FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mohan Cracks top-16 at Infineon Raceway
August 28, 2009 (Signal Hill, Calif.) – It seemed like a cruel joke, but Kyle Mohan could hardly believe his ears after qualifying for the Formula Drift Pro Championship at Infineon Raceway. For the third time this season, he would have to face Cooper Tires teammate and friend Tony Brakohiapa in the round of 32.
Brakohiapa had the upper hand against Mohan in their first two meetings this year, and Mohan was determined not to let it become three. The two contrasting cars – Mohan’s Mazda RX-8 and Brakohiapa’s Ford Mustang – ran extremely close together in their first pair of runs. So close, in fact, that the judges called for the first One More Time of the day. In the first run of the rematch, Mohan ran a deep line while chasing, nearly causing him to lose drift. But on the second run, Brakohiapa had a big correction while chasing, and the judges advanced Mohan to the top-16.
In the round of 16, Mohan faced former D1GP champion and fellow Mazda driver Ryuji Miki in a Mazda RX-7. The RX-7 had a straight line speed advantage that Mohan could not overcome, and Miki was advanced to the Great Eight.
“This was the first time that we cracked the top-16 this season,” said Mohan. “We’ve been knocking on it and had some bad luck, but it’s a great feeling to get into the second round. Miki is a former D1GP champion and he’s a phenomenal driver, and he just created too big a gap for me to overcome throughout the course. It’s a part of the car we will focus on and develop, as we have done after each round of this year’s championship.”
Following the round at Infineon Raceway, Mohan’s RX-8 graced the pages of Wrecked Magazine in their Industry Insider feature.
“Wrecked Magazine is one of the premier websites and drifting news sources, and to be in the magazine for the first time is really an honor,” said Mohan. “It’s great for our program and great for our partners who have invested in our team and who make this all possible.”
During the six-week break before the Formula Drift finale at Irwindale Speedway, Mohan will travel to China for the second year to take part in a World Drifting Series demonstration before returning for the Formula Drift finale. Throughout his travels in China, Mohan will keep his fans and sponsors updated on the blog of his website, at www.kylemohanracing.com/blog.
About Kyle Mohan Racing
Kyle Mohan Racing competes in the Formula Drift Pro Championship aboard a 2009 Mazda RX-8, with support from Mazda USA, Mazdatrix, Cooper Tires, Exedy, WPC, Idemitsu, Turbonetics, Mishimoto, JIC Magic, TCSportline, KAAZ, F&L Racing Fuel, XXR wheels and Epic Action Sports Camera. For more information, visit www.kylemohanracing.com.