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Formula DRIFT Round 7: Final Fight Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 7: Final Fight Results;
Daigo Saito Wins Finale and Chris Forsberg is Crowned Champion

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Long Beach, Calif. – October 11, 2014 – Formula DRIFT returned to Irwindale Speedway for the 2014 Pro Championship season finale. Daigo Saito in the Achilles Radial Lexus SC430 takes the event victory. Chris Forsberg in the Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z wins his second career championship.

Round 7: Final Fight held at Irwindale Speedway did not disappoint the sold out crowd with an action packed weekend that featured the Pro Championship, PRO 2 Championship, Offset Kings car show and more. The Driftstream had over 200,000 unique viewers to the live stream for the event weekend.

“What a way to end the 2014 Pro Championship season,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “We could not have asked for a more climatic ending with the championship determined at the very last battle of the season. The competitive rivalry that Aasbo and Forsberg had all season could not have been any more exciting.”

Entering the event, Forsberg lead the Pro Championship chase by a mere 26 points. As the competition progressed through the night both Aasbo and Forsberg would meet in the Top 4 to control their championship destiny. Aasbo in one of the tightest battles of the evening got the better of Forsberg for the fourth time this season in head to head battles, yet he needed to win the entire event to win the championship.

“A wild season for us. We wanted the championship so bad after last year,” said Chris Forsberg, 2014 Formula DRIFT champion. “Taking the win in Long Beach and holding the lead throughout the season to the Finals only to basically lose to Aasbo every time we went up against him. He was our kryptonite all season long. We were able to hold him off just enough to take the championship home and we are super pumped and very proud of our team for giving us the best car we ever had.”

The number one qualifier, Forrest Wang in the Get Nuts Lab / Hankook / STR Racing Nissan S14 went against Daigo Saito in the Top 4. In a close battle, Saito edged out Wang to make it into the Finals against Aasbo. In another closely fought battle, Saito beat out Aasbo, to win his third consecutive victory at Irwindale Speedway, having won the event in 2012 and 2013, and helping to award Forsberg with his second Pro Championship. Forsberg is only the third driver in Formula DRIFT history to hold two championships with his 2009 championship and now 2014 championship.

“This year we have had a very hard time with our results and ranking,” said Daigo Saito, winner of Round 7: Final Fight. “We are excited to earn a win to end the season here at Irwindale Speedway. This is also the third win for us in a row here and I am very happy.”

In addition to the 2014 Championship, both the Tire and Manufacturer Championships were determined at Round 7: Final Fight. Hankook Tire won the Tire Manufacturer Championship, while Scion won the Manufacturer Championship.

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaDrift.

Formula DRIFT Professional Championship Presented by GoPro 2014 Final Standings

1. Forsberg, Chris Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 561.50 Points
2. Aasbo, Fredric Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC 550.00 Points
3. Gittin Jr., Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 393.00 Points
4. Bakchis, Aurimas “Odi” Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX 364.50 Points
5. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab / Hankook Tire / STR Racing Nissan S14 331.50 Points
6. Moen, Kenneth Bridges Racing Nissan 240SX 310.50 Points
7. McNamara, Darren Falken Tire Nissan S14 298.00 Points
8. Kearney, Dean Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper SRT 287.00 Points
9. Pawlak, Justin Falken Tire Ford Mustang 277.00 Points
10. Grunewald, Conrad Megan Racing / Top 1 Oil / BRE Chevrolet Camaro 262.50 Points
11. Nishida, Robbie Achilles Radial / Bridges Racing Lexus SC300 261.00 Points
12. Tuerck, Ryan Retaks Maxxis Tires Air Force PSI Scion FR-S 235.00 Points
13. Gushi, Ken GReddy Performance / Scion Racing Drift FR-S 227.50 Points
14. Saito, Daigo Achilles Radial Lexus SC430 224.00 Points
15. Field, Matt CX Racing Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX 221.50 Points
16. Essa, Michael Essa Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 218.50 Points
Round 7: Final Fight Event Results
1. Saito, Daigo Achilles Radial Lexus SC430 Winner
2. Aasbo, Fredric Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC 2nd Place
3. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab / Hankook Tire / STR Racing Nissan S14 3rd Place

