach, CA. Tickets can be purchased throughwww.formulad.com, Ticketmaster outlets, and the Long Beach Convention Center box office.

FORMULA DRIFT AND BLACKVUE SIGN THREE YEAR PRESENTING SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

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Long Beach, Calif. – February, 17, 2016 – Formula DRIFT has announced a new partnership with South Korean based technology company Pittasoft Co., Ltd., owners of the leading dashboard camera brand BlackVue. The three-year agreement names BlackVue as the “Presenting Sponsor and Official Dashcam” for the Series.

“This new partnership with BlackVue poses very interesting developments for the series,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “BlackVue has chosen Formula Drift to be a key partner as it expands its operations in the US. They will leverage the full marketing potential of the series to educate the consumer about the value of dashcams and their cutting edge technology. We are very excited to get working with this new partner and look forward to many more developments over the term of this deal.”

Dashboard cameras have become an integral part of aftermarket automotive upgrades in most parts of the globe and the US is the slated for prime growth in this category. Drivers want the ability to have a video record of traffic accidents, police interactions, and fun moments behind the wheel that only a dashcam can provide. The ‘Always On’ nature of a dashcam combined with the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) technology from BlackVue’s Over The Cloud system enables in-app viewing of any networked dashboard camera.

“We are dedicated to providing the ultimate vehicle video protection, as well as the possibility for drivers to keep an eye on their car from anywhere with their phone”, said BlackVue founder and CEO, Hyunmin Hur. “As such, we found Formula DRIFT as the perfect venue to connect with car enthusiasts. Plus, motorsports don’t get any cooler than that. We can’t wait for April!”

The first round of the 2016 season kicks off in less than two months. Tickets are now available for Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 8-9, including reserved seating, 2-day ticket packages, and VIP tickets. Tickets can be purchased through www.formuladrift.com, Ticketmaster outlets, and the Long Beach Convention Center box office.

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Formula DRIFT 2016 Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Tickets On-Sale

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Formula DRIFT Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Tickets On-Sale;
The 2016 World Championship Season Begins on April 10-11, 2016

Long Beach, Calif. – December 22, 2015 – Formula DRIFT will begin the 2016 World Championship season beginning with Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 10-11. Tickets are now on-sale and can be purchased online via the Formula DRIFT website, www.formuladrift.com.

“We look forward to the start of the the 2016 season and the addition of the Canadian round of competition to the Pro Championship will add an extra dynamic to further grow the sport internationally,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “The season kickoff in Long Beach is always exciting and sets the tone for the rest of the year.”

The World Championship will consist of a total of nine rounds of competition including eight Pro Championship rounds in the United States and Canada and two additional rounds of competition in Japan. Round 1: Streets of Long Beach marks the beginning of the season with Fredric Aasbo returning to defend his championship.

Reserved seat tickets are available online for purchase with the option to select from any of the available grandstands. VIP experiences are also available for purchase including reserved seating in Grandstand 18, a track walk during opening ceremonies and more.

Tickets are now available for Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 10-11, including reserved seating, 2-day ticket packages, and VIP tickets and can be purchased through www.formuladrift.com, Ticketmaster outlets, and the Long Beach Convention Center box office. Ticket prices start at $40 for grandstand seating with all seats reserved for Saturday’s competition day.

Ticketmaster Ticket Links:

2-Day Ticket (Friday and Saturday)
Saturday Only Ticket

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Formula DRIFT Announces 2016 Global Schedule

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Formula DRIFT Announces 2016 Global Schedule

 

Long Beach, Calif. – November 4, 2015 – Formula DRIFT has announced the 2016 schedule of events. The schedule includes World Championship, Pro Championship, and PRO 2 events. In addition, both Formula DRIFT Japan and the inaugural Formula DRIFT Canada will have their own respective four event schedules.

Entering the thirteenth year of competition, Formula DRIFT will expand the Pro Championship to eight rounds of competition by including the Montreal round. This is the first event outside of the United States to be included in the Pro Championship in the history of the Series. The World Championship will consist of eight Pro Championship rounds and two Japan rounds of competition. The PRO 2 Series will consist of four rounds of competition with a new stand-alone PRO 2 and Pro Am event announced on September 30 –October 1 in Phoenix, Arizona.

“With the continued success of our international presence, we look forward to growing the Sport domestically and internationally this upcoming season,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “In 2015, Formula DRIFT continued to be the global leader in millennial motorsports with 29 competitions held under the Formula DRIFT brand that resulted in 3 billion media impressions.”

In 2016, the Pro Series will continue to be broadcasted on CBS Sports and distributed globally by IMG Media with a reach of 360 million homes. Formula DRIFT Japan will be broadcasted on JSports. Each of the Series will be live streamed globally and was viewed by over 2 million people internationally in 2015.

For more information on Formula DRIFT Canada and Formula DRIFT Japan please visit: www.formuladriftcanada.com andwww.formulad.jp.

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

2016 Formula DRIFT Schedule
April 8-9 World Championship + Pro Championship Long Beach, CA
April 15-16 Invitational Long Beach, CA
May 6-7 World Championship + Pro Championship + PRO 2 Atlanta, GA
May / June World Championship + Japan Championship Ebisu, Japan
June 3-4 World Championship + Pro Championship + PRO 2 Orlando, FL
June 17-18 World Championship + Pro Championship Wall, NJ
July 15-16 World Championship + Pro Championship Montreal, Canada
August 5-6 World Championship + Pro Championship Monroe, WA
September 9-10 World Championship + Pro Championship + PRO 2 Fort Worth, TX
September World Championship + Japan Championship Okayama, Japan
September 30 – October 1 PRO 2 + Pro Am Phoenix, AZ
October 7-8 World Championship + Pro Championship Irwindale, CA