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Formula DRIFT Round 4: The Gauntlet Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 4: The Gauntlet Results;
Fredric Aasbo Takes His First Career Pro Championship Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – June 21, 2014 – Formula DRIFT returned to Wall Speedway in New Jersey for Round 4: The Gauntlet. Fredric Aasbo in the Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC takes his first Formula DRIFT Pro Championship victory.

Round 4: The Gauntlet provided the sold out crowd to an exciting event experience complete with hard fought battles throughout the competition. Friday attendance saw exponential growth from the previous season making this the most attended Formula DRIFT event at this venue.

“9 years ago we invested in Wall Speedway, when we paved the infield and it continues to prove to have been a wise decision as we experienced the biggest Wall Speedway crowd ever this weekend,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “This part of the country has become an integral and established stop for the championship.”

For the fourth consecutive event, Chris Forsberg, the number one qualifier in the Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z, found the podium finishing in second place and retaining his championship point lead. The final battle between Hankook Tire teammates, Forsberg and Aasbo was a tightly fought battle, but one mistake by Forsberg helped Aasbo take his first career Formula DRIFT event victory, moving him into second place in the chase for the championship. The podium was rounded out by Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX taking third place in the event, which is also his first professional career podium.

“This has been such a long time coming. This is my dream from ten years ago when I first started watching Formula DRIFT,” said Fredric Aasbo, winner of Round 4: The Gauntlet. “I want to thank my team into turning the Scion tC into such a championship contender. We have had our trials and tribulations, but this is proof that I have the best team in the business.”

The 2014 Formula DRIFT Championship season continues to Round 5: Throwdown at Evergreen Speedway on July 18-19. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.

Formula DRIFT Professional Championship Presented by GoPro 2014 Standings After Four Rounds
1. Forsberg, Chris Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 353.00 Points
2. Aasbo, Fredric Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC 294.00 Points
3. Gittin Jr., Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 288.00 Points
4. Moen, Kenneth Bridges Racing Nissan 240SX 242.00 Points
5. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX 189.50 Points
6. Pawlak, Justin Falken Tire Ford Mustang 173.50 Points
7. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab / Hankook Tire / STR Racing Nissan S14 164.50 Points
8. McNamara, Darren Falken Tire Nissan S14 153.00 Points
9. Nishida, Robbie Achilles Radial / Bridges Racing Lexus SC300 151.50 Points
10. Grunewald, Conrad Megan Racing / Top 1 Oil / BRE Chevrolet Camaro 141.50 Points
11. McQuarrie, Tyler GoPro Mobil 1Chevrolet Camaro 134.50 Points
12. Kearney, Dean Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper SRT 134.00 Points
13. Essa, Michael Essa Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 131.00 Points
14. Tuerck, Ryan Retaks Maxxis Tires Air Force PSI Scion FR-S 125.50 Points
15. Field, Matt CX Racing / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX 119.50 Points
16. Ng, Charles Speedhunters / Achilles Radial Infiniti G37 118.00 Points

Round 4: The Gauntlet Event Results
1. Aasbo, Fredric Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC Winner
2. Forsberg, Chris Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 2nd Place
3. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX 3rd Place

Manufacturers Championship Standings After Four Rounds
1. Ford 461.50 Points
2. Scion 451.00 Points
3. Nissan 442.00 Points
4. Chevy 276.00 Points
5. BMW 246.50 Points

Tire Championship Standings After Four Rounds
1. Hankook 647.00 Points
2. Nitto 525.50 Points
3. Achilles 453.00 Points
4. Falken 345.50 Points
5. Yokohama 167.50 Points

Formula DRIFT Round 7: Title Fight Tickets On-Sale

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Formula DRIFT Round 7: Title Fight Tickets On-Sale;
2014 Season Finale to be Held at Irwindale Speedway on October 10-11 

Long Beach, Calif. – June 18, 2014 – Tickets for the final event of the 2014 Formula DRIFT Championship season are on-sale now. Round 7: Title Fight on October 10-11, 2014 will be held at Irwindale Speedway. VIP Experience ticket options are available.

The 2014 Formula DRIFT season will come to a close on October 10-11, 2014 at Irwindale Speedway. For the past five seasons the event has sold out and early purchase is highly recommended. Tickets are on-sale now and available HERE.

Reserved seats are available in the main grandstand and trackside grandstand for Saturday or Two-Day including Friday and Saturday. New for this season is the option to purchase a VIP Experience which includes a reserved seat ticket in either the main grandstand or trackside grandstand, VIP track walk during opening ceremonies, priority line for the driver autograph session held on Friday, express entrance and a collector’s edition credential. Additionally, the main grandstand sky box VIP suite is available to a limited 24 people that will include a seat in the sky box, food and drinks for both Friday and Saturday and the benefits of the VIP Experience.

“For the past five seasons, the finale at Irwindale Speedway has been our largest event,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “To ensure that fans do not miss out on the action and reserve the seat they want, we suggest fans to purchase their tickets early. The last event of the season has always been a remarkable experience with the chase for the championship coming to an end and a champion being crowned.”

