The Streets of Long Beach hosted the first event of the 2010 Formula DRIFT season, and with all teams arriving fresh from a few months of R&R (that’s Rebuild and Replace) it was a chance to see some new drivers, new rides, and a few old favorites.

The new ride category included Samuel Hubinette’s new Dodge Challenger, which was finally finished after being teased all of last year, and is making north of 800 horsepower thanks to a methanol burning V8:

Another new body style making its Formula Drift debut was Conrad Grunewald’s 2010 Camaro, which was looking good in a custom body kit with a supercharged LSA pushing upwards of 600 horsepower to the wheels. Conrad didn’t manage to make the top 16, so it looks like he’s still getting a feel for the car, but when he finally gets this thing dialed, it’s going to be a beast:

Lastly, Vaughn Gittin Jr. took the wraps off his 2011 Ford Mustang RTR-C, which is easily my new favorite car, thanks to a full carbon fiber body kit, a 5.0 liter, supercharged V8 making 680 horsepower, and an awesome Monster Energy themed paint job:

Making his driving debut in the States was Fredric Aasbo, who was looking super impressive in his Toyota Supra, and managed to snag fourth place after upsetting quite a few seasoned drivers in their head-to-head battles:

Old favorites included Rhys Millen’s Hyundai Genesis Coupe, which features a turbocharged 6-cylinder engine making 500+ horsepower, a carbon fiber body, and the hottest umbrella girl ever:

Kyle Mohan and his Mazda RX-8, which was sporting a new paint job, new carbon fiber body panels, and the ability to spit fire out of the rotary engine:

Tony Brakohiapa’s Mustang with new Tuskegee Airmen “Red Tail” livery, which was easily one of the best looking cars out there, and will hopefully return to looking that way after they fix the new spoiler design (thanks to a minor run-in with the wall):

Last year’s champion Chris Forsberg and his V8 powered Nissan 350Z:

And Tanner Foust’s NASCAR V8 powered Scion tC, which was fresh from a scenic tour of Mulholland Drive:

In the end, it was Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his RTR-C Mustang that would take top spot over Rhys Millen and his Hyundai Genesis Coupe, with Tanner Foust rounding out the all energy drink podium. (Vaughn Gittin Jr. drives for Monster Energy Drink, Rhys Millen for Red Bull, and Tanner Foust for Rockstar Energy Drink.)

With just one of seven rounds on the boards, it’s still anyone’s championship to win, and they’ll head to Road Atlanta next on May 7-8 for the Road to the Championship event, where the competition should be as fierce as ever.

As always, DYH will be here to bring you the latest, so until then, be sure to check out the Flickr Gallery for more shots of the action, and stay tuned for more Formula DRIFT updates.

Formula DRIFT Professional Championship 2010 Point Standings

1. Vaughn Gittin – Monster Energy / Falken Tire Ford Mustang – 108 Points
2. Rhys Millen – RMR / Red Bull Hyundai Genesis Coupe – 100 Points
3. Tanner Foust – Rockstar Energy Scion TC – 82 Points
4. Fredric Aasbo – Japan Auto / FSR Toyota Supra – 72 Points
5. Ryan Tuerck – Mobil 1 / Maxxis Tire / Gardella Racing Pontiac Solstice – 65 Points
6. Samuel Hubinette – SHR-Dodge / BF Goodrich Dodge Challenger – 64 Points
7. Patrick Mordaunt – Brian Crower / PM Racing Nissan 350Z – 62 Points
8. Jame Deane – Falken Tire Nissan S15 – 61.50 Points
9. Darren McNamara – Falken Tire Saturn Sky – 60 Points
10. Chris Forsberg – NOS Energy Drink / CFR Nissan 350Z – 56 Points
11. Ryuji Miki – APEXi / Hankook Tire Mazda RX-7 – 56 Points
12. Daijiro Yoshihara – America’s Tire / Falken Tire Nissan S13 – 56 Points
13. Tony Brakohiapa – Cooper Tire / Sam’s Autoboy Ford Mustang – 54.50 Points
14. Stephan Verdier – Royal Purple / Crawford Performace Subaru STI – 54.50 Points
15. Forrest Wang – BF Goodrich / K&N Infiniti G35 – 54.50 Points
16. Michihiro Takatori – BF Goodrich / Exedy Nissan S15 – 54.25 Points

[Formula DRIFT]