For Immediate Release
Brian Wilkerson takes 1st place at The Formula D PRO/AM East Divisional Championship and is awarded his 2009 Formula Drift License
ALTON, Virginia, Oct. 5, 2008 – Drift Alliance Ace Brian Wilkerson traveled to Virginia International Raceway this past weekend to compete in the 2008 Formula Drift PRO/AM East Divisional Championship presented by Mazda which was held in conjunction with GTLive 7 and the KONI Challenge Finals. Brian’s initial goal was a podium finish, and not only did he take the top podium position, but he rightfully earned his 2009 Formula Drift license as well.
Friday’s practice was foresight for the weekend’s results, as Brian had the highest speeds of the day. His lines were consistent, his angle was deep, and he hit every clip with precision. Brian and his MA-Motorsports SR20DET-powered Nissan 240SX were set for Saturday’s competition.
After some extra practice Saturday afternoon, Brian was geared up for top 16 qualifying. For his first qualifying run, Brian came down the hill of the course with great speed and angle – too much angle unfortunately, as he spun out at the bottom of the hill.
The pressure was on as Brian knew he only had one more chance to not only make it into the top 16, but also to qualify in a high position. For his next pass, Brian had an entry speed of 66 mph, the second highest qualifying speed. He hit all the clips and kept intense angle throughout the course. Unfortunately, Brian bumped a cone at the end of the course, which would be a slight deduction of points resulting in a score of 95.
When it came down to announcing who would be moving on to the main event, Brian was ecstatic to learn that he had qualified in 3rd place and would be facing Rod Campos in first round of the Sweet Sixteen.
“Rod is a real consistent driver and I have driven with him in the past at Clubloose events,” says Brian. “I was excited to be going against him first.”
For the first pass, Brian would lead and Rod would give chase. Brian had amazing angle in the first turn and was quick through the course, leaving Rod behind in the smoke spewing off his Dunlop Tires.
In the second pass, Brian followed Rod and quickly closed the gap between the two competitors amid the second and third turns. The advantage was given to Brian and he moved up the ranks into the Great Eight.
For the battle of the top eight, Brian was paired up against Dennis Mertzanis. Brian had been defeated by Dennis at a past competition, so he knew he had a challenge ahead of him.
In the first pass of this top eight battle, Brian led first with insane angle and managed to quickly pull away from his competitor, leaving a good-sized gap.
For the second pass, Dennis led and Brian stayed glued to his back bumper, not missing one beat. Once again, Brian would prove victorious and was moving on to the next round.
Brian was matched with competitor Nate Brasz in the Final Four. “Nate is one hell of a driver and has actually beaten me a couple times in the past,” says Brian. “So I knew I had to be on-point to blast down this hill beside him.”
During the first pass, Brian hit all the clips and kept a super smooth line. Nate followed with a good line, but was unable to close the gap Brian had created.
When it was Brian’s turn to follow, he kept close to Nate and mimicked his mine perfectly. Brian was awarded the win for the round and was thrilled to be moving on the finals.
“I have quite the record for getting second place and never getting a first place finish,” says Brian. “So while I was feeling confident and was killing it all day, it was almost like I was cursed for second place going into this round.”
John Wagner was the competitor that Brian would be battling in the finals. Same as Brian, John had been on fire all weekend and was gunning for the gold.
Brian led in the first pass of the finals. Brian stayed smooth, hitting all the clips, while John went wide into the second turn and went off course.
In the second pass, Brian knew he had the advantage, but as a true competitor, still wanted to execute a run that was nothing but the best. John led as Brian followed for this next pass. Both drivers came down the hill hot, but Brian stayed glued to the throttle and pulled in tight to John’s back bumper between the second and third turn. The crowd was going crazy! Brian had won the battle and had fought his way to the top of the podium!
“The atmosphere at this event was amazing,” says Brian. “All the drivers and the fans were all extremely enthusiastic. It was an amazing weekend that I will never forget!”
With highly regarded guest judges such as World Champion drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Formula Drift judge and former driver Ernie Fixmer, Brian was extremely excited that these two individuals had faith in him to be a competitive force in the Formula D series, as they awarded him his 2009 license.
“After practically killing myself to make it out to PRO/AM last year in Laughlin and going home empty-handed, it was really refreshing and exciting to come out on top in 2008,” says Brian. “I’m looking forward to competing in Formula D with my friends and all the other good competition out there!”
Brian was ready to celebrate his win, but restrained himself as he had another event the next day – the PRO/AM Team Drift competition. And it was a good thing he held out on the celebration because he and teammates John Wagner, Matt Waldin, and Stewart Leask crushed the competition and were awarded perfect scores from all three judges and a 1st place win.
Brian would like to thank his sponsors and supporters, as he knows they are a huge part of his success. He is thrilled for the 2009 Formula Drift series, where he will be competing with the best of the best in hopes a successful season. To learn more about Brian, please visit www.BrianWilkerson.com.