Manufacturers Championship Final Standings

1. Scion 843.00 Points
2. Nissan 721.00 Points
3. Ford 670.00 Points
4. Lexus 485.00 Points
5. Chevy 471.50 Points

Tire Championship Final Standings

1. Hankook 1119.50 Points
2. Nitto 836.00 Points
3. Achilles 801.00 Points
4. Falken 681.50 Points
5. Maxxis 386.50 Points

By The Numbers: The Chase For The Championship

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As we enter the final round of competition at Irwindale Speedway, only two drivers have a mathematical chance to win the coveted Formula DRIFT championship. Round 7: Final Fight will pit the 2009 champion Chris Forsberg, who leads the standings with 493 points, against Fredric Aasbo currently sitting in second with 467 points. A 26 point difference.

In order for Fredric to make up the 26 point deficit he will need to finish two rounds further in competition than Chris. This does not take into consideration qualifying points, which may play a large role in the championship this season.

Example 1: If Chris gets knocked out in the Top 32 then Fredric would need to advance to the Top 8 in order to win the championship.

In this scenario the point totals would look like this:

Forsberg – 493 points + 16 points (Top 32) = 509 points
Aasbo – 467 points + 16 points (Top 32) + 16 points (Top 16) + 16 points (Top 8) = 515 points

Example 2: If Chris finishes in the Top 4 then Fredric would need to win the event to earn the championship.

In this scenario the point totals would look like this:

Forsberg – 493 points + 16 points (Top 32) + 16 (Top 16) + 16 (Top 8) + 16 (Top 4) = 557 points
Aasbo – 467 points + 16 points (Top 32) + 16 points (Top 16) + 16 points (Top 8) + 16 (Top 4) + 20 (1st place) = 567 points

Again, this is without considering qualifying points in which Forsberg has averaged a higher qualifying position this season with an average qualifying point total of 6.83 points, while Aasbo is averaging 4.5 qualifying points. If the two meet head to head they will control their own destiny on the way to a championship. This season Fredric and Chris have faced each other on three separate occasions and Fredric has won each time. The only thing that is for certain is that this will be an exciting and climatic event to crown the 2014 Formula DRIFT champion.

Formula DRIFT Round 6: Showdown Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 6: Showdown Results;
Fredric Aasbo is Victorious at Texas Motor Speedway

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Long Beach, Calif. – September 14, 2014 – Formula DRIFT for the second consecutive year returned to Texas Motor Speedway for Round 6: Showdown. Fredric Aasbo in the Hankook Tire / Scion Racing tC takes his second victory of the season.

Round 6: Showdown held at Texas Motor Speedway brought professional drifting to Texas for the second consecutive year. The event featured the Round 2 of the PRO 2 series, Offset Kings car show, and action from the Pro Championship. The weather held up on the main event day providing clear skies and cool temperatures.

“The dramatic finish to this event has set-up a close battle between Fredric Aasbo and Chris Forsberg for the championship as we head into Round 7 at Irwindale Speedway,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “The finale has always been an action packed event with drivers leaving it all on the line and we are excited to see how the championship chase unfolds.”

The final four pitted number one qualifier, Forrest Wang in the Get Nuts Lab / Hankook / STR Racing Nissan S14 against Odi Bakchis in the Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX. After a One More Time battle, Wang out drove Bakchis to secure his second career podium to finish in third place. Point leader, Chris Forsberg in the Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z faced Hankook Tire teammate, Fredric Aasbo. Forsberg contacted Aasbo on his chase run to give Aasbo the advantage and ultimately the win moving him into the Finals. The Finals pitted Aasbo and Bakchis. In the second run, Bakchis spun out giving Aasbo the event victory. Aasbo closed the point gap heading into the final event of the season with 26 points separating him from Forsberg as they head into the final event of the 2014 season.

