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Round 7: Final Fight at Irwindale Speedway Results;
Daigo Saito Takes the Event Victory and Michael Essa is Crowned Champion

Long Beach, Calif. – October 13, 2013 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro returned to Irwindale Speedway for the final event of the 2013 season. Daigo Saito in the Achilles Tire / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430 takes the event victory. Michael Essa in the GSR Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 is crowned champion. Lexus wins the inaugural manufacturer’s championship and Hankook Tire wins the tire championship for 2013.

Round 7: Final Fight at Irwindale Speedway was held in front of a sellout crowd and was the largest motorsport event in the venue’s history. The exciting event marked the end of the tenth season for the Series and was also the most attended for the Series with approximately over 20,000 attendees over the two day event.

“What a way to complete the tenth season with the biggest crowd and probably the biggest motorsport event ever in Irwindale Speedway history,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “We are extremely grateful for the fans, sponsors and drivers that have helped grow the series over the ten years and we look forward to many more seasons to come.”

The action unfolded beginning with Michael Essa, who entered the event with the point lead, earning the number one qualifying position giving him a good position into the Top 32 and advancing into the Top 16 where he was unable to continue in the event with a blown motor. This opened the door for Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy / Hankook Nissan 370Z, who entered the event in second place in the standings. Essa secured the championship when Forsberg lost to the 2012 champion, Daigo Saito, in the Great 8. This marks the first time a European vehicle has won the Formula DRIFT championship.

“Coming into this event I wanted to prove that this season wasn’t a fluke and sitting on the sideline wasn’t how I wanted the event to go down, but unfortunately that is what happened tonight,” said Michael Essa, 2013 Formula DRIFT champion. “The Formula DRIFT championship has always been my goal and I am extremely excited. There are so many amazing drivers and teams in the Series and being able to just compete with them is an honor. We are hoping to carry this momentum into the next season and earn more wins.”

The consolation round saw Robbie Nishida in the Bridges Racing / Achilles Tire Lexus SC300 against Forrest Wang in the Get Nuts Lab / Achilles Nissan 240SX. Wang got the best of Nishida to earn third place for his first ever Formula DRIFT podium. The final battle pitted Daigo Saito vs Tyler McQuarrie in the Mobil 1 / GoPro Chevrolet Camaro. McQuarrie hit the wall on the second battle to give Saito the event victory.

“To tell the truth I was not really feeling it in practice, but when the battles began and the lights turned on I was able to pull it together when it counted and am happy for the win to end the season,” said Daigo Saito, winner of Round 7: Final Fight. “I had a lot of issues with the car this year and I feel we weren’t able to get the car to the condition I really needed to be more competitive, but coming in third overall is something I am proud and happy about.”

Two new championships were added to the Series that included the tire and manufacturer championship. After seven events for the season, Lexus comes out on top for the inaugural manufacturer championship, while Hankook Tire takes the first tire championship.

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com

Formula DRIFT Professional Championship Presented by GoPro 2013 Final Standings After Seven Rounds
1. Essa, Michael GSR Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 555.50 Points
2. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Nissan 370Z 538 Points
3. Saito, Daigo Achilles Tire / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430 510.50 Points
4. Aasbo, Fredric Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC 487.50 Points
5. Gittin Jr., Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 481.00 Points
6. Pawlak, Justin Falken Tire Ford Mustang 425.00 Points
7. Field, Matt CX Racing / Maxxis / Blacktrax Nissan 240SX 407 Points
8. McNamara, Darren Falken Tire Nissan S14 388.50 Points
9. Nishida, Robbie Bridges Racing / Achilles Tire Lexus SC300 387.25 Points
10. Bakchis, Aurimas Nexen Tire Nissan S14 379 Points
11. Yoshihara, Daijiro Discount Tire / Falken Tire Nissan S13 333.50 Points
12. Grunewald, Conrad Hankook Tire / Megan Racing Chevrolet Camaro SS 309.50 Points
13. DeNofa, Chelsea BC Racing BMW 3 Series 291.00 Points
13. Tuerck, Ryan Team Retaks / Maxxis Scion Racing FR-S 291.00 Points
15. McQuarrie, Tyler Mobil 1 / GoPro Chevrolet Camaro 290.50 Points
16. Powers, Matt Fatlace / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX 282.00 Points

