Tag: The Gauntlet

Formula DRIFT Round 4: The Gauntlet Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 4: The Gauntlet Results;
Aurimas Bakchis Fights His Way to Victory

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Long Beach, Calif. – June 3, 2017 – Formula DRIFT Black Magic Pro Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras returned to Wall Speedway in New Jersey for the fourth event of the season. Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Falken Tire / Drifz Wheels Nissan 240 battled his way to victory.

“As we hit the half way point of the season, there’s still plenty of action left,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “These are the best drifters from around the world and the championship is still up for grabs.”

The Advance Auto Parts Round 4: The Gauntlet showcased tough competition throughout the event weekend. Over 1 million viewers tuned into the Livestream to watch the exciting action.

The Final 4 pitted Michael Essa in the Achilles Tire / Essa Autosport BMW M3 against Kristaps Bluss in the HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46 on one side of the bracket. The battle of the BMWs went to the 2013 champion, Essa as he took advantage of a mistake by his opponent. Bakchis was set to face off against Matt Coffman in the Nexen Tire / Coffman Racing Nissan 240, but after failing to repair his vehicle within the allotted 5 minutes, Coffman had to bow out giving Bakchis the win. In the final battle, Essa faced off against Bakchis, with the first run being a very competitive outing. The second battle ended in dramatic fashion as Essa’s tire debeaded coming off the bank and Bakchis’ motor gave out just as he crossed the finish line. Bluss rounded out the podium in third place for the second consecutive event.

“I feel amazing. It was a very hard battle for us the whole weekend,” said Aurimas “Odi” Bakchi, winner of the Advance Auto Parts Round 4: The Gauntlet. “We had lots of challenges, but my crew pulled it together and allowed me to drive like an animal and kept my car somewhat together just enough as it literally blew up right at the finish line. The timing couldn’t have been better and I couldn’t be happier.”

The action continues to Round 5: True North at Autodrome St-Eustache in Montreal, Canada on July 15-16. For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaDrift, and Snapchat – formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Advance Auto Parts Round 4: The Gauntlet Event Results

1. Bakchis, Aurimas Falken Tire / Drifz Wheels Nissan 240 Winner
2. Essa, Michael Achilles Tire / Essa Autosport BMW M3 2nd Place
3. Bluss, Kristaps
HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46 3rd Place
4. Coffman, Matt Nexen Tire / Coffman Racing Nissan 240 4th Place
5. Deane, James Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan Silvia 5th Place
6. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla iM 6th Place
7. Yoshihara, Dai Falken Tire / Turn 14 Distribution Subaru BRZ 7th Place
8. Jones, Jeff DOC Racing Nissan 240 8th Place
9. Denofa, Chelsea BC Racing / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR 9th Place
10. Tuerck, Ryan Gumout / Nameless Performance / Hankook Toyota 86Falken 10th Place
11. Pawlak, Justin Roush Performance Ford Mustang 11th Place
12. Gittin, Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR
12th Place
13. Rintanen, Juha STR Racing Wheels / Nexen Tire Nissan Silvia 13th Place
14. Heilbrunn, Alex IMR / Nitto Tire BMW M3
14th Place
15. Hamilton, Nate Team Enjuku / BC Racing / Hankook Tire Nissan 240 15th Place
16. Nishida, Robbie Jerry Yang Racing Nissan GT-R 16th Place

2017 Formula DRIFT Black Magic Championship Presented by BlackVue Standings After 4 Events

1. Deane, James Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 297.00 Points
2. Essa, Michael Achilles Tire / Essa Autosport BMW M3 241.00 Points
3. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla iM 230.00 Points

2017 Manufacturer Championship Standings After 4 Events

1. Toyota 441.00 Points
2. Ford 326.00 Points
3. BMW 241.00 Points
4. Dodge 204.00 Points
5. Nissan 155.00 Points
6. Mazda 86.00 Points

2017 Tire Championship Standings After 3 Events

1. Falken 590.00 Points
2. Achilles 526.00 Points
3. Nexen 483.00 Points
4. Hankook 398.00 Points
5. Nitto 373.00 Points

Formula DRIFT Round 4: The Gauntlet Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 4: The Gauntlet Results;
Vaughn Gittin Takes the Win and the Pro Championship Lead

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Long Beach, Calif. – June 18, 2016 – Formula DRIFT presented by BlackVue returned to New Jersey for Round 4: The Gauntlet. Vaughn Gittin in the Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR takes the victory and takes the lead in the Pro Championship standings.

Round 4: The Gauntlet returned to Wall Speedway for the eleventh time as the season hits the mid-way point. Fans witnessed a highly competitive round of competition. The event had over 400,000 views on the Livestream.

