“Formula DRIFT has had the Pro Am system in place for the last 3 years and it has produced FD Pros like Justin Pawlak, Bill Sherman, John Russakoff, Joon Maeng and others. This new program will only push the search for the next Formula DRIFT stars forward,” said Jim Liaw, co-founder and president of Formula DRIFT. “We are proud to have partnered with the most experienced and respected organizations in the country and are excited to put together the largest Pro Am Nationals event later this year.”

Affiliate Programs Qualifying Competitions:

Hot Import Nights in association with US Drift

• April 11 – Austin, TX
• April 25 – Tampa, FL
• May 15 – New York, NY
• July 11 – Chicago, IL

Top 4 drivers from each competition will receive invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals

Formula DRIFT Round 2 in association with US Drift
May 8-9 – Braselton, GA
Top 4 drivers will receive invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals

Formula DRIFT Round 4 in association with Vegas Drift
July 10-11 – Las Vegas, NV
Top 4 drivers will receive invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals

Formula DRIFT Round 5
August 7-8 – Monroe, WA
Top 4 drivers will receive invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals

Formula DRIFT Round 7 in association with Drift Association
October 16 – Irwindale, CA
Top 4 drivers will receive invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals

Affiliate Series:

Just Drift's Top Drift Series

• Round 1 - March 1 – Willow Springs Raceway
• Round 2 - April 26 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Round 3 - Sept 5 and 6 – Willow Springs Raceway, Streets of Willow
• Round 4 - Oct 24 and 25 – Willow Springs Raceway, Horse Thief Mile Canyon Course

Series Champion, #2 and #3 will automatically receives FD Pro License Series #4-8 receives invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals

DMCC East

• Round 1 - June 13 and 14 - Autodrome Montmagny, Quebec
• Round 2 - June 27 and 28 - Autodrome St-Eustache, Montreal
• Round 3 - July 25 and 26 - St Croix, Quebec
• Round 4 - August 15 and 16 - Downsview Park, Toronto
• Round 5 - Sept 6 and 7 - Autodrome St-Eustache, Montreal

Series Champion automatically receives FD Pro License #2,3,4 in Series receives invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals

DMCC West

• Round 1- May 31 - Castrol Raceway, Edmonton
• Round 2 - TBD
• Round 3 - August 22 - Western Speedway, Vancouver Island
• Round 4 - September 6 - Castrol Raceway, Edmonton

Series Champion automatically receives FD Pro License, #2,3,4 in Series receives invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals

Formula DRIFT Pro Am Nationals in association with Hot Import Nights:

Hot Import Nights in association with US Drift
December 5 - Firebird International Raceway – Phoenix, AZ

Drivers from Affiliate Qualifying Competitions and Qualifying Series as well as Formula DRIFT Pro drivers needing license renewals will be converging in Phoenix for the largest Pro Am competition ever held

*Terms and Schedules Subject to Change*

This was the team’s first victory since round 4 of the 2008 season at Sepang in Malaysia and its third overall. But it was also their first victory on a circuit in Japan. For the GT-R camp, this was the fifth straight victory since round 6 of last season. Also, it was the first GT500 class victory in Japan for a car racing on Advan tires since the ECLIPSE ADVAN Supra (Manabu Orido/Dominique Schwager) won the opening round of the 2005 series here at Okayama.

Finishing 2nd in the race was the No. 18 ROCKSTAR DOME NSX (Ryo Michigami/Takashi Kogure). Starting from the 4th position on the grid, Kogure passed the SC430 machines in front of him at an early stage, but due to the fact that the team had predicted light rain and its choice of tires was not performing well in the heavy rain conditions, they made their pit stop as soon as the required 1/3 of the race was finished. In the latter stages of the race, Michigami continued to narrow the gap with Ara in the leading No. 24 machine but was unable to catch it before the race ended.

Third place went to the No. 8 ARTA NSX (Ralph Firman/Takuya Izawa). Like No. 18, the first driver, Firman, was forced to return for an early pit stop and was unable to give chase to the leaders. The pole-sitting No. 38 ZENT CERUMO SC430 (Yuji Tachikawa/Richard Lyons) eventually finished 6th. This turned out to be the best performance by an SC430 team. The choice of shallow-slit tires before the start based on a prediction that the weather would improve turned out to be the handicap that kept Richard Lyons from maintaining the lead pace. In the latter half of the race, after changing tires and turning the wheel over to Yuji Tachikawa, they were able to pass many of their rivals on the track. But that didn’t relieve the frustration of having lost the lead and the victory.

As for the defending champions, the No. 1 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R (Benoit Treluyer/Satoshi Motoyama), a collision with the No. 36 PETRONAS TOM'S SC430 (Andre Lotterer/Jyuichi Wakisaka) on the first corner just after the actual start of racing resulted in a drive-through penalty as well as damage to the left front fender that forced it to return to the pit for repairs and lose considerable ground in the race.

Visit SUPERGT.net for full coverage of this and the GT300 class win by Manabu Orido and Tatsuya Kataoka.

Show Gallery Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |

For prospective students interested in automotive training, UTI will provide tours and information about its various technician training programs and financial aid. (Financial aid is available for those who qualify.) Instructors and former students will be available to speak to individuals interested in careers in the automotive industry.