Round 7: Final Fight Event Results
1. Saito, Daigo Achilles Tire / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430 First Place
2. McQuarrie, Tyler Mobil 1 / GoPro Chevrolet Camaro Second Place
3. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab / Achilles Nissan 240SX Third Place

Manufacturers Championship Final Standings After Seven Rounds
1. Lexus 975.50 Points
2. Nissan 912.50 Points
3. Ford 906.00 Points
4. Scion 866.50 Points
5. BMW 846.00 Points

Tire Final Championship Standings After Seven Rounds
1. Hankook 1053.50 Points
2. Falken 1008 Points
3. Achilles 973.25 Points
4. Nitto 834.50 Points
5. Yokohama 788 Points

Round 6: Showdown at Texas Motor Speedway Results

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Round 6: Showdown at Texas Motor Speedway Results;
Michael Essa Takes the Victory and the Points Lead

Long Beach, Calif. – September 15, 2013 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro entered Texas Motor Speedway for the first time. Michael Essa in the GSR Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 takes the victory and the lead in the Pro Championship points chase heading into the final competition of the 2013 season.

Round 6: Showdown saw a return to Texas with the first Formula DRIFT event in the Lone Star State since 2005. Texas Motor Speedway hosted the highly anticipated event under the night sky. The new track proved to be challenging as one of the fastest drift tracks on the circuit and one of the most technical for tandem drifting.

The consolation round saw Patrick Mordaunt in the Diamond Lighting / APEXi Lexus SC430 against point leader, Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z. Forsberg won the battle to secure third place, but falls to second place overall in the Pro Championship standings with only 15.5 points separating him from the leader. The final battle pitted Essa against Matt Field in the CX Racing / Maxxis / Blacktrax Nissan 240SX. Essa bested Field for his second victory of the season and second straight podium finish to take the event win and lead in the point standings heading into the final competition of the season. This was Field’s first podium finish of his Formula DRIFT career.

“First year here at this track and the course was just insane with sustained speed throughout. It was just crazy out there, but we were able to take home the win,” said Michael Essa, winner of Round 6: Showdown. “Our GSR Autosport BMW E46 with Wisefab suspension and Bilstein suspension along with Yokohama Tires helped make this an amazing event for us. We are leading the points right now by about 15 points heading into Irwindale and we have a shot at the Championship which is not what we expected entering this season with a new car and can’t be more happy with the results.”

Heading into the final competition of the season for Round 7: Final Fight on October 11 – 12, 2013 at Irwindale Speedway. Less than 90 points separate the top six drivers and the championship. Additionally, the inaugural tire and manufacturer championship will be determined at the final competition of the tenth season of Formula DRIFT.

“It is always exciting to hold an event at a new venue and Texas Motor Speedway provided a great place to showcase drifting. The event outcome sets up a competitive finale, ” stated Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “With only one competition left in the season, the Championship is up for grabs with the top six drivers vying to be crowed champion.”

Formula DRIFT Round 7: Title Fight Tickets On-Sale; Final Event of the 2013 Season at Irwindale Speedway on October 11-12

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Long Beach, Calif. – July 23, 2013 – Tickets for the final event of the tenth season of the Formula DRIFT Championship are on-sale now. Round 7: Title Fight on October 11-12, 2013 will be held at Irwindale Speedway. New all-venue reserved seating introduced.

The 2013 Formula DRIFT season will come to a close on October 11-12, 2013 at Irwindale Speedway. For the past three seasons the event has sold out. Early purchase is highly recommended. Tickets are on-sale now and available on www.formulad.com and through HERE.

A new all reserved seating arrangement for this venue has been implemented. The two reserved ticket options will include reserved main grandstand seating and the new reserved trackside seating. Additionally, skyboxes are available for the public to purchase.