“Before heading into this event the top ten drivers in the standings were within 90 points from the lead as we reach middle of the season,” said Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “The competition is at an all-time high and every event counts as we head into our first ever Pro Championship international event next month in Montreal, Canada.”

The action packed event found Ken Gushi in the GReddy Racing / Nexen Tire SR by Toyota 86 against 2-time Formula DRIFT champion, Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z in the semi-finals. Gushi made a detrimental mistake on his chase run that gave Forsberg the win to move him into the Finals and on the podium for his third consecutive event. Gushi moves into the fourth spot for the Championship. Rookie Alex Heilbrunn in the RTS Monster BMW M3 faced off against the 2010 Formula DRIFT champion Vaughn Gittin on the other side of the bracket in the semi-finals. The speed and consistency of Gittin was too much to overcome for the rookie, however Heilbrunn ends up in third place for his first ever Formula DRIFT Pro Championship podium. The finals were a battle of champions with Gittin versus Forsberg. Gittin remained tough to beat and edged out his opponent for his second victory of the season to move into the top spot in the standings.

“Winning is always awesome and always fun and as everyone knows I like to have a good time and so does my team,” said Vaughn Gittin, winner of Round 4: The Gauntlet. “We came out this weekend and worked as hard as we could and dialed the car in the best we could. I just drove my heart out.”

The 2016 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship will continue to Round 5: True North on July 15-16, 2016 at Autodrome St. Eustache in Canada. For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaD, and snapchat formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Formula DRIFT Round 4 The Gauntlet Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 4 The Gauntlet Results;
Fredric Aasbo is Victorious

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Long Beach, Calif. – June 28, 2015 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro returned to Wall Speedway in Wall Township, New Jersey for Round 4: The Gauntlet. Fredric Aasbo in the Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Scion tC takes the victory and moves into third place in the standings.

Round 4: The Gauntlet saw challenging conditions due to the inclement weather. The varying dry and wet conditions on the track through the event created an additional element that the drivers had to overcome in order to advance through the rounds of competition. The action was competitive with many close battles. 300,000 fans tuned in through the event weekend on the Driftstream.

“As we approach the halfway point of the season we are in the tightest race for the championship with only 7 points separating the top three drivers,” said Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “With only three events remaining in the season, the championship is still up for grabs. We expect the championship to come down to the wire in one of the most exciting seasons to date.”

The semi-finals saw Ryan Tuerck in the Retaks / Maxxis / Nameless Performance Scion FR-S battle it out against Dean Kearney in the Oracle Lighting / Achilles Motorsports Dodge Viper. Kearney edged out Tuerck to advance to the Finals. Fredric Aasbo faced off against Masashi Yokoi and after a close battle, Aasbo took the victory to face Kearney. Consistency in the wet condition proved to be the deciding factor for Aasbo as he was able to take his second consecutive victory at Wall Speedway moving into third place in the chase for the championship only 7 points behind the leader. Tuerck with his third place finish rises to the top of the standings by a mere point over Aurimas Bakchis in second place.

“What an amazing win! We are back in the hunt for the championship and I couldn’t be happier,” said Fredric Aasbo, winner of Round 4: The Gauntlet. “Big thanks to Rockstar Energy Drink, Scion Racing, and of course Hankook Tire on their home turf. I think we were able to prove our extreme prowess in the rain.”

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.

Round 4: The Gauntlet Event Results

1. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Scion tC Winner
2. Kearney, Dean Oracle Lighting / Achilles Motorsports Dodge Viper 2nd Place
3. Tuerck, Ryan Ryan Tuerck Racing / Retaks / Maxxis Scion FR-S 3rd Place
4. Yokoi, Masashi D-Max Nissan S15 4th Place
5. Gushi, Ken GReddy Racing / Hankook Tire Scion Racing FR-S 5th Place
6. Denofa, Chelsea BC Racing Chelsea DeNofa Motorsports GT Radial BMW 6th Place
7. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Nissan 240SX 7th Place
8. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab Nissan S15 8th Place
9. Pawlak, Justin Roush Performance / Car Crafters Ford Mustang 9th Place
10. Goodin, Pat Enjuku Racing / Falken Tire Nissan S13 10th Place
11. Moen, Kenny Bridges Racing / Achilles / Gatebil Nissan S14 11th Place
12. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 12th Place
13. Mordaunt, Pat DriftPaddock.com / Falken Tire Nissan 350Z 13th Place
14. Castro, Jhonnattan E3 / Hankook / Progreso Nissan 370Z 14th Place
15. Field, Matt CX Racing / Yokohama Nissan S14 15th Place
16. Saito, Daigo Achilles Radial Nissan GT-R 16th Place
2015 Formula DRIFT Championship Presented by GoPro Top 3 Standings After Four Rounds
1. Tuerck, Ryan Ryan Tuerck Racing / Retaks / Maxxis Scion FR-S 275.00 Points
2. Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Nissan 240SX 274.00 Points
3. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Scion tC 268.00 Points

