2010 Formula Drift Round 3 - Falken Takes 1st and 2nd at New Jersey
FONTANA, CA -- Team Falken's Daijiro Yoshihara scored his second victory in a row at Round 3 of the Formula Drift Championship in New Jersey. Dubbed "The Gauntlet", Wall Speedway is known for its unforgiving course layout and harsh banked turn to in-field transition. For Falken, although a repeat of 2009's Wall podium sweep was just narrowly missed, a Déjà Vu top 2 finish from this year's Round 2 at Road Atlanta set Yoshihara and Vaughn Gittin Jr. once again on top of the podium with very close one, two finish. Vaughn in the ASD built Monster Energy / Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang continues to lead the series followed by Dai in his Discount Tire / Falken Tire Nissan Silvia S13 built by SPD Metalworks.
Darren "D-Mac" McNamara fought hard for third position but that achievement was cut short by two time Formula D Champion, Tanner Foust. The only feat more astonishing than the battle with Foust was the fact that the vehicle even made it to the starting line! During Top 4 competition running against Yoshihara, Darren drifted off line and made contact with the immoveable guardrail causing damage that required major suspension component replacement both front and rear. "I've never seen this team work harder" said Jonathon Bradford, Falken's Drift Team Supervisor. "Every hand available was frantically helping to get the Sky back on track. It was a team effort like I've never seen."
Other notable accomplishments include Justin Pawlak's 4th place qualifying and Top 8 finish, Ross Petty's 6th place qualifying and Top 16 finish and Tyler McQuarrie's door-to-door battle with current championship points leader and Falken team mate, Vaughn Gittin Jr. during the Top 16 rounds.
"It's always hard when two of our team members are going head to head but we always tell our drivers, may the best man win" declared Andrew Hoit, Falken's Director of Marketing.
So far, Team Falken has claimed back-to-back first and second place finishes and five podiums in three events, including all three wins.
"This season is still far from over, but our team's determination is at an all time high" said Nick Fousekis, Falken's Sr. Consumer Marketing Manager. "Couple focus and perseverance with world-class partners/supporters and a product like Falken Tire, and you get a winning combination" Fousekis added.
The Azenis RT-615K clad Falken Team continues on to Round 4 of the championship in Monroe, WA July 9-10 at Evergreen Speedway.
Additionally, Falken played host to 175 dealer guests who participated in the company's hospitality, as Team Falken's aggressive marketing program, hospitality rig and factory support trailer were in full use during the two-day event.
2010 Formula Drift Round 1 - Falken Tire Takes Long Beach
LONG BEACH, CA The inaugural event in the 2010 Formula Drift season began with a big win for Team Falken where factory driver Vaughn Gittin, Jr., debuting his new 2011 Monster Energy Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang on the famed street course of Long Beach. Gittin, Jr., and Team Falken faced a very competitive field of entrants, totaling 53, one of the highest entry counts in the history of Formula D.
Team Falken had a full complement of drivers at the popular track, the fifth year Formula D has visited Long Beach. In addition to Vaughn, rounding out the companys paddock and marketing activation areas were returning team members Daijiro Yoshihara in his rebuilt Discount Tire Nissan 240SX (S13); Tyler McQuarrie with his Nissan 350Z Convertible; and Darren McNamara, with his Saturn Sky in new Falken livery. Adding to the excitement of the weekend was the addition of several new faces to Falken including Justin Pawlak in his 2010 Ford Mustang and Formula D rookie James Deane who shocked the crowd with his aggressive driving in Falken's Nissan S15. Independent drivers on Falken Tires included Ross Petty, John Russakoff, Dean Kearney and Fredric Aasbo.
2010 will certainly be a busy year for Team Falken. Next stop, Road Atlanta.
2010 Falken Saturn Sky Test - 800hp Run
Turn up your speakers. Here's a quick raw video of our test day of the 2010 Falken Saturn Sky built by AutoSport Dynamics of Charlotte, NC. We're pushing just about 800hp in this run, Darren McNamara is piloting.
Footage captured with GoPro Hero HD cameras and some high-end wireless microphones mounted near the Exhaust pipe
See you in Long Beach! =)
2010 Formula Drift Atlanta - Dai Rocks Hotlanta
http://www.facebook.com/falkentire
http://www.falkentire.com
All eyes were on Team Falken to see if the performance tire manufacturer could keep the momentum going after its first place finish in Long Beach, and the dynamic results from Round 2 of the 2010 Formula Drift Championship proved the team is on a roll after Falken Driver Daijiro "Dai" Yoshihara took the overall win on the proving grounds of legendary Road Atlanta, defeating teammate Vaughn Gittin, Jr., in the final. It was the first overall win for Yoshihara as a Team Falken member. Gittin, Jr., leads the standings after his first overall in Long Beach and second place at Road Atlanta.
