Tag: Odi Bakchis

Formula DRIFT x SEMA Ignited THE OFFICIAL SEMA SHOW AFTER-PARTY

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SEMA Ignited is the official SEMA Show after party, where consumers are welcome to join the industry on Friday, Nov. 6, from 3-10 pm. Taking place at the Gold Lot right across the street from the Las Vegas Convention Center, the event will include vehicles from the SEMA Show, music, food, demonstrations, entertainment and more. Consumers can purchase tickets and obtain details at www.semaignited.com.

The event gives the public, media, SEMA Show exhibitors, attendees and guests a rare opportunity to collect and share images of hundreds of customized vehicles featuring the newest and most innovative products from the SEMA Show.

To learn more about the event or to purchase consumer tickets, visit www.semaignited.com.

Formula DRIFT Drivers

  • Dai Yoshihara
  • Odi Bakchis
  • Mike Whiddett
  • Mike Essa
  • Alex Heilbrunn
  • Robbie Nishida
  • Daigo Saito
  • Dean Kearney

USE CODE: FORMULAD50

 

 

Nitto’s Auto Enthusiast Day is Going Back to Cali

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Nitto’s Auto Enthusiast Day is Going Back to Cali

After a successful event in Texas, Nitto Tire’s Auto Enthusiast Day is returning to Southern California August 1st, 2015 and promises to be the series’ best event yet.

Fast Facts:

  • 2015 marks the third year of the highly successful event series
  •  Event entry is free for all car show participants, vendors and spectators.
  •  Activities include a car show, drifting demos, truck jumping demos, a vendor midway, and raffle

    giveaways.

  • Meet Team Nitto drivers Vaughn Gittin, Jr., Odi Bakchis, “Mad” Mike Whiddett, and Tanner Foust

     
    Cypress, Calif. (June 9, 2015) – Southern California is the birthplace of “car culture” as we know it today. Everything from traditional hot rodding to the emergence of the Japanese car culture in the US can trace its origins back to “SoCal.” Celebrating all of this history, Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., a leading manufacturer of off- road and street performance tires, created the Auto Enthusiast Day event – a free car show designed to bring together every facet of the automotive world in one place. Now in its third year, Auto Enthusiast Day promises to be the biggest one yet when it comes to Angel’s Stadium in Anaheim, California on August 1st.

    Nitto Tire’s Auto Enthusiast Days has become a staple of the Southern California car show season. Since its inception in 2013, it has grown at an explosive rate, bringing in more cars, more vendors, more spectators, and more crowd-pleasing driving demos. Continuing this trend of growth, the 3rd annual event has even more in store for enthusiasts as Nitto pulls out all the stops to create the ultimate automotive experience.

    “We couldn’t be more thrilled with how quickly Auto Enthusiast Day has evolved, as well as all of the positive responses from our fans,” said Harry Kong, Brand Publishing Events and Motorsports for Nitto Tire. “Nitto is proud to be a company Fueled by Enthusiasts and we love being able to give back to the community that has been instrumental in our success. We have some great things planned for our 3rd annual event and cannot wait to see the reactions of the attendees.”

    Auto Enthusiast Day will be full of activities sure to please everyone. Like previous years, there will be a car show for enthusiasts and car clubs to show off their modified and restored vehicles, a Vendor Midway featuring the hottest products in the automotive industry, drifting demonstrations by Team Nitto drivers Vaughn Gittin, Jr., Odi Bakchis, “Mad” Mike Whiddett, and Tanner Foust, and raffle giveaways for everything from apparel to ride alongs with one of the Team Nitto drivers. New for 2015 will also feature various drivers from Nitto’s Ultra4 Off-Road motorsports team.

    The event will take place on Saturday, August 1st, 2015 at Angel’s Stadium in Anaheim, California and runs from 11am to 7pm. Admission to the event is free for everyone (spectator parking is $10) and the first 500 car show participants will receive a free gift for being part of the show. Vendor space is also free of charge for companies that want to show off their latest products, but space is limited and will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.