Manufacturers Championship Standings After Four Rounds

1. Scion 644.00 Points
2. Nissan 331.00 Points
3. Ford 290.00 Points
4. Chevrolet 215.00 Points
5. Dodge 152.00 Points
6. Mazda 143.00 Points
7. Infiniti 140.00 Points
8. Toyota 105.00 Points
9. BMW 104.00 Points

Tire Championship Standings After Four Rounds

1. Hankook 610.00 Points
2. Nitto 432.00 Points
3. Achilles 390.00 Points
4. Maxxis 360.00 Points
4. Yokohama 360.00 Points
6. Falken 351.00 Points
7. GT Radial 213.00 Points

Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway Results

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Daigo Saito Takes the Victory

Long Beach, Calif. – June 22, 2013 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro returned to Wall Speedway in New Jersey for Round 4: The Gauntlet. Daigo Saito the driver of the Achilles / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430 increases his Championship point lead with his second victory of the season.

For the second year in a row, Round 4: The Gauntlet showcased action in front of a sold out crowd in New Jersey. This event marks the half-way mark for the season with the championship in the sights of a few of the top drivers.

“We are happy to return to New Jersey for the ninth time,” stated Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “After Hurricane Sandy devastated the area last year, we are proud to be able to contribute and bring some economic stimulus to the region with our Series. On top of that we were treated to world class action in front of a capacity crowd.”

The new course configuration at Wall Speedway proved to be challenging and exciting for the drivers. A few of the top teams were taken out early in the competition opening the door for others to move ahead in the event. In the consolation round with Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Nissan 370Z against Darren McNamara in the Falken Tire Nissan 240SX the action heated up when McNamara had a mistake that gave Forsberg the third place finish. The final battle pitted the number one qualifier Justin Pawlak in the Falken Ford Mustang against champion Daigo Saito. Pawlak on his chase run went a little too hard and spun out giving the victory and increasing the Championship point lead to Daigo Saito.

“I’m very happy to have this win and remain in 1st place,” said Daigo Saito, winner of Round 4: The Gauntlet. “It feels like I won a championship tonight going against some of the top competition in the Series with Vaughn, Fredric, Darren and Justin and I look forward to the next event.”

Formula DRIFT continues to Round 5: Throwdown at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA on July 19-20, 2013.

Vaughn Gittin Takes the Victory at Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway

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Vaughn Gittin Takes the Victory at Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway;
Yoshihara and Forsberg Round out the Podium

Long Beach, Calif. – June 23, 2012 – Formula DRIFT returned to Wall Speedway for Round 4: The Gauntlet. Vaughn Gittin, Jr. in the Monster Energy / Falken Tire Ford Mustang takes the victory.

Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway saw a sold out crowd continuing the successful season. The Driftstream saw over 200,000 total views in a 24-hour period.

“The drift fans from all over the North East are die hard and came to watch the action until the very end,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “With many of the top drivers hailing from the area, the North East fans saw two local drivers with Vaughn Gittin, Jr. and Chris Forsberg on the podium.

The competition was fierce at the half-way point of the season. Finding the podium was the past three season champions. Top 4 competition saw a repeat of the final round from Round 3, with the 2009 champion, Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z battling against Formula DRIFT rookie Daigo Saito, in the Achilles Tire / Bridges Racing Lexus SC430, who currently sits in second place in the overall standings. Forsberg got his revenge and was able to defeat the rookie ending up in third place and moving him up to fifth place overall. The final battle pitted the current 2011 Formula DRIFT champion, Daijiro Yoshihara in the Discount Tire / Falken Tire Nissan 240SX against the 2010 Formula DRIFT champion, Vaughn Gittin, Jr. Yoshihara had a major correction on his chase run which gave the win to Gittin, for his first podium of the season and improving to fourth place overall. Yoshihara found the podium for his second consecutive event and remains in third place in the standings.

“It took me a little longer than expected to harness this brand new 2013 Monster Energy / Falken Ford Mustang,” said Vaughn Gittin, Jr., winner of Round 4: The Gauntlet. “My team and I worked extremely hard and overcame the challenges and got back on the podium and it feels amazing!”

The competition increases with only a few points separating the competition on their way to becoming the next champion. The Formula DRIFT Pro Championship continues with Round 5: Throwdown on July 20-21, 2012 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA.