May 8, 2013 (Signal Hill, Calif.) – It was a minor error that prevented Kyle Mohan from advancing past the first round at the Streets of Long Beach in the Nexen Tire / Energy-X / Mazdatrix Mazda RX-8. While scraping bumpers and pushing the limits is part of every Formula Drift run, the cone that Mohan knocked over was an out-of-bounds cone – meaning he would score a zero while going against Ken Gushi. Despite putting up two strong runs, he would not advance into the second round.
August 24, 2012 (Signal Hill, Calif.) – Mazda rotary engines are loud. But Kyle Mohan’s Nexen / Energy-X Mazda RX-8 just got louder.
With the help of Mazdatrix, the KMR team has developed a Bridgeport version of the 13B engine that Mohan has used during the last three seasons in Formula Drift. The resulting power increase – and the distinctive Bridgeport sound – has Mohan excited for this weekend’s Formula Drift ‘After Dark’ at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“There was definitely a feeling of disappointment when we lost our engine during practice at Seattle,” said Mohan. “It was a freak failure that we traced to a fuel pump going bad. But, we took the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and come back with something different. I think we had pushed the power and reliability of our old setup as far as we could, so it made sense to try a Bridgeport to see what it can do. So far, we’ve been very impressed with the power, torque, and response that we are seeing. It also sounds awesome!”
Mohan will be looking for better memories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after his crash in the top-16 during last year’s After Dark. Brake failure at 103mph led Mohan to have the biggest crash of the season in Formula Drift and sent him to the hospital – luckily, only for precautionary reasons and some strong painkillers. The Mazda bounced back from the crash – literally – and was on-track for the season finale at Irwindale Speedway.
“Last I checked, videos of the crash added up to something like 15,000 views on YouTube,” said Mohan. “So it was a win for my sponsors but a big fail for me. We don’t want to do the same thing this year – we want a really good result so we can forget about all the bad luck and bad results we’ve had so far. I’m excited about the new track layout. It looks like it will be a better layout for the teams and all of the spectators that come out. Las Vegas is a great crowd and they always have a ton of energy. I can’t wait.”
Formula Drift After Dark will begin with qualifying on Friday at 9:00 PM PST. On Saturday, the Top-32 tandem competition will begin at 6:30 PM PST, with the Top-16 Main Competition running from 10:30 PM – 12:30 AM PST. All of qualifying and the tandem competition will be streamed live online atFormuladrift.com/live.
Fans of Kyle Mohan can follow him on twitter (@kylemohan) and Facebook (facebook.com/kylemohanracing.)
The amazing group over at 702 Graphics have done it again. Here is the new livery of fan favorite Odi Bakchis. With His New Sponsor M7. Head over to his blog HERE to read up on the full design. And we wish Him and his team the very best of luck this season.
Kyle Mohan and Nexen Tire Partner for 2010 Formula Drift Season
March 8, 2010 (Signal Hill, Calif.) — Kyle Mohan is proud to announce that his team will have a new identity and a new look for the 2010 season. Mohan will partner with Formula Drift’s newest tire sponsor, Nexen Tire, and will compete in the No.99 Nexen Tire / Mazdatrix Mazda RX-8 in the Formula Drift Pro Championship.
Mohan, also known for the rotary engines that he builds at Mazdatrix that power drift, race, and street cars around the country, has emerged as a leading Mazda driver in Formula Drift since he first competed in a Mazda RX-7 FC3S in 2006.
Coming off of a breakout 2008 season, where he finished a career-best fourth at the Streets of Long Beach and qualified 10th at the Red Bull Drifting World Championship, Mohan debuted a brand-new Mazda RX-8 at the beginning of the 2009 season. After a full season of development, that RX-8 has been developed extensively in the off season, and will be arriving at the Streets of Long Beach with more power, more noise – and a new tires, courtesy of Nexen Tire USA.