Tickets for Auto Enthusiast Day are available online at http://www.autoenthusiastday.com and interested vendors can reserve their spot by contacting [email protected]. To learn more about Nitto Tire, please visit www.nittotire.com. Join Nitto Tire on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NittoTire and on Twitter at @NittoTire.

About Nitto Tire

Nitto Tire (www.nittotire.com) develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in both Japan and the United States, Nitto provides innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding automotive enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto or its products, visit the company’s web site or contact the company directly. Nitto is a registered trademark of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., located at 5665 Plaza Drive, Ste. 250, Cypress, CA 90630.

#NittoTire #AutoEnthusiastDay

Formula DRIFT World Championship: Japan Round Results

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Formula DRIFT World Championship: Japan Round Results;
Masato Kawabata Wins at Fuji International Speedway

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Long Beach, Calif. – July 13, 2015 – Formula DRIFT Japan presented by G-Shock entered Fuji International Speedway for the 5th Round of the inaugural Formula DRIFT World Championship. Masato Kawabata in the Team Toyo Tires Drift/Trust Racing Nissan 35RX GTR takes the event victory and Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis leads the Formula Drift World Championship with a second place finish.

Formula DRIFT Japan at Fuji Speedway was the first world championship round outside of the U.S. The break in the rainy weather treated fans to a great display of international drifting competition as 63 drivers from 8 nations battled to be at the top of the podium. Almost 300,000 Livestream viewers joined the action and tuned in from around the world.

“Last November we took a bold step to launch the Formula DRIFT World Championship and this round officially kicks off which drivers will be eligible,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “Japan is the birthplace of drifting and it’s fitting to start the first international round where it all started.”

The event was challenging as many drivers who have never competed against each other matched up for the first time on this seemingly simple but very technical course. The semi-finals pitted Tadahiro Fukada in his RC-ART Dreamteam with Falken Toyota Mark II against Aurimas Bakchis in his ARK Performance / Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Hyundai Genesis Coupe with Bakchis edging out Fukada to head into the finals. Number 1 qualifier Masato Kawabata in his Team Toyo Tire Drift / Trust Racing Nissan 35RX GTR defeated Masao Suenaga in his RE Amemiya Mazda RX-7 to face Bakchis in the finals. The final head-to-head battle between Bakchis and Kawabata came to an early end as Bakchis’s motor gave on the second run and was not able to maintain drift. This gave Kawabata his perfect weekend by qualifying 1st and winning the competition.

“It felt really good to compete and be successful against foreign drivers that I have never driven against before,” stated Masato Kawabata, winner for Formula DRIFT Japan. “I was provided with a great car that did not have any troubles all weekend and drove comfortably. I would love to compete more internationally. The world be ready, I am coming.”

The 2015 Formula DRIFT season will continue to Round 5: Throwdown on July 24-25, 2015 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA. 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 Japan: Fuji International Speedway Event Results
1. Kawabata, Masato Team Toyo Tires Drift / Trust Racing Nissan 35RX GTR Winner
2. Bakchis, Aurimas “Odi” ARK Performance / Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2nd Place
3. Fukada, Tadahiro RC-ART Dreamteam with Falken Toyota Mark II 3rd Place
 

2015 Formula DRIFT World Championship Standings After One Round
1. Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis ARK Performance / Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Hyundai Genesis Coup 358.00 Points
2. Aasbo, Fredric RS-R Japan / Toyota GT86 NZ6 320.00 Points
3. Field, Matt Drift Cave Motorsports / Toyota Chaser JZX100 210.00 Points
4. Yokoi, Masashi D-MAX Racing with Yokohama / Nissan Silvia S15 187.00 Points
5. Kearney, Dean Oracle Lighting / Achilles Motorsports / Nissan 180SX S13 153.00 Points
6. Saito, Daigo Fat Five Racing / Lexus SC430 139.00 Points
7. Nishida, Robbie Team FNATZ x LB Works with ATR Radial / Nissan Skyline GTR 125.00 Points
8. Ng, Charles SoGun Motorsports / Mitsubishi Evo 122.00 Points
9. Whiddett, Mike Team Magic / Mazda RX7 FD3S 72.00 Points

Formula DRIFT Round 2: Road to the Championship Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 2: Road to the Championship Results;
Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis Takes His First Victory Moves into First Place in the Standings

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Long Beach, Calif. – May 9, 2015 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro returned to Road Atlanta for Round 2: Road to the Championship. Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Tire Nissan 240 SX takes the victory for his first Formula DRIFT win of his career and rises to the top of the standings.

