Baltimore, Md. – Over the weekend, Vaughn Gittin Jr. was in sizzling Sin City for Formula Drift Round 5 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Going into the event, Vaughn was 1st in points overall and his #1 goal was to maintain his lead leaving Las Vegas. Vaughn not only left the event still leading the points chase for the Formula Drift Championship, but he took the 3rd place spot atop the podium in the second-ever Falken Tire sweep.
It was a scorcher all weekend, but the extreme temperatures were not going to stop Vaughn or his Monster Energy/ Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang from tackling the custom-built, high-speed entry course. After throwing down two impressive runs during qualifying on Friday, Vaughn ended up snagging the 5th place spot. .
Saturday’s main event brought out thousands of fans, eager to check out their favorite drivers and to catch all the up-close drifting action. Vaughn was just as excited to chat with the fans, sign some autographs, slap some high-fives, and pass out some limited-edition Mustang 5.0 hats.
For the top 32 elimination round, Vaughn was paired with Drift Alliance “Ace” Brian Wilkerson. Vaughn led first, holding a solid line and maintaining angle, while Wilkerson hustled to keep up with the Mustang. When it was Vaughn’s turn to give chase, he stuck to his competitor’s door throughout the course and did not let up once. The judges awarded him the win.
Vaughn would be matched with another Drift Alliance teammate, Ryan Tuerck, in his battle during the Sweet Sixteen. Vaughn led first and Tuerck tried to follow him in towards the wall, but instead took a much wider line causing him to tap the tire wall. Vaughn gave chase next and mimicked Tuerck’s every move while following close behind. The judges gave Vaughn the advantage and the win.