Monthly Archives: February 2011
Team Need for Speed Takes Home the GOLD at Formula Drift UAE Invitational
BALTIMORE, Md. (February 28, 2011) — Team Need for Speed took to Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi for the Formula Drift UAE Invitational competition last week. Recently announced Team NFS member, Fredric Aasbo, came out on top after defeating 2009 Formula Drift Champ, Chris Forsberg, in the finals. Team Need for Speed’s Mad Mike Whiddett finished the event in a very respectable fourth place, after his battle in the consolation round against two-time Formula Drift Champion, Tanner Foust.
During the week leading up to the main event, both Team Need for Speed drivers participated in some pre-competition promotion and fun, like kart racing and drag racing with fellow Formula Drift drivers. Watch the VIDEO from the pre-competition festivities. Fredric Aasbo did a pre-event live-stream INTERVIEW where he talks to “The Voice” of Formula Drift, Jarod DeAnda, about his new team and his thoughts about Yas Marina Circuit. Mad Mike had the honor of flying into Abu Dhabi a week earlier for promotions and to give all the media and Yas Marina staff ride-alongs in the BADBUL Need for Speed RedBull RX8. Watch the VIDEO.
This event marks the first time in history that Formula Drift has competed at Yas Marina Circuit. “Having a Formula Drift event at what is probably the world’s most impressive racing facility, says a lot about how far the sport has progressed in under ten years,” says Fredric. “It started out on Japanese mountain roads, and now we are drifting at the number one state-of-the-art Formula 1 facility located in the geographical centre of the world. For a boy that learned to drive on snowy Scandinavian backroads, this is the ultimate drifting experien ce!”
The competition was composed of eight specially-invited and highly-renowned Formula Drift drivers. In the Great Eight, Mad Mike would battle his way through Michael Essa after qualifying fourth, and Fredric Aasbo was able to defeat Ryan Tuerck after qualifying eighth. Fredric and Mad Mike would then both move on the top four, only to be matched up against each other.
Central Florida Racing Compled Event 2/19/2011 by: Beard Life(Video)
CFRC 2/19/2012 from Beard Life on Vimeo.
Nate Hamilton 2011 New Wrap Revealed(Video)
Nate Hamilton 2011 New Wrap from Corey Denomy on Vimeo.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. Main Character in Need for Speed SHIFT 2 Unleashed, with Monster Energy Falken Tire Ford Mustang and NFS RTR-X as Boss Cars
BALTIMORE, Md. (February 28, 2011) — The most successful racing video game series in the world, Electronic Art’s Need for Speed, is releasing the highly-anticipated SHIFT 2 Unleashed to the public March 29th, and 2010 Formula Drift Champion, Vaughn Gittin Jr., is excited to announce his huge involvement with the most realistic and immersive racing game on the market.
The Monster Energy Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang that Vaughn piloted to win the 2010 Formula Drift Championship will be the “boss car” for the Drift element of Unleashed. All players have the opportunity to have Vaughn’s competition car in their garage and drift it at famous tracks such as Irwindale Speedway and Ebisu Circuit. “Not only does it look the part,” says Vaughn, “but it’s handling and throttle response are as much crazy in-game as it is in real life.”
The Team Need for Speed ’69 Mustang RTR-X is the “boss car” in the Muscle element of the game and every player will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of this amazing vehicle. “Just don’t scratch the paint!” Vaughn says jokingly.
Besides his vehicles being in-game and his personal contributions to the physics and other elements of SHIFT 2 Unleashed, Vaughn is honored that he is also the main character in the game. ”I am each players’ friend and coach in the game,” Vaughn explains. “ I am the guy that gives the player confidence before and during the races, I applaud players when they are killing it, and I yell at them when they are making mistakes.”