"This is a great opportunity to check out UTI's automotive training programs and get a sneak peek at some of the racing industry's newest cars. The fact that Formula DRIFT has put its trust in us to provide the best technical environment for their teams says a lot about our school,” said Mark Harston, Event and Motorsport marketing manager at UTI. "Some of our students are actually working with drift teams and getting real-world experience with pit crews while still in school. This shows that getting into this industry and doing what you love can become a reality.”

"Formula DRIFT fans are young car enthusiasts and our alliance with UTI is a perfect match. What better way to play a proactive role in people's lives than to help them enrich their passions by providing them with real career paths through an education at UTI," stated Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. "With the right education, you can become a hands-on member of a team, manage a race team or own your own shop. We believe UTI provides the best technician training available and are looking forward to growing this new relationship."

Originating in Japan more than 20 years ago, “drifting” has since exploded into a massively popular form of motorsport in North America, garnering interest from a wide cross section of individuals, including luminaries such as Cindy McCain.

For more information visit www.formuladrift.com.

For more information contact:
John Pangilinan
The ID Agency
562.491.7503
john@theidagency.com

ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT

Entering its sixth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each driver's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for professional drifters to compete in 7 events nationwide for the coveted Formula DRIFT Championship crown. 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 and establishes itself as the global focal point for the Sport. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.

ABOUT IMG SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment's diverse businesses include: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; and client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world's largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year. More information is available at: www.imgworld.com.

The JTuned Auto Gallery will host categories for all Japanese makes as well as a Ruckus category at select events. Car show registration is available at Jtuned.com. Limited space is available for car show competitors and teams so early registration is recommended. The JTuned Auto Gallery is still seeking series sponsors. For more information, please contact david@iunitemediagroup.com

JTuned.com is an online automotive culture magazine with focuses on the style and function of Japanese tuned vehicles, industry insight and photography.

For more information visit www.formuladrift.com.

For more information contact:
John Pangilinan
The ID Agency
562.491.7503
john@theidagency.com

David Rahemi
iUNITE Media Group, Inc.
949.632.3406
david@iunitemediagroup.com

ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT

Entering its sixth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each driver's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for professional drifters to compete in 7 events nationwide for the coveted Formula DRIFT Championship crown. 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 and establishes itself as the global focal point for the Sport. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.

ABOUT IMG SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment's diverse businesses include: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; and client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world's largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year. More information is available at: www.imgworld.com.

In addition, the current WRX STI was given some refinements to enhance comfort and quality feel; 8 way power adjustable front seats and a new body color, "Satin White Pearl", is now available.

The model features the exclusively developed 2.5-litre Subaru BOXER turbo engine with SPORTSHIFT* E-5AT, while retaining the basic component such as chassis and body of the WRX STI, Subaru's performance flagship.

Engine:

• The unique 2.5-litre BOXER engine comes with a single scroll turbocharger and produces a flat torque from the low and mid-rev range to high-rev range.
• Dual Active Valve Control System (AVCS) was adopted to control continuously valve timing on both intake and exhaust valves, which improves low and mid-range range torque, high-rev range output and environmental friendliness.
• Tumble Generation Valve (TGV) controls the intake air stream to generate high combustion efficiency.

Drive train:

• SI-DRIVE (SUBARU Intelligent Drive), that enables the drivers to choose three different engine mappings, is standard.
• Paddle shift is featured to allow manual shifting without requiring the driver to release the steering wheel.
• Downshifting Blipping Control system was adopted. When down-shifting, the automatic transmission control unit interacts with the engine management system and increases engine revolutions instantly and to the exact required setting.
• Changing gears with the paddle shift can also be done by a temporary operation that does not require the selection lever to be set to the manual position.
• VTD (Variable Torque Distribution)-AWD system was adopted to provide excellent stability of the vehicle, which controls the torque distribution ratio between the front and rear axles depending on driving conditions.
• 17-inches ventilated dual piston disk brakes for the front, and 16-inches ventilated disk brakes for the rear were fitted.
• VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) System is standard.

Interior:

• 8-way power adjustable driver's seat is standard. Leather seats are available as optional and include (front) seat heating. Soft leather door trim with silver stitch is featured.

Major specifications:

• Engine type: Horizontally-Opposed 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve turbocharged engine
• Displacement: 2457 cc
• Maximum output: 221kW (300 PS)/6200 rpm
• Maximum torque: 350 Nm (35.7 kgf·m)/2800～6000 rpm
• Turbo type: Single Scroll turbocharger

"From our experience hosting the Red Bull Drifting World Championship in 2008, the 32 car tandem format seemed the most exciting," states Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. "As ambassadors for the sport, it is our responsibility to push the sport's limits and keep it as exciting for the fans as possible and we feel this new format will give the fans more action during a Formula DRIFT event."

The new format provides fans with more tandem competition throughout the event day, something fans want to see more of. The larger bracket will allow for more diverse match ups of drivers that may have never competed against each other.

“Drivers will have to strategize and plan effectively to make it further into the competition,” states Tanner Foust, Formula DRIFT 2007 & 2008 champion. “As a driver we will have to expect the unexpected not knowing the skills of the other driver. For the fans there will be more action and excitement with the Top 32.”

For more information visit www.formuladrift.com.

For more information contact:
John Pangilinan
The ID Agency
562.491.7503
john@theidagency.com

ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT

Entering its sixth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each driver's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for professional drifters to compete in 7 events nationwide for the coveted Formula DRIFT Championship crown. 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 and establishes itself as the global focal point for the Sport. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.

ABOUT IMG SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment's diverse businesses include: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; and client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world's largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year. More information is available at: www.imgworld.com.