Round 2: Road to the Championship was a night of upsets as the top qualifiers failed to move past the early rounds of the competition. The action packed event provided the fans with a competitive atmosphere that kept them on their feet throughout the night. 240,000 fans tuned in to watch the competition unfold on the Livestream broadcast during the event weekend.

“This season thus far has been very competitive,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “The competition is as tough as ever as can be proven by all the upsets tonight. It will be exciting to watch how the season unfolds especially as we head into a brand new venue at Orlando Speedworld for the next round.”

The semi-finals were a challenge for both defending champion, Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z and Ken Gushi in the GReddy Racing / Hankook Tire Scion Racing FR-S as their battles were too close to determine a definitive winner by the judges, leading to multiple one more time battles. During their third battle, Gushi edged out Forsberg with his close proximity on his chase run giving him the win, while Forsberg inches his way up the rankings to third place. The Finals pitted Gushi and Bakchis. Bakchis’ speed was too much for Gushi as he took an early lead in his lead run, which lead to his first Formula DRIFT victory and moves him into first place in the standings. Gushi found the podium for the first time since the 2009 season and moves into fifth place overall. “It feels great to get my first win,” said Aurimas Bakchis, winner of Round 2: Road to the Championship. “Road Atlanta is my favorite venue and I’m super stoked to continue the momentum I set in Long Beach. Currently sitting in first for the Championship and it feels amazing!”

The 2015 Formula DRIFT season will continue to Round 3: Uncharted Territory on June 5-6 and for the first time be held at Orlando Speedworld. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Round 2: Road to the Championship Event Results
1. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Nissan 240SX Winner
2. Gushi, Ken GReddy Racing / Hankook Tire Scion Racing FR-S 2nd Place
3. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 3rd Place
4. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab Nissan S15 4th Place
5. Moen, Kenny Bridges Racing / Achilles / Gatebil Nissan S14 5th Place
6. Ng, Charles Maxxis / Sparkplugs.com Infiniti G37 6th Place
7. Goodin, Pat Enjuku Racing / Falken Tire Nissan S13 7th Place
8. Stoneback, Geoff Geoff Stoneback Racing Nissan S14 8th Place
9. Pawlak, Justin Roush Performance Car Crafters Ford Mustang 9th Place
10. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Scion tC 10th Place
11. Grunewald, Conrad Always Evolving / Replay / GT Radial Chevy Camaro 11th Place
12. Gittin, Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 12th Place
13. Whiddett, Mike Red Bull Mazda MX-5 13th Place
14. Tuerck, Ryan Ryan Tuerck Racing / Retaks / Maxxis Scion FR-S 14th Place
15. Hohnadell, Alec 11 Racing Nissan S14 15th Place
16. Yokoi, Masashi D-Max Nissan S15 16th Place

2015 Formula DRIFT Championship Presented by GoPro Top 3 Standings After Two Events
1. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Nissan 240SX 187.00 Points
2. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Scion tC 143.00 Points
3. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 106.00 Points

Manufacturers Championship Standings After Two Rounds
1. Scion 295.00 Points
2. Ford 163.00 Points
3. Nissan 143.00 Points
4. Chevrolet 125.00 Points
5. Toyota 87.00 Points
6. Infiniti 85.00 Points
7. Mazda 72.00 Points
8. Dodge 36.00 Points
9. BMW 34.00 Points

Tire Championship Standings After Two Rounds

1. Hankook 295.00 Points
2. Nitto 275.00 Points
3. Falken 190.00 Points
4. Maxxis 188.00 Points
5. Achilles 187.00 Points
6. Yokohama 139.00 Points
7. GT Radial 107.00 Points

Formula DRIFT 2015 Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Results

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Formula DRIFT 2015 Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Results

Formula Drift Round 1 Podium Long Beach

Long Beach, Calif. – April 12, 2015 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro kicked-off the first event of the 2015 World Championship season with Round 1: Streets of Long Beach to a sold out crowd. Fredric Aasbo in the Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Scion tC takes the victory and the lead in the chase for the championship.

