Formula DRIFT kicked off the 2009 season last Saturday, and with a new race format and new rules designed to increase the number of rounds during the main event, there was plenty of action on the streets of Long Beach. In the end, last year’s champion Tanner Foust edged out Robbie Nishida for third place, and after a close final, Ryan Tuerck took home his first win of the season over Samuel Hubinette.
Cars that made their debut at the event include Tanner Foust’s new NASCAR V8 powered Scion tC, Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s new 2010 Mustang GT, and Rhys Millen’s new Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Absent from the competition was Samuel Hubinette’s new Dodge Challenger, though the team did tease it from the trailer, and it looked like it will be ready for battle soon.
Not surprisingly, Long Beach was home to a few spectacular crashes, including Ken Gushi’s slide into the wall on Friday that knocked him out of the competition, and Tommy Suell and Katsuhiro Ueo’s crash during qualifying that crushed the left side of Tommy’s AE86 and prevented him from competing. On Saturday, Conrad Grunewald smacked his Corvette into the tire wall after following Ryan Tuerck too wide into turn 10, Calvin Wan hit the wall in a solo crash while battling Ryan Tuerck, and Vaughn Gitten Jr. and Samuel Hubinette tangled heading into the final turn, leaving Gitten’s Mustang with a bit of a nose job and Hubinette’s Viper with a crumpled rim.
Formula DRIFT now heads to Road Atlanta for Round 2 on May 8th and 9th, and judging by what was seen at Long Beach, the 2009 season is going to be a good one.
(Also be sure to check out the full gallery at my Flickr page.)
[Flickr - Formula DRIFT, Long Beach]
[Formula DRIFT]
The Scion tC might not seem like the ideal drifting car, but with 400 horsepower and a rear wheel drive conversion, I’m sure Ken Gushi will make do.
The car, modified by RS*R, will debut at this weekend’s Formula Drift, and features a BEAMS-built 32-GE engine, an HKS GT3037 turbo, an intercooler, and a Blitz and AEM engine management system.
Additional mods include a G-Force five-speed, coilovers, and a custom wide-body kit.
I can’t wait to see it in person, but even in these pictures, it looks like one angry Scion.
[Via: Autoblog]
With the D1 Grand Prix no longer making its way to the states, Formula Drift has become the number one way to get your drifting fix.
That’s no big loss though, because Formula Drift has become a terrific series of events at premiere racing venues across the country.
On April 12, the series kicks off in Long Beach, and then seven events later, concludes at the Irwindale Speedway. Last year, I covered the finals in Irwindale, and from first hand experience, I can definitely say that this are must see events.
Special appearances at the Long Beach event include Rob Dyrdek of “Rob & Big” fame as the Official Grand Marshall of the Formula Drift series, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, and the introduction of the new Miss Formula Drift.
DYH will be there to cover the event for you, so look for an upcoming post with all the details.
[Formula Drift]
On Saturday, I had the chance to go and see Formula D’s “The Finals” at Irwindale Speedway (yes, I did get stuck on Interstate 5 on the way down from San Francisco due to that massive accident), and I must say, if you’re at all a fan of the four wheeled machine, make sure you check out one of Formula Drift’s events at a track near you.
If you’re not familiar with the sport, think of drifting as two automotive ballerinas battling it out in a boxing match. It’s gracefully controlled mayhem, and in my opinion, it’s easily the best form of four-wheeled entertainment on the planet.
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