[COVERAGE] Drift: Dai Yoshihara Victorious at Formula Drift Round 1 By: What Monsters Do

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Formula Drift kicked off it’s tenth season in Long Beach, California. It was another amazing event with over 50 drivers competing to a sold out crowd! Competition was fierce with Dai Yoshihara not only qualifying in first place but coming out victorious – with Vaughn Gittin JR in second and Chris Forsberg in third. More Formula Drift Round 1 action after the jump!

 

Matt Powers S14 Fatlace Formula Drift Round 1 2013

Top 16 competition included Matt Powers going against the 2011 champ Dai Yoshihara in an S14 vs S13 battle. After two good run’s Dai took the win.

Aasbo Scion TC vs Daigo Saito Lexus Formula Drift Long Beach

Both Aasbo and 2012 FD champion Daigo Saito were on top of their game with very close runs. They ended up going “One More Time” twice… so two more times. After 3 almost perfect battles, Daigo had a correction on the last clipping point and it cost him the win. Aasbo moved on to the Great Eight.

Continue reading [COVERAGE] Drift: Dai Yoshihara Victorious at Formula Drift Round 1 By: What Monsters Do

Vaughn Gittin Jr. reveals the livery of the all new Monster Energy Nitto Tire 2014 Ford Mustang RTR

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Vaughn Gittin Jr. reveals the livery of the all new Monster Energy Nitto Tire 2014 Ford Mustang RTR, announces the formation of the RTR Drift Team, and releases his 2013 Global Schedule

BALTIMORE, Md. (March 26, 2013) – Formula Drift Champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. is excited to announce the formation of the RTR Drift Team, their tentative 2013 worldwide schedule, and the reveal of his Monster Energy Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR livery. This year marks the beginning of a new era for Vaughn coming into his tenth season of professional drifting with the formation of the RTR Drift Team. He is focused on his duties as RTR Team owner and driver, and is also taking full advantage of the freedoms that come along with being a team owner – as portrayed by his unique new livery. Check out the official VIDEO revealing the Monster Energy Nitto Tire 2014 Ford Mustang RTR.

“I’m really pumped on this years’ livery and overall aesthetics surrounding our efforts,” says Vaughn. “For the first time in my career, I have been able to start from a clean slate and get a bit crazy with the look of my car that I will be using for battle. Being that the Mustang is my weapon of choice out there on the track, the base of the livery was inspired from old battle ships that were covered with ‘dazzle camo’. From there, we added my XX5 (#25) logo and flag elements, along with some of my favorite colors and a little rock n’ roll to get a livery that I feel really portrays me. I look forward to giving it some real battle scars!”

Vaughn will be piloting a brand new 2014 Ford Mustang RTR built by Autosport Dynamics and will make its first competition debut at Formula Drift Round 1 in Long Beach, California April 12-13. Having worked side by side with Vaughn since 2007, ASD will supply their valued support yet again for the 2013 season. Combining the superior knowledge and car building skills of the ASD crew, with the proven driving ability and aggressiveness behind the wheel of 2010 Formula Drift Champion Vaughn Gittin Jr., there is no doubt that the RTR Drift Team will be a serious force on the track. Check out the DETAILED SPECS of the Monster Energy Nitto Tire 2014 Ford Mustang RTR.

“I couldn’t be happier to continue working with the team at ASD,” says Vaughn. “We have had great success over the past 5 years together and the word ‘team’ as I know it has been redefined around our new focused effort.  ”

While Vaughn’s number one priority is to chase down the Formula Drift Championship, he will also be taking his global efforts to the next level in 2013. Vaughn will once again head to China to compete in the World Drift Series, as well as participate in select competition and demonstration events in Europe. Just as years past, Vaughn will continue to perform at select demo and experiential events in the USA. Thanks to Monster Energy and Ford Motor Company, this year he will be heading to select military bases surrounding the Formula Drift Championship on Sundays after competition, to provide demos and ride-alongs for some of America’s finest men and women. See the 2013 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE.

“It is really crazy for me to look at my schedule for this year and realize all of the awesome that is about to go down all over the world behind the wheel of some badass Ford Mustangs,” adds Vaughn. “While I am pumped on all of the events we have chosen to participate in this year, I am especially excited about the opportunity to go visit some military bases and put smiles on the men and women’s faces that make me living my dream possible!”


 

 

 

ABOUT VAUGHN GITTIN JR.

Vaughn Gittin Jr. has become one of drifting’s most iconic figures and is known best by his aggressive, foot to the floor, big smoke driving style. Being such a fierce competitor, Vaughn is known as the only American to win a D1 Grand Prix event, not once – but twice. In 2005 Vaughn stunned the world when he won the D1GP USA vs. Japan. In 2007, he brought America the gold once more by winning the D1GP World Championship.

In 2010, Vaughn earned his first Formula Drift Championship, becoming the second-ever Champion with a strictly-drifting background. In 2011, Vaughn competed in China’s premier drift series, WDS, and took home the Championship. In 2012, Vaughn was shy just one spot of the Championship, taking second place overall. He has achieved five wins and multiple podiums throughout his Formula Drift career.

