LAS VEGAS, NV (August 22 2010, SAMUEL HÜBINETTE RACING) – Samuel Hübinette drove his Samuel Hübinette Racing/BFGoodrich Dodge Challenger to the number one qualifying spot at this weekend’s Formula DRIFT round in Las Vegas.
“To qualify number one with a car that we debuted this year is fantastic,” said Hübinette. “After five rounds to show that we can be on top is a great accomplishment for the team.”
The two-time champion’s new racing organization, Samuel Hübinette Racing, debuted the new Dodge Challenger at the season opener in April. The team has been developing the vehicle for competition since the start of the year.
Hübinette performance thrilled the sell-out crowd at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hübinette clocked some of the fastest speeds of the day, topping 100 plus miles per hour heading into the first corner and swinging sideways into a series of dramatic, smoky drifts.
The main event at Formula DRIFT’s Round 5: After Dark took place late in the day after the sun set on the sweltering Nevada desert. Temperatures hit 110 degrees over the weekend and track conditions were variable. After earning the number one qualifying spot, Hübinette advanced into the Top 8 battle before he was eliminated by ultimate podium finisher Daijiro Yoshihara.
Hübinette is campaigning the series for the first time in his Dodge/BFGoodrich Challenger. The team has proven competitive at the opening four rounds of the series. Hübinette has never once failed to make the Top 16 round in Formula Drift competition.
“We are continuing to fine-tune the development of the new car this season and it was great to qualify on top, said crew chief Brad Manka. “A minor engine issue in the last two rounds of the day saw us head into our final rounds down on power, but qualifying number one proved without a doubt that we have a competitive package.”
Drifting is a high-skill, high-powered motorsport with an emphasis on car control skill. Drivers compete on a closed-course, sliding sideways at high speed in trials judged on speed and style. It is a sport that packs the thrills of traditional motorsport into an exciting, condensed version in front of enthusiastic fans. With origins in Japan, it is the fastest growing form of motorsport in the world, seeing 20 per cent annual growth in the USA.
Hübinette, who returned to competition for this event after earning a bronze-medal in his X Games SuperRally debut, emerges from the contest in sixth-place overall in the Formula DRIFT points standings.
In addition to the Formula DRIFT championship contest, this weekend’s Las Vegas event featured the Pro-Am finals, a car show, a Monster truck demonstration and drag races. Dodge returned to the series with its demonstration of special drift thrill rides for fans on a short, closed course in the paddocks.
The team’s second driver, Formula Drift newcomer Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard, didn’t advance into the Top 32 in the team’s Dodge Viper. Comrie-Picard, a series rookie, is an accomplished rally driver. He scored a bronze medal in the invitation-only X Games Rally Car competition in late July.
The team returns to Formula DRIFT competition in Sonoma at Infineon Raceway September 10-11.
SAMUEL HÜBINETTE RACING PARTNERS —
Dodge, BFGoodrich, Ignite Racing Fuels, Eibach, Weld Racing, AIT, Sparco, K&N, AEM, Stack Performance, ES Motorsports, Royal Purple, Wilwood, Mopar, Tilton Engineering, Os Giken, ITI Performance, Magnaflow, Azunia Tequila, Meguiar’s, APR, Vitamin Water.