WAYNE, N.J., June 8, 2014 – Hankook Tire drivers Chris Forsberg and Ken Gushi are continuing their momentum on the track as they drifted to another podium finish this weekend at Formula Drift Round 3: Orlando. Forsberg and Gushi scored second and third place wins, respectively, at the event which took place at Orlando Speedworld.
The third race of the 2015 season marks Formula Drift’s twelfth year of competition in the United States, as well as Hankook Tire’s tenth year competing in the series and fourth year as an official series sponsor.
The semifinals of the event found Chris Forsberg and Ken Gushi faced in a rematch from Round 2: Road Atlanta, with Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z and Gushi in the GReddy Racing / Hankook Tire Scion Racing FR-S. The friction on the track was too much as Gushi’s car caused Forsberg’s to catch fire, which later led to mechanical issues. Forsberg ultimately received the win over Gushi, but mechanical issues perpetuated in the Finals, and he was unable to continue the competition.
Although the 10,000 fans were greeted with some inclement weather, the competition was fierce on this new Formula Drift track that challenging to even the sport’s most seasoned veterans. But the Hankook team rose up to the challenge, moving Forsberg up to third place and Gushi up to fourth place overall in the season standings.
“It was a wild ride start to finish,” said Forsberg. “A brand new track with constantly changing weather pushed our team to the limits, but not our Hankook Ventus R-S3 tires, which performed flawlessly despite the conditions.”
“I was able to take the Greddy/Hankook Scion FRS to the podium in harsh weather conditions thanks to the consistency of the Hankook RS3,” said Gushi. “The RS3 not only smoked our competition in the dry, but also left them in the dust when the rain came down. We were able to push our FRS to the limits in the torrential downpour and the severe bumps on course.”
All of Hankook’s Formula Drift drivers race on Hankook’s Ventus RS-3 Extreme Performance tire. The Ventus R-S3 is designed for serious sports car, sports coupe and performance sedan enthusiasts looking for race tire-like traction on the street or for use in autocross, drifting or track events.
“The Hankook team is thrilled to see two of our drivers up on that podium once again,” said Paul Jho, Hankook Motorsports Manager. “The third race of the year is very important as the drivers are now entering into the second half of the season with a solid understanding of where they stand and what adjustments need to be made. We are proud of Chris and Ken for their success in Orlando, and excited for the rest of the Formula Drift program this season.”
Hankook garnered enhanced visibility and sales increases in 2014 as a result of its motorsports sponsorships and special racing programs. In addition to Formula Drift, Hankook offers amateur and professional racing enthusiasts contingency program benefits and the chance to earn incentives in SCCA National Solo, ProSolo and Club Racing events, NASA regional and national races, and additionally supports teams competing in the Redline Time Attack series, 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Off-Road Racing and the Panam GP Series.
Formula Drift heads to Wall Stadium Speedway in Wall, N.J. on June 26th and 27th for round four of the 2015 season.