Ticketing options include the following:

Main Grandstand Reserved Seating
– Saturday Only
– Two-Day Ticket
– Includes assigned / reserved seat located in the main grandstand

VIP Experience Main Grandstand Reserved Seating
– Two-Day Ticket
– Includes assigned / reserved seat located in the main grandstand, VIP track walk during opening ceremonies, priority line for autograph signing (Friday), express entrance and collector’s edition credential.

Trackside Reserved Grandstand
– Saturday Only
– Two-Day Ticket
– Includes assigned / reserved seat located on in-field of track, private bathrooms and concessions

VIP Experience Trackside Reserved Grandstand
– Two-Day Ticket
– Includes assigned / reserved seat located on in-field of track, private bathrooms and concessions, VIP track walk during opening ceremonies, priority line for autograph signing (Friday), express entrance and collector’s edition credential.

2-Day Skybox VIP Suite
– Two-Day Ticket
– Includes sky box seat in air-conditioned sky box above main grandstand, private bathroom, buffet dinner and drinks (Friday and Saturday), Driftstream live feed inside sky box, VIP track walk during opening ceremonies, priority line for autograph signing (Friday), express entrance and collector’s edition credential.

The championship chase continues into Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway this weekend, June 20-21, 2014. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.

Formula DRIFT 2014 Round 3: Miami Heat Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 3: Miami Heat Results;
Vaughn Gittin Takes His Second Consecutive Event Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – May 31, 2014 – Formula DRIFT entered Homestead-Miami Speedway for the first time for Round 3: Miami Heat. Vaughn Gittin, Jr. in the Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR takes his second consecutive victory.

Round 3: Miami Heat entered Homestead-Miami Speedway for the first time. The Pro Championship competition highlighted a jam-packed weekend of activities that included the kick-off of the PRO 2 Series competition and Offset Kings car show.

“Homestead-Miami Speedway provided a great new venue for our Championship,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “The increasingly bigger fan base was treated to some impressive driving all weekend with the first event PRO 2 Series competition and Round 3 of the Pro Championship.”

The final battle pitted Vaughn Gittin , Jr. against points leader and the number one qualifier, Chris Forsberg in the Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z. The final battle was close, but Gittin was able to out perform his rival to earn his second consecutive event victory moving into second place overall in the championship standings. Forsberg retains the lead by with a ten point margin heading into the fourth round of competition. Rounding out the podium in third place was the number three qualifier, Kenny Moen in the Achilles Radial / Bridges Racing Nissan 240SX.

“It feels really amazing to be here and come to a brand new track and work with my team to get my Monster Energy, Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR on rails to be able to hit every mark and compete with some of the best drivers in the world,” said Vaughn Gittin Jr., winner of Round 3: Miami Heat. “Back to back wins is just amazing and we are working hard and it just feels good that its paying off and I’m just pumped.”

The 2014 Formula DRIFT Championship season continues with Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway in New Jersey on June 20-21.

Ford Returns to Formula DRIFT with Top Mustang Team and 2014 Fiesta ST Giveaway

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Ford Returns to Formula DRIFT with Top Mustang Team and 2014 Fiesta ST Giveaway

• Ford returns to Formula DRIFT with sweepstakes for custom EcoBoost®-powered Fiesta ST

• Former champ Vaughn Gittin Jr. and past winner Justin Pawlak competing in Ford Mustangs

• Gittin won the second round of the drifting event in Atlanta earlier this month

Long Beach, Calif. – May 31, 2014 – To celebrate its second year as an official sponsor of Formula DRIFT, Ford Motor Company will continue its support of Mustang drivers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Justin Pawlak in the third round of the seven-event series in Miami, May 30-31. Ford also will host a sweepstakes in conjunction with Formula DRIFT events for a custom Fiesta ST.

“The competitiveness of Ford Mustang and the passionate fans convinced us to return to Formula DRIFT this year,” said Steve Ling, Ford North America car marketing manager. “Outsiders sometimes ask why we support Formula DRIFT so strongly. Anyone who follows the sport knows it’s the perfect place to connect with enthusiasts who value performance as much as we do at Ford Motor Company.”

Ford has supported drivers in Formula DRIFT since 2005, when the sport triggered a successful Ford Racing performance parts engine development program for a supercharged 4.6-liter V8 crate engine. This year, crowd favorites Gittin and Pawlak are competing again in customized Ford Mustangs. Gittin won round two of the series in Atlanta earlier this month, drifting his way into second place overall.

“Fans enjoyed seeing Ford’s capabilities on the track last year,” said Mickey Matus, Ford Racing marketing communication manager. “The two Mustang drivers consistently finished at the top, keeping Ford in the hunt for the manufacturers’ cup throughout its first year. Following Gittin’s recent victory in Atlanta, we’re confident our drivers will continue to show the Formula DRIFT world that Mustang is a winner.”