“The finale of our 10th championship season is shaping up to be a very special one,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “The competition is fierce and the championship chase is as close as ever, which means the finale will decide the 2013 champion. We invite fans to purchase their tickets early so they don’t miss out on a history making event, the crowning of a champion and the conclusion of our 10th season.”

Ticketing options include the following:

Main Grandstand Reserved Seating
– $33 Pre-Sale for Saturday Only when purchased online
– $38 Pre-Sale for Two-Day Ticket when purchased online
– Includes assigned / reserved seat located in the main grandstand

Trackside Reserved Seating
– $60 Pre-Sale for Saturday Only when purchased online
– $65 Pre-Sale for Two-Day Ticket when purchased online
– Includes assigned / reserved seat located trackside next to the judging tower

Skybox VIP
– $4,000
– Includes 30 Two-Day passes to the event and access to the skybox, 10 parking passes, FD gifts

The championship chase is as close as its ever been with less than 35 points separating the top five drivers heading into Round 6: Showdown at Texas Motor Speedway on September 13-14, 2013. The championship will again be determined at the finale. The event will additionally feature the Slammed Society car show, vendor midway, open pits to the public and more. This event also marks the end of the first 10 years for the Formula DRIFT Championship.

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com

Round 5: Throwdown at Evergreen Speedway Results; Chris Forsberg Takes the Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – July 21, 2013 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro returned to the Pacific Northwest to a sold out crowd. Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z takes the victory and the championship points lead.

The fans came out in droves for Round 5: Throwdown at Evergreen Speedway and for the second year in a row the event was held in front of a sell-out crowd.

“Each year we look forward to the action and excitement at Evergreen Speedway and this year did not disappoint. The championship chase is heating up with only two events left in the season,” stated Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “The chase is as close as it has ever been and we look forward to returning to Texas for the next round of competition and then the Finals in Irwindale.”

Heading into the event, returning champion Daigo Saito had a commanding points lead, but with an early exit in the Top 32, an opening for the other drivers became present. In the consolation round, Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Nexen Tire Nissan 240SX battled Fredric Aasbo in the Hankook Tire / Scion Racing tC. Wheel and tire problems helped give Aasbo the win and the third place finish. The final battle pitted Michael Essa in the GSR Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 against Chris Forsberg. After a close battle, Forsberg edged out Essa to take the victory and the lead in the 2013 Pro Championship points standings. Essa also moves into second place overall.

“Hats off to my crew for giving me a perfect running car this weekend as they were hustling really hard since Thursday’s practice to get the car dialed in for today,” said Chris Forsberg, winner of Round 5: Throwdown. “It is a testament from last year’s season to this year just how much you can improve with a hard working crew and the support of great sponsors. I’m excited for the win and the lead and can’t wait for the next event.”

With only 2 events remaining the championship is up for grabs with less than 35 points separating the top five drivers from the title. Formula DRIFT continues to Round 6: Showdown at Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas Fort Worth, Texas on September 13-14, 2013.

Formula DRIFT Announces Launch Of 2013 Formula DRIFT Insider Web Series

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Long Beach, Calif. – April 10, 2013 – Formula DRIFT has announced a renewal of the highly popular, behind the scenes web show, “Formula DRIFT Insider”. The first episode will kick-off on Thursday April 11th on the eve of the very first live event of the year, Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on April 12-13th. Subsequent episodes will be available every other Thursday on Formula DRIFT’s YouTube page. Formula DRIFT Insider features behind the scenes coverage of the premier drifting brand in the world, Formula DRIFT.

“Formula DRIFT Insider is a really fun and cool project for us. We get to not only deliver exclusive content to fans, but we also are able to tell a story between rounds that would not be available otherwise,” says Ryan Sage, Host of Formula DRIFT Insider.

The first episode of Formula DRIFT Insider will inform viewers on what is new for the 2013 season and will be available exclusively on Formula DRIFT’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/formuladrift.

For more information on Formula DRIFT, visit: www.formulad.com

To watch Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Live visit: http://new.livestream.com/FormulaDrift/LongBeach