For Immediate Release
September 15, 2008
Formula DRIFT Round 6: Locked and Loaded Results;Tanner Foust Earns the Victory and Re-Takes the Lead
Long Beach, Calif. – September 15, 2008 – The Formula Drift Championship presented by Circuit City entered Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California for Round 6: “Locked and Loaded”. Current Champion Tanner Foust takes the victory and regains the lead in the chase for the Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup. This event also marked the return of Bill Sherman with a 3rd Place podium finish and the 4th podium finish for 2005 Champion Rhys Millen.
For the 5th season, Formula DRIFT entered Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. The Raceway known for its fast downhill entry and the FD track staff’s adjustment of the course; allowing for more run-off, created a more thrilling competition. Entry speeds during qualifying and head-to-head competition were consistently in the high 90MPH range. The clear skies, moderate winds and comfortable temperatures made for a great fan experience. They witnessed the reunion of Bill Sherman, now a Team Retaks driver with his old Enjuku Racing Nissan S13 which resulted in a 3rd Place podium finish. They watched the amazing driving of two champions, Rhys Millen and Tanner Foust battle it out in the final round with victory going to Foust. Millen has come a long way from his absence in Round 1 to being 3rd in the championship standings. Foust celebrates his win and regains the #1 position going into the Season Finale at Irwindale Speedway, October 11th.
With only 2 events remaining in the Pro Championship drivers let it all hang out. With Foust taking the victory he also re-secured his lead in the chase for the Castrol SYNTEC Powercup leading by 26 points over 2-time Champion Samuel Hubinette and his Nuformz Racing / Mopar Dodge Viper. After missing a few events Bill Sherman came back to competition driving his former Nissan S13 and quickly made his return known taking 3rd place. Rhys Millen and his Red Bull Pontiac GTO took home 2nd place honors at this event marking 4 podiums in 6 events moving him into the 3rd spot overall.
“With one event remaining in the Formula DRIFT Pro Championship and the championship chase close like usual, the season finale another exciting close to the 5th season of Formula DRIFT,” states Jim Liaw, President and Co-Founder of Formula DRIFT. “In addition, the Top 16 championship finishers will also have an automatic invitation to the inaugural Red Bull Drifting World Championship. This will make the season finale that much more suspenseful and not to be missed.”
The battle continues into the final event of the season, Round 7: “Final Fight” on October 11, 2008 at Irwindale Speedway. With one event remaining much is at stake as the chase for the Championship and the Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup, the Tires.com Triple Crown bonus prize and an invitation to the Red Bull Drifting World Championships on November 15 & 16 are all on the line. Expect the drivers to go all out.
Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup 2008 Point Standings
| 1. Foust, Tanner | Rockstar / AEM Nissan 350Z | 504 Points |
| 2. Hubinette, Samuel | Nuformz Racing / Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10 | 478 Points |
| 3. Millen, Rhys | Red Bull Pontiac Solstice | 448 Points |
| 4. Yoshihara, Daijiro | Bridgestone / RMR Pontiac GTO | 423 Points |
| 5. Forsberg, Chris | NOS Energy Drink Nissan 350Z | 403 Points |
| 6. Tuerck, Ryan | Gardella Racing / Mobil1 Pontiac Solstice | 389 Points |
| 7. Takatori, Michihiro | Super Autobacs Nissan Skyline R34 | 381 Points |
| 8. Grunewald, Conrad | Nitto / Tanaka Racing Chevrolet Corvette | 294.25 Points |
| 9. Nishida, Robbie | Hankook / Dynamic Autosport Nissan 350Z | 255.25 Points |
| 10. Gittin, Jr., Vaughn | Falken / Ford Racing Mustang | 238.50 Points |
| 10. Miki, Ryuji | APEXi / Nitto Mazda RX7 | 238.50 Points |
| 12. McNamara, Darren | Falken / Sears Auto Center Saturn Sky | 237 Points |
| 13. Verdier. Stephan | Cooper / Crawford Performance Subaru STI | 224.50 Points |
| 14. Gushi, Ken | RS*R Scion tC | 222.50 Points |
| 15. Mohan, Kyle | Kyle Mohan Racing / Cooper / Mazdatrix RX-7 | 181.50 Points |
| 16. Yamanaka, Kenji | Signal / Maziora Nissan 240 | 166.50 Points |
Tires.com Triple Crown 2008 Point Standings
| 1. Millen, Rhys | Red Bull Pontiac Solstice GXP | 170 Points |
| 2. Yoshihara, Daijiro | Bridgestone / RMR Pontiac GTO | 166 Points |
| 3. Takatori, Michihiro | Super Autobacs Nissan Skyline R34 | 157 Points |
Formula DRIFT Round 6: Locked and Loaded Event Results
| 1. Foust, Tanner | Rockstar / AEM Nissan 350Z | 107 Points |
| 2. Millen, Rhys | Red Bull Pontiac Solstice | 93 Points |
| 3. Sherman, Bill | Retaks / Bridgestone Nissan 240SX | 84 Points |
Full official standings available on: www.formuladrift.com
For more information / media images / inquiries contact:
John Pangilinan
The ID Agency
562.491.7503
john@theidagency.com
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Entering its fifth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship series. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has involved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each racer’s driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for North American professionals to demonstrate their skills against the world’s top drifters. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.
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