Music:
The Frequency of a Heartbeat by the Stand Ins
2010 Formula Drift Throwdown - DMac takes 3rd at Evergreen Speedway
MONROE, WA -- Team Falken Driver Darren McNamara scored his first podium of the year by taking third in Saturday night's Formula Drift Championship at Evergreen Speedway. It was Falken's sixth podium in four races and Falken's Vaughn Gittin, Jr., who qualified first for the weekend event, continues to lead the series championship.
Legendary Diesel Mercedes W123 + SCANIA turbine @ Eastern European Drift Championship
Teemu Peltola With :
Legendary Mercedes W123 wagon -81 2012 setup. Approx 600hp & 1000Nm with NO
Engine
3.0 Litre, 24 Valve, OM606 -98 Mercedes turbodiesel Engine.
Custom Exhaust Manifold
Compressor -- Eaton MP90.
Holset HX52 modified by LSD-turbo.
Diesel pump by Mynädiesel (picture below)
Self made Intercooler -- Model Large
Oil cooler
Water injection -- DevilsOwn alcohol injection kit
Radiator moved to the trunk.
BIGEM custom adjusted coilovers.
Rollcage by TS-mekan
Rear & Front Axles from Toyota Aristo
Custom made steering made from Mercedes, Volvo, Toyota and custom parts to give a steering angle of 62 degrees.
Gearbox, Modified Automatic Mercedes AMG E55 Gearbox
Rear & Front Axles from Toyota Aristo
Interior
Stock dashboard with gauges for oil pressure etc.
Hydraulic handbrake
Aluminium fuel tank
Aluminium Air intake & Cooler Box
Water tank!
Formula D Seattle "Breaking Point" (clean version)
NOT MY VIDEO. Video made by Josh Herron.
The fifth stop in the 2009 Formula D season at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington.
Congrats to the podium finishers:
First place - Chris Forsberg
Second place - Eric O'Sullivan
Third place - Tyler McQuarrie
Music: Mannie Fresh - Real Big
myspace.com/manniefresh
Shot/Color/Edit by Joshua Herron
joshuaherron.com
formulad.com
MONSTER DRIFT: Road America
http://www.facebook.com/MonsterEnergy
Vaughn Gittin Jr's Traveling Smoke Show makes a stop in Elkhart Lake , Wisconsin. Jr spins some rubber and makes new fans during a vintage racing weekend at Road America's 4 mile road course.
Tanner Foust Street Drift: Mulholland - GT Channel
Repost: But we we thought some of you may have not seen it yet & it's such an awesome video. http://gtchannel.com for more videos. Tanner Foust drifts his Rockstar Energy Drink Scion TC Drift Car on a legendary stretch of Mulholland Highway known as "The Snake". Watch Tanner unleash his 600hp NASCAR V8 powered Scion drift car on this famed road. There were no rehearsals and most of the film is of Tanner's first run on a clean stretch of road. And, yes, the road was closed. WARNING: The following video was performed by a professional driver on a closed course. Do not attempt what you are about to see.
2009 Formula D Round 6 - Locked and Loaded with Falken Tires
falkentire.com
Music:
No Stars Left in New Jersey by The Stand-ins
A cooler climate than expected greeted the competitors at Round 6 of the Formula Drift Championship, held as part of the Indy Grand Prix at Infineon Raceway, but the reception from the crowd was as strong as ever. Team Falken brought all five factory entrants, intent on taking the win, as well as reaching true enthusiasts and motorsports fans at this important double-billed weekend.
While all Falken members Darren McNamara, Daijiro Yoshihara, Tyler McQuarrie, Calvin Wan and Vaughn Gittin, Jr. successfully qualified on their Falken Azenis RT615 tires, competition proved tough, and the teams best result was Gittins 7th place overall finish in the ASD built 2010 Falken Tire Ford Mustang GT ultimately being defeated by the events overall winner, Stephan Verdier.
Other major Team Falken news of the weekend was the incredible effort put forth on behalf of Yoshihara. Dai qualified 9th in a car that had only two hours of practice time on it, having been built in just nine days after his original Lexus was heavily damaged at the previous event in Seattle. Most competitors were amazed at the speed in which the car was built, thanks in part to SPD Metal Works based in Placentia, CA.