ABOUT MUSTANG RTR

Mustang RTR is the vision of World Champion drifter and Mustang mad man, Vaughn Gittin Jr. When creating RTR, his dream was to introduce something new to the Mustang world that appeals not only to younger generations, but also to any traditional muscle car enthusiasts and overall automotive enthusiasts as a whole. The Mustang RTR takes the best of multiple automotive cultures and tastefully meshes them together into a final product that anyone can immediately appreciate and see themselves behind the wheel of – whether they are “slaying” a set of tires, blasting a straight, carving some turns, linking a section on the drift circuit, or simply just cruising along with their better half.

Vaughn has successfully made his dream a reality with the Mustang RTR. This new generation brand of Mustang that comes in the form of a dealer-installed package is currently available in select Ford dealerships around the world. The package was designed and manufactured in partnership with Classic Design Concepts. CDC is a Michigan-based automotive company that has an unprecedented reputation for quality and style. Their warranty track record and customer service is paramount.

Media Contact: [email protected]

Vaughn Gittin Jr. Partners With Nitto Tire

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BALTIMORE, MD. (January 8, 2013) – Formula Drift Champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. is excited to announce that he has joined forces with Nitto Tire. Fueled by passion and innovation, Nitto Tire is a perfect match for Vaughn and his always forward-thinking team. Vaughn, who is undeniably one of drifting’s most iconic drivers, will represent Nitto Tire and showcase their max-performance tire’s superior performance and capability through competing in the Formula Drift Championship and China’s WDS Series. He will also be performing exhibitions and experiential events all over the world, where many will have the opportunity to ride shotgun in his Monster Energy Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR.

From Vaughn: “I am pumped to be working with Nitto Tire! As I enter this new chapter of my career, it feels great to be aligned with a brand that is committed to winning and progression, just as I am. I have always been focused on working just as hard off the track as I do on it, and Nitto’s innovative marketing efforts and awesome tires will compliment that well. It is very clear that our overall passion and future goals align perfectly, and I could not be happier with what the future has to offer surrounding this partnership.”

In 2013 Vaughn will continue to be supported by the Autosport Dynamics (ASD) crew – the team behind his 2007 World Championship, 2010 Formula Drift Championship, and 2011 WDS Championship. During the off-season, Vaughn and ASD have thoroughly tested the Nitto NT05 max-performance tire and they are very confident in the competitive edge they will have entering the 2013 season.

Harry Kong, Marketing & Social Media Strategist for Nitto Tire: “Vaughn has proven himself to be an incredible driver and Champion, and Nitto Tire is looking forward to partnering with him for the upcoming 2013 drifting season. The Monster Energy Ford Mustang RTR running NT05 tires should be an exciting combination.”

“Through testing, we found the Nitto NT05 offers a high level of consistent grip through all temperature ranges, and that the high quality construction of the tire allows it to handle excessive abuse – both qualities of which are crucial for drifting,” said Vaughn.

Vaughn’s first public event drifting on Nitto’s NT05’s will be January 24-27 at the St. Louis Auto Show where he will be performing demos and hanging out with his fans. Find out how you can win a ride-along by visiting SaintLouisAutoShow.com. Stay tuned for more details about the 2013 season, as well as the upcoming release of the fresh look of Vaughn’s brand new Monster Energy Nitto Tire Mustang RTR!

For more information, please visit Vaughn’s Facebook Page or VaughnGittin.com
For media inquiries, please contact [email protected]

Formula DRIFT Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Fundraiser

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Last Thursday night (12/13/12), our special charity event to benefit the American Red Cross’s Hurricane Sandy relief efforts at Irwindale Speedway helped raise over $7,000! Fans that purchased ride-along tickets were treated to the ride of their life by Mauricio Orneles Jr., Jeff Jones, Patrick Mordaunt, Dai Yoshihara, Justin Pawlak, Odi Bakchis, Danny George, Kyle Mohan and Ryan Kado. Many thanks to these drivers for coming out and partcipating.

Throughout the night, other current and former drivers such as Ken Gushi, Alex Pfeiffer and Tanner Foust were on hand to take photos with fans and show their support.

We’d like to thank the following supporters for their generous donations to the raffle that took place.

ACT, K&N, M7, Lucas Oil, Fatlace, Keep Drifting Fun, Falken, HPI, Discount Tire, Yoshihara Design, Motegi, Nitto Tire, Electric, Alpinestars, Tony Angelo, Vaughn Gittin Jr., LA Racing, Source Interlink, Modified Magazine, Import Tuner, Super Street, EBC Brakes, K1 Speed, Racers Edge, Scion, Scion Racing and Beach City Mustang Club.

We’d also like to show our appreciation to:

The Irwindale Events Center for donating the facility, Emergency Hookers, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, ECO Boards, Everything Under The Sun and Belle-1 Racing Communications.

Thank you to all of our fans, drivers, teams and sponsors for helping making this event a great success!

Visit our All Access gallery for images from the event.