Round 1: Streets of Long Beach started off the twelfth season of Formula DRIFT to a sell out crowd. Over 20,000 fans experienced the action and excitement at the Streets of Long Beach Grand Prix Street Course through the weekend. The Dailymotion Livestream partnership saw over 300,000 unique viewers watch the Driftstream over the event weekend.

“The season kicked off in fantastic fashion,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “Each year I’m amazed at the diversity and growth of the Series in more intense competition. We had seven different tire manufacturers competing, nine vehicle manufacturers, various corporate brands, and eight past champions including the return of the only back-to-back champion Tanner Foust in the competition.”

After coming a few points short of his first title last season, Fredric Aasbo, kept the momentum that he gained through the second half of the 2014 season going and took the top spot on the podium after a few close battles. Ryan Tuerck in the Ryan Tuerck Racing / Retaks / Maxxis Tires Scion FR-S was unable to make the necessary mechanical change within the five minute allotment which forced him out of the competition to land in third place. The final battle saw Aasbo and Aurimas Bakchis in the Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Tire Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Aasbo edged out Bakchis to take the event victory.

“This is exactly how we want to start the season,” said Fredric Aasbo, winner of Round 1: Streets of Long Beach. “With a win here in Long Beach we are leading the World Championship and the Formula DRIFT Pro Championship. This being the hometown of Rockstar Energy, Scion, and Hankook it couldn’t have been any better.”

For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Event Results

1. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Scion tC Winner
2. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Hyundai Genesis 2nd Place
3. Tuerck, Ryan Ryan Tuerck Racing / Retaks / Maxxis Tires Scion FR-S 3rd Place
4. Field, Matt CX Racing / Yokohama Tire Nissan S14 4th Place Place
5. Gittin, Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 5th Place
6. McQuarrie, Tyler GoPro Mobil 1 Chevrolet Camaro 6th Place
7. Nishida, Robbie Achilles Radial Lexus SC300 7th Place
8. Mordaunt, Patrick DriftPaddock.com Nissan 350Z 8th Place
9. Forsberg, Chris Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 9th Place
10. Pawlak, Justin Roush Performance Car Crafters Ford Mustang 10th Place
11. Yoshihara, Dai Falken Tire / Turn 14 Distribution Subaru BRZ 11th Place
12. Savage, Dan SIKKY Racing Mazda RX-8 12th Place
13. Stoneback, Geoff Achilles Radial / Parts Shop Max Nissan S14 13th Place
14. Ng, Charles Maxxis / Sparkplugs.com Infiniti G37 14th Place
15. DeNofa, Chelsea BC Racing / Chelsea DeNofa Motorsports BMW 3 Series 15th Place
16. Coffman, Matt Coffman Racing Nissan S13 16th Place

2015 Formula DRIFT Championship Presented by GoPro Top 3 Standings After One Event

1. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Scion tC 105.00 Points
2. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Hyundai Genesis 83.00 Points
3. Tuerck, Ryan Ryan Tuerck Racing / Retaks / Maxxis Tires Scion FR-S 68.00 Points

Manufacturers Championship Standings After One Round

1. Scion 173.00 Points
2. Ford 88.00 Points
3. Chevrolet 69.00 Points
4. Nissan 57.00 Points
5. Toyota 51.00 Points
6. BMW 34.00 Points
7. Infiniti 34.00 Points
8. Dodge 18.00 Points
8. Mazda 18.00 Points

Tire Championship Standings After One Round

1. Hankook 143.00 Points
2. Nitto 135.00 Points
3. Maxxis 102.00 Points
4. Falken 101.00 Points
5. Yokohama 86.00 Points
5. Achilles 86.00 Points
7. GT Radial 52.00 Points