Amidst the excitement of North America’s foremost professional drifting championship, Ford is giving fans the opportunity to enter online to win an EcoBoost®-powered Fiesta ST. Anyone can enter the contest while watching the hot action online each weekend at www.formulad.com.

“It’s great to have Ford Motor Company back in the series again in 2014,” said Ryan Sage, Formula DRIFT vice president and cofounder. “The excitement level is at an all-time high with the news of a custom Fiesta ST to be given away at our events. Fans can expect to be blown away.”

“The hot new Fiesta ST featuring the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine is a huge hit, especially among the tuner crowd,” said Ling. “So we partnered with Formula DRIFT to create an innovative way to give one to a lucky fan. We added a Ford Racing performance parts exhaust, some cool new wheels and touches to make this a true, one-of-one car. We plan to show it off at the Long Beach competition, at the event in Monroe, Washington, in July, and at the Irwindale series finale in October.”

The first official drifting series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme, attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life. High-skilled and high-powered – drivers intentionally maneuver cars into controlled slides at high speeds through a marked course – this season’s competition features pro drivers and teams running seven events. Judged on speed, execution and style rather than fastest time, drifting is a crowd pleaser that’s often compared to the freestyle nature of skateboarding and motocross.

The 2014 Formula DRIFT season will continue with Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway on June 20-21. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.

Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Series Round 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Results

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Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Series Round 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Results;
Geoff Stoneback Takes the Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – May 31, 2014 – Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Series kicked off the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the first of four rounds of competition. Geoff Stoneback in the Geoff Stoneback Racing Nissan S14 takes the first victory in PRO 2 history.

The inaugural PRO 2 competition held at Homestead-Miami Speedway marked the start of the PRO 2 season. PRO 2 Series was introduced as an intermediary series between the Formula DRIFT Pro-Am and Pro Championship to help drivers get acclimated to the competition level and venues, while gaining valuable experience. As the first year of the PRO 2, drivers that are eligible include both licensed Pro-Am and Pro Championship drivers. In addition, the PRO 2 competition was available on the Driftstream for the fans at home and remaining events in the PRO 2 Series will be streamed live this season.

“PRO 2 proved to be successful in delivering quality competition for the Friday fans,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “The PRO 2 drivers are able to compete against each other while gaining valuable experience on the professional level.”

Geoff Stoneback faced off against Nate Hamilton in the ONE44 Motorsports / Enkei Wheels Nissan 240 SX in the finals. Stoneback out drove his competitor to earn the very first victory in the PRO 2 and take the lead in the PRO 2 standings. Coming in third place was Carl Rydquist in the Road Race Engineering / Berk Nissan 350Z powered by Garrett Turbo.

“It was a long day running both in the Pro Championship and PRO 2,” said Geoff Stoneback, winner of Round 1 of PRO 2. “It was definitely great to run in PRO 2 as it bridges the gap between the Pro Championship and PRO 2. We are happy to be on the podium and the team did great.”

The 2014 Formula DRIFT PRO 2 season continues with Round 2 on July 18-19 at Evergreen Speedway. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.

Formula DRIFT PRO 2 Standings After One Round

1. Stoneback, Geoff GSR Nissan S14 107.50 Points
2. Hamilton, Nate ONE44 Motorsports / Enkei Wheels Nissan 240SX 84.50 Points
3. Rydquist, Carl Road Race Engineering / Berk Nissan 350Z 74.00 Points
4. Lowe, Jeremy Enjuku Racing Mazda RX-7 67.00 Points
5. Savage, Dan Sikky Manufacturing Mazda RX-8 52.50 Points
6. Heyl, Brad Standard Automotive Apparel / Sikky Manufacturing Nissan 350Z 52.50 Points
7. Parsons, Will NonStop Tuning AutoComp Racing Toyota AE86 52.50 Points
8. Briggs, Dave Achilles Radial / Turbo by Garrett Nissan S14 51.00 Points
9. Primozich, Rob Garage Autohero Track Attack Nissan 240SX 38.00 Points
10. Coffman, Matt Coffman Racing / PSI Nissan S13 36.50 Points
11. Wolfson, Tyler GT Radial SAE Motorsport Mazda RX-7 35.00 Points
12. Evans, James Sikky Manufacturing Nissan 350Z 35.00 Points
13. Van Den Brink, Doug Denofa Motorsports BMW 35.00 Points
14. Hateley, Andy Hately Motorsports BMW E30 325i 35.00 Points
15. Ewerth, Ron Vision / Buddyclub / BRE Scion FR-S 35.00 Points
16. Cisneros, 116 Motorsports Nissan 240SX 35.00 Points

PRO 2 Round 1 Event Results

1. Stoneback, Geoff GSR Nissan S14 Winner
2. Hamilton, Nate ONE44 Motorsports / Enkei Wheels Nissan 240SX 2nd Place
3. Rydquist, Carl Road Race Engineering / Berk Nissan 350Z 3rd Place