“This victory is for my team, for Scion, and for Hankook. This might feel like the weirdest victory ever as people took themselves out, but I’ll take it and will see everyone in Irwindale,” said Fredric Aasbo, winner of Round 6: Showdown. “My Hankook Tire teammate, Chris Forsberg and I have been battling it out all year and we are right where we want to be. We are right behind him and he has all the pressure on him. Irwindale is going to be a killer event.”

The 2014 Formula DRIFT Championship season continues to Round 7: Final Fight at Irwindale Speedway on October 10-11. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaDrift.

Formula DRIFT Professional Championship Presented by GoPro 2014 Standings After Six Rounds

1. Forsberg, Chris Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 493.00 Points
2. Aasbo, Fredric Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC 467.00 Points
3. Gittin Jr., Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 359.50 Points
4. Bakchis, Aurimas “Odi” Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX 328.00 Points
5. Moen, Kenneth Bridges Racing Nissan 240SX 293.00 Points
6. McNamara, Darren Falken Tire Nissan S14 280.50 Points
7. Pawlak, Justin Falken Tire Ford Mustang 259.50 Points
8. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab / Hankook Tire / STR Racing Nissan S14 257.50 Points
9. Kearney, Dean Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper SRT 252.00 Points
10. Tuerck, Ryan Retaks Maxxis Tires Air Force PSI Scion FR-S 213.00 Points
11. Grunewald, Conrad Megan Racing / Top 1 Oil / BRE Chevrolet Camaro 211.50 Points
12. Nishida, Robbie Achilles Radial / Bridges Racing Lexus SC300 208.50 Points
13. Gushi, Ken GReddy Performance / Scion Racing Drift FR-S 192.50 Points
14. McQuarrie, Tyler GoPro / Mobil 1 Chevrolet Camaro 188.50 Points
15. Essa, Michael Essa Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3 183.50 Points
16. DeNofa, Chelsea BC Racing / Nitto Tire BMW 3-Series 172.50 Points

Round 6: Showdown Event Results

1. Aasbo, Fredric Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC Winner
2. Bakchis, Aurimas “Odi” Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX 2nd Place
3. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab / Hankook Tire / STR Racing Nissan S14 3rd Place

Manufacturers Championship Standings After Six Rounds

1. Scion 725.00 Points
2. Nissan 636.00 Points
3. Ford 619.00 Points
4. Chevy 400.00 Points
5. BMW 356.00 Points

Tire Championship Standings After Six Rounds

1. Hankook 962.50 Points
2. Nitto 748.50 Points
3. Achilles 647.00 Points
4. Falken 592.50 Points
5. Maxxis 347.00 Points

Formula DRIFT Round 2: Road to the Championship Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 2: Road to the Championship Results;
Vaughn Gittin Takes the Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – May 10, 2014 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro entered Road Atlanta for Round 2: Road to the Championship. Vaughn Gittin in the Monster Energy / Nitto Ford Mustang takes the victory moving him into second place in the championship standings.

Round 2: Road to the Championship marked the eleventh visit to Road Atlanta. The thousands of fans in attendance witnessed an action packed event weekend.

“It’s wonderful to see the growth in attendance each year at Road Atlanta, where we held our first Formula DRIFT event eleven years ago,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “The fans of the South are so passionate for the sport and we love coming to this venue.”

Vaughn Gittin fought his way to the top of the podium through tough competition to take his first victory of the season and move into second place in the point standings. Gittin matched up against Fredric Aasbo in the Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC in the finals. After a tightly fought battle Gittin was awarded the win. Chris Forsberg in the Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z rounded out the podium in third place to remain in first place in the championship.

“Tonight my team and I were truly one. We communicated and worked super hard,” said Vaughn Gittin, winner of Round 2: Road to the Championship. “These were some of the most hard fought battles that I remember ever having and it says a lot about our sport, where we are going and what we are doing. And I’m just super proud to be standing on the top step.”

The 2014 Formula DRIFT season continues with Round 3 on May 30-31 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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.”