Sonoma, famous for its many vineyards, is also notorious for its changing weather conditions, as Fridays Top 32 competition was at least 20-degrees warmer than Saturday. Tyler McQuarrie and his Nissan 350Z felt the heat and ultimately faced start-up difficulties as a result of high ambient temps and a sensor issue. Wan also had a challenging event following a light collision with competitor Chris Forsberg, who eventually advanced.
While results were disappointing, spirits remained high, as Team Falken continues to record two drivers in the top five in the championship, with Gittin in third and McQuarrie in fifth.
All teams get a breather as the final round, Judgment Day, is set for October 16-17 at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, CA where Team Falken will be fully prepared and ready to conquer the famous House of Drift.
2011 Falken Formula Drift Test
Coming off a dominating 2010 season in which Team Falken driver Vaughn Gittin, Jr.¸ competing in the Monster Energy/Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang, became the Formula Drift Champion, the high performance tire manufacturer will be gunning for a repeat performance of last year. Falken's ultimate goal is to have one of its five factory drivers again claiming the top rung of the Formula D ladder, and each team member will have the horsepower to do it. All drivers plan on fielding a new or improved vehicle with more power, which the sport has demanded. The cars will be unveiled this weekend on the streets of Long Beach for the opening event of the 2011 Formula Drift season.
Gittin, Jr., will be aboard a Ford Mustang 5.4-liter, its motor built by Ford Racing and Huffaker Engineering, while Daijiro ("Dai") Yoshihara, who placed fourth in the standings last year, returns in his re-engineered Nissan 240SX (Silvia S13). Finishing fifth in 2010, Darren McNamara also returns this year, running a new Saturn Sky built by Autosport Dynamics in Charlotte, NC, losing the convertible for a hardtop which adds an aggressive stance to the car.
Tyler McQuarrie also recognized the value of a fully enclosed coupe, choosing a new hardtop Nissan 350Z, which allows for a significant change in weight distribution, making the Z a far more competitive vehicle. Finally, Justin Pawlak, returning for his second year with Falken, will again field a Ford Mustang, with an engine built by Ford Racing/Roush-Yates of NASCAR fame.
"Our team has worked hard to develop their new cars and we're pumped and ready," declared Jonathan Bradford, Team Falken's Formula Drift manager.
All members of Team Falken will be using the company's Azenis RT615K, which is DOT-approved and designed with the track competitor in mind. The RT615K is a tire with maximum grip and concentrated contact patch, which increases the driver's ability to fully exploit the capabilities of the engine, brakes and suspension, precisely what each drift competitor needs. Naturally, the RT615K performs equally well on the street during everyday driving.
"Each year, Formula Drift gets bigger, with more participants and more companies who want to be a part of this vital motorsports effort," stated Nick Fousekis, Director of Motorsports and Consumer Marketing for Falken. "We know what it takes to be competitive in this race series and we realize all the other teams will be aiming for us, but we have every intention of repeating our dominance, and continue running at the top. It's great to be back!"
To kick off Falken's comprehensive Formula Drift marketing program, special prizes will be given away at the team's display and activation area inside the paddock. Additional promotional items will be handed out by Falken's new group of Spokesmodels who will be in attendance throughout the two-day event. Guests of Falken will also enjoy the company's highly anticipated hospitality area.
The full complement of Team Falken, including its five factory drivers, along with Falken's display, hospitality rig and the company's factory support, will travel to all seven rounds of the 2010 Formula D Pro Championship.
JDM Allstars - HD Drifting film
Filmed & Edited by Al Clark - www.trackdayfilms.com
FIRST SONG NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD!
https://soundcloud.com/al_clark/on-slide-row
MUSIC:
Al Clark Drift intro (soundcloud.com/al_clark/on-slide-row)
Lee Major & A Clay - DJ Means Dangerous Jag
Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers (Doorly Remix)
Chic - Goodtimes (Jaguar Skills Rusko Refix)
Lethel Bizzle - Pow TC - Where's My Money (Caspa Remix) High Rankin - No Money For Guns (Jaguar Skills VIP)
Al Clark 'Piano Song' (not available).
Event Description:
The biggest, loudest closest drift event in Europe returns on exceptional form with one of the best show-drift tracks designed. With 70mph entries, huge sweeping corners, jumps (yes - jumps), and walls to scrape - this was always going to be a lot of fun.
In the end, it turned into one of the best top 32's ever seen, and the standard of driving was gobsmacking. The event was comparable in atmosphere and skill to the RedBull world championship finals with Formula D last year - a testament to how hard JDM have worked on this event, and also how much the skill level has improved yet again within Europe.
Thanks to everyone for the really kind comments!
