For Immediate Release
October 11, 2008
Formula DRIFT Round 7: Final Fight;
History is Made With Vaughn Gittin Taking His First Formula DRIFT Victory and Tanner Foust Repeats as First Ever Back to Back Champion
Long Beach, Calif. – October 11, 2008 – The Formula DRIFT Championship presented by Circuit City entered the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale for Round 7: “Final Fight”. Formula DRIFT history was made tonight as Vaughn Gittin, Jr. won his first Formula DRIFT event ever and Tanner Foust was announced the first Formula DRIFT back to back champion. Rhys Millen also won his second Tires.com Triple Crown bonus prize in his career.
Coming into the last event of the Pro Championship series, Round 7: Final Fight saw history take place with Vaughn Gittin, Jr. and his Falken Tires / Ford Racing Mustang battle for his first Formula DRIFT victory ever. Gittin bested Champion Tanner Foust and his Rockstar / AEM Nissan 350 in the final head-to-head battle.
“It has been a season of ups and downs for me and there isn’t a better way to put it behind! Thanks to all my fans and sponsors for supporting me,” said Vaughn Gittin, Jr., Formula DRIFT Round 7: Final Fight winner. “We are coming out swinging with a 2010 Falken Tire / Ford Mustang for the 2009 season.”
Leading the Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup points standings coming into this event, champion Tanner Foust looked to win his 2nd championship in back to back years. By finishing in second place at this event, Foust secured the championship in the Great 8 round.
“We started 2008 with a 2-year old car and with the help of Rockstar we made it strong enough to keep up with the competition,” said 2-time Formula DRIFT champion Tanner Foust. “Honestly I can hardly believe that I am part of Formula DRIFT history and it is an amazing honor.”
The Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, also known as the “House of Drift”, played host to an energetic sell-out crowd that also witnessed Rhys Millen and his Red Bull Pontiac Solstice, take home a second Tires.com Triple Crown bonus prize of $10,000, a custom Fender guitar, and a hand blown glass trophy. Millen watched from the sidelines as he barely edged out Michihiro Takatori by 4 points for the victory.
With the Formula DRIFT Championship on the line and a chance to earn a limited spot in the Red Bull Drifting World Championships, the drivers let it all hang out and provided the jam-packed crowd one of the most competitive and exciting competitions ever. The top 16 drivers from Tanner Foust to Justin Pawlak have made it into the first ever event that will take place at the Port of Long Beach on November 15-16. The Formula DRIFT drivers will meet the top drivers in the world to compete for the biggest prize purse in drifting history.
Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup 2008 Point Standings
Top 16 will receive invite to Red Bull Drifting World Championship
| 1. Foust, Tanner 2. Hubinette, Samuel 3. Millen, Rhys 4. Yoshihara, Daijiro 5. Forsberg, Chris 6. Tuerck, Ryan 7. Takatori, Michihiro 8. Gittin, Jr., Vaughn 9. Grunewald, Conrad 10. Nishida, Robbie 10. Miki, Ryuji 12. McNamara, Darren 13. Verdier. Stephan 14. Gushi, Ken 15. Sherman, Bill 16. Pawlak, Justin |
Rockstar / AEM Nissan 350Z Nuformz Racing / Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10 Red Bull Pontiac Solstice Bridgestone / RMR Pontiac GTO NOS Energy Drink Nissan 350Z Gardella Racing / Mobil1 Pontiac Solstice Super Autobacs Nissan Skyline R34 Falken / Ford Racing Mustang Nitto / Tanaka Racing Chevrolet Corvette Hankook / Dynamic Autosport Nissan 350Z Nitto / Bergenholtz Racing Mazda RX – 7 Falken / Sears Auto Center Saturn Sky Cooper / Crawford Performance Subaru STI RS*R Scion tC Retaks Nissan S13 Maxxis / National Wave Mazda RX-7 |
599 Points 544 Points 510 Points 481 Points 459 Points 453 Points 452 Points 356.50 Points 349.25 Points 318.25 Points 300.50 Points 237.25 Points 224.75 Points 222.75 Points 203.25 Points 197 Points |
Tires.com Triple Crown 2008 Point Standings
| 1. Millen, Rhys 2. Takatori, Michihiro 3. Foust, Tanner |
Red Bull Pontiac Solstice GXP Super Autobacs Nissan Skyline R34 Rockstar / AEM Nissan 350Z |
232 Points 228 Points 226 Points |
Formula DRIFT Round 7: Final Fight Event Results
| 1. Gittin, Vaughn 2. Foust, Tanner 3. Pawlak, Justin |
Falken Tires / Ford Racing Mustang Rockstar / AEM Nissan 350Z Maxxis Tire / National Wave Mazda RX-7 |
103 Points 95 Points 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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Champion drifter Rhys Millen revisits the exhilaration and intensity of the 2005 Formula D Season in the action packed documentary Mad Skills. Coming off a potentially disastrous crash in Chicago, Millen and his crew have less than a week to get his GTO ready for the finals in Irwindale. Complicating matters, the RX8 Rhys built for his father, the legendary rally driver Rod Millen, may not be able to compete in the final race.
Battling mechanical difficulties, crew troubles and formidable competitors including his good friends Samuel Hubinette and Tanner Foust, Rhys must remain sharply focused to ensure his victory and win the championship.
Filled with explosive door-on-door action, tire smoke and out control spins Mad Skills offers a never-before-seen look into the art of driving sideways. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll never look at motor sports in the same way.
Buy it now on DVD!
http://www.madskillsdvd.com
Check out the extended trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y3Djx5rALw