As the intense 2009 Formula Drift season comes to a close, preparations for 2010 are at full speed with Bridgeway Motorsports. They have now signed on crowd-favorite Kenji Yamanaka to represent their Drifting Program. Kenji Yamanaka is well known for his off-track charismatic antics, lovable personality and his aggressive “drift to win” attitude on the track. Kenji Yamanaka’s Formula Drift experience goes as far back as 2005 drifting for multiple teams including the famous Hankook Tires / JIC Magic team from 2005 to 2007 finishing within the top 10 drivers in 2007.

Formula DRIFT entered the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale for the final event of the season. Ryan Tuerck takes the Round 7: Judgment Day victory, while Chris Forsberg takes the overall championship and the Tires.com Triple Crown bonus prize. The Toyota Speedway at Irwindale hosted the final event of the 6th season of Formula DRIFT. The sold out crowd was not disappointed as the drivers provided non-stop action throughout the event weekend. The event also provided plenty of additional entertainment for the fans including the Jtuned Auto Gallery, Famous Stars and Straps stunt bike demo, and a performance by the “Far East Movement.”

Formula DRIFT has announced a schedule and venue change for the 2009 Pro Am National Championship. The event will now take place on November 21 at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. The top amateur drivers from the United States and Canada will meet at the infamous “House of Drift,” at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. This will be the first time that a Pro Am competition of this level will take place at this location.

Victorian driver Luke Fink of Team Holford Motors is the new Australian Drift Champion, after winning the 2009 Drift Nationals at Oran Park Raceway on Sunday, 20 September. Over 4,000 fans headed to Oran Park to enjoy the full day of on and off-track entertainment in the event, a one-off for 2009 before the Drift Australia Series resumes as a full, five-round championship next year. The biggest winner was Fink (Nissan Silvia), who beat a crop of Australia’s best drifters to become 2009 Australian Drift Champion. Having finished second in last year’s Drift Australia Series, Fink and the Holford Motors team were one of the event favourites and didn’t disappoint.

With one of the fastest tracks of the season under his belt, Verdier marked 100 mph plus as he slid his way to victory on Cooper Zeon 2XS ultra-high performance tires at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., August 21-22. Adding to the excitement, fans were also treated to both drifting and IndyCar Series racing during the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma weekend.

Sensational on-track drifting will be joined by an unprecedented line-up of off-track automotive entertainment, when the 2009 Drift Nationals hits Oran Park Raceway next Sunday, 20 September. In addition to the country’s best drifters doing battle to become Australian Drift Champion, fans can check out a host of extra activities, including Remote Control Drifting, CarWars and a Pioneer Sound Off during the massive day.

Formula DRIFT has released the schedule of events for Round 6: Locked and Loaded at Infineon Raceway on August 21-22. Formula DRIFT will be joining the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma weekend. “Formula DRIFT and Infineon Raceway is writing a new page in drifting history as this will be the first time a professional drifting championship round will be featured as part of a major racing weekend,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT.

Originally built as a horse-racing track, Evergreen Speedway saw plenty of horsepower over the weekend as Formula Drift arrived in town, with the venerable track challenging the drivers and their cars to the “Breaking Point,” resulting in Chris Forsberg taking the win, while Team Falken’s Tyler McQuarrie finished a respectable third. Qualifying on Friday was challenging as the judges were very critical of all efforts.

Facing serious challenges from both competitors and the weather, Team Falken put on a valiant effort, but when it rolled the dice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Round 4 of the demanding Formula Drift competition, the team managed to make the Semi-Finals with Falken’s Tyler McQuarrie losing to eventual overall winner Tanner Foust.  McQuarrie placed fourth. With track temperatures peaking at 145, and air temps at 110, great stress was placed on the high-revving engines of all competitors as well as the drivers themselves.  During the consolation round to determine third place, McQuarrie suffered camshaft position sensor failure, but his crew was able to replace it in less than five minutes.

Formula DRIFT has announced a schedule change for the 2009 season. Round 6: Locked and Loaded at Infineon Raceway will be re-scheduled from September 12 to August 21-22. Formula DRIFT has been added to the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma race weekend. “Formula DRIFT continues to bring drifting to the big leagues with the addition of our event to the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “Motorsports fans will be able to experience the 110+ mph average speeds of open wheel racing and all the sideways action of Formula DRIFT in one weekend.”

Formula DRIFT introduces the 2009 Miss Formula DRIFT, Miki Taka. Taka is an experienced model, TV host, and DJ has been chosen as the official spokesmodel for Formula DRIFT and will be at the remaining 4 events of the season. Originally from Nagoya, Japan, Taka is a Japanese-American that currently resides in Columbus, OH. She is pursuing her degree in Criminal Law, while establishing herself as an import model with Prestigious Models.

Performance and preparation paid off as Team Falken Tire’s factory drivers swept the podium at Wall Speedway in Saturday night’s round 3 of the 2009 Formula Drift season. Darren McNamara took the top rung in his Saturn Sky; Vaughn Gittin, Jr., earned second with his 2010 Ford Mustang GT; and Tyler McQuarrie finished third, driving his Nissan 350Z.

 The achievement was historical as this was the first time ever for three Team Falken cars to take the top three positions as well as the first time one team has dominated the podium.



Round 2 of the 2009 Formula Drift season saw Team Falken Tires’s Darren McNamara, running his Sears Auto Center Saturn Sky on the proving grounds of legendary Road Atlanta, advance to the finals against Chris Forsberg where he took second place overall. The finals proved challenging after the first competitive run was deemed too close and a subsequent run requested by the judges – and known among the Formula D competitors and fans as a “One More Time” – ended with paint trading and McNamara in second.

Formula DRIFT Round 2: Proving Ground at Road Atlanta had Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Maxxis Nissan 350Z claiming the victory. The win moves him into 2nd place overall in the Formula DRIFT Championship point standings and gives him the lead in the chase for the Tires.com Triple Crown bonus.

Formula DRIFT Round 1: Streets of Long Beach kicks off their 6th championship season to a sell-out crowd. Ryan Tuerck and the Gardella Racing / Mobil 1 Pontiac Solstice took home the victory and leads the 2009 Professional Championship Point Standings.