Autoblog

Watch Millen dance with his new Genesis Coupe at Long Beach

Zach Bowman — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Hyundai, Celebrities, Racing

Earlier this month, Rhys Millen took to Formula Drift Long Beach to introduce his newly updated 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe racer. After securing second place during qualifying and besting Nick D'Alessio in the top 32 battle, Millen spun on his second run of the top 16 contention versus Daigo Saito. Saito was 2011's D1 Japan champion. The spin knocked Millen from a shot at the podium all the way to sixth place, where he tied with Tyler McQuarrie with a combined 64 points. With a total of six rounds left in the season, Millen and the Hyundai crew still have a shot at nabbing a championship podium finish.

Road Atlanta is next on the schedule. The sideways action gets started on May 11, so stay tuned for the results. In the meantime, you can check out the rather excellent HD video after the jump of the team's Long Beach effort, complete with about a thousand different camera angles.

Continue reading Watch Millen dance with his new Genesis Coupe at Long Beach

Watch Millen dance with his new Genesis Coupe at Long Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai shows Millen's updated-for-2013 Genesis Coupe drift car

Zach Bowman — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Hyundai

Hyundai has once again partnered up with Rhys Millen, this time to create a new 2013 Genesis Coupe fit to take on Formula Drift. The specially prepared two-door boasts more then 600 horsepower thanks to careful tweaking by the minds at RMR. That's a far cry from the 274 hp served up by the stock 2.0-liter turbo four, and so far, Millen is keeping the secret of how he pulled that much grunt from the four-pot to himself. We're guessing this machine has been touched by the gods of forced-induction in all the right ways.

While Millen and his track-bred heathen are out vaporizing tires, Hyundai fans will have a chance to pour over the company's other wares and compete for race gifts while at the track. This marks the fourth consecutive year Hyundai and Millen have partnered up, and this year, he'll be the exclusive driver for the company at all Formula Drift events. Last year, the RMR team took first place in Las Vegas and runner up at Irwindale. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Hyundai shows Millen's updated-for-2013 Genesis Coupe drift car

Hyundai shows Millen's updated-for-2013 Genesis Coupe drift car originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samuel Hubinette retires from Formula DRIFT

Michael Harley — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Samuel Hübinette, two-time Formula D champion, will not return for the 2012 Formula Drift pro championship season. "Two of our main sponsors changed their marketing direction, so we decided that the best thing to do with the Dodge Challenger SHR drift car is to focus on doing demos," said Hübinette, driver and team owner of Team Samuel Hübinette Racing. But don't think team SHR has lost its competitiveness. While drifting has been put on the back burner, Hübinette (the "Crazy Swede") has refocused his team on rallycross and off-road truck competitions.

Born in Sweden, Hübinette earned an early reputation for pushing motorcycles, cars and snowmobiles to the limit. He worked for Volvo Cars as a test driver in product development and was on the company's Touring Car racing team from 1997 through 2000. Since moving to the United States 2004, he has secured a bronze medal in the X Games, won two Formula Drift championships, and driven in the Baja 1000. He is also a working stunt driver in Hollywood productions.

Not only has Hübinette been one of the top names in drifting, but he maintains the record for most Formula D victories. "We will miss having a competitor like Samuel this season," said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula Drift.

Continue reading Samuel Hubinette retires from Formula DRIFT

Samuel Hubinette retires from Formula DRIFT originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scion FR-S turbo spotted testing at Laguna Seca

Zach Bowman — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Scion

It looks as if Scion may be hard at work on a new turbocharged FR-S prototype. Motor Trend nabbed a quick video of what appears to be a forced-induction version of the coupe darting around Laguna Seca. With its tall wing and sideways antics, the vehicle is likely being put through its paces by the Scion drift team, which has had to rely on specially modified TC models until now. It makes sense for the drift team to strap a turbo onto the vehicle's 2.0-liter flat four for a little extra grunt, but it's unclear if a forced-induction version of the FR-S will make its way to production.

If a hotter version of the coupe is coming down the pike, we'll have to wait for it. The first production FR-S models won't show up until summer, and any variations would trail along after that. Either way, it appears we should be able to catch a glimpse of high-performance FR-S on the Formula D circuit in no time. Hit the jump to watch the quick video for yourself.

Continue reading Scion FR-S turbo spotted testing at Laguna Seca

Scion FR-S turbo spotted testing at Laguna Seca originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daijiro Yoshihara crowned 2011 Formula Drift champion

Drew Phillips — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Formula Drift headed to Irwindale Speedway to decide who would be crowned the 2011 champion in front of a sold-out crowd. Going into the event, the title race was the closest it had ever been with Falken Tire teammates Daijiro Toshihara and Justin Pawlak separated by just 12.75 points. Each driver had two wins and three podiums this season, leaving the final event to decide the title.

Initially, it seemed that Yoshihara had blown his chances when Ken Gushi knocked him out of the round of 16, leaving it up to Pawlak to claim the championship for his own. Pawlak failed to capitalize in the next round, though, when he tagged the wall during his second run and was beaten out by fellow Falken driver Darren McNamara. The final points tally had Yoshihara just 5.75 points ahead of Pawlak, the closest finish in Formula Drift's history. This is the first championship for the Japanese native, who is an eight-year veteran of the series.

"It's a great feeling and a dream come true," said Yoshihara after the event. "After eight years of driving it finally paid off. I owe a lot to my team and sponsors. My new goal will be to defend the championship and win it outright during the event."

You can see our images from the final Formula Drift event of the season at Irwindale Speedway in the gallery above.

Daijiro Yoshihara crowned 2011 Formula Drift champion originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drifting the Gauntlet takes a look at life turned sideways

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

Drifting the Gauntlet - Click above to watch video after the jump

We're suckers for well-shot automotive videos, and our friends at Autoblog Canada (eh?) came across a good one. Filmmaker Stephen Brooks spent time at New Jersey's Wall Speedway to take in a Formula Drift event, and left with plenty of good stuff. His lens work is sharp, his footage is entertaining and his interviews provide a touch of insight into the minds of the folks in this industry.

If you're a drifting fan, a few familiar faces step in front of Brooks' camera to talk about their favorite sideways motorsport. Click past the jump to check out Drifting the Gauntlet, and see if you can spot where Brooks was influenced by the film Days of Thunder.

Continue reading Drifting the Gauntlet takes a look at life turned sideways

Drifting the Gauntlet takes a look at life turned sideways originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorsports photogs stranded at DFW airport get creative

Aaron Richardson — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:06:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

Stuck - Click above to view video after the jump

What do you do when you're stuck on an overnight layover? Sleep? Read the same issue of Automobile four times? Beat Angry Birds? We would, too. For Formula Drift photographers Larry Chen and Joe Ayala, a lengthy layover in the empty Dallas/Fort Worth airport meant an all-night playground.

Armed with $30k worth of camera gear, the two set about creating Stuck, a playful documentary of their time alone with DFW. The two-minute clip has only been out for a few days, but it's already viral and has made YouTube heroes out of the two guerilla documentarians. Check out the full clip after the jump.

Continue reading Motorsports photogs stranded at DFW airport get creative

Motorsports photogs stranded at DFW airport get creative originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samuel Hubinette to field two-car Formula Drift team for 2011

Aaron Richardson — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Dodge, Racing

Two-time Formula Drift champion Samuel Hubinette is fielding a two-car team for the 2011 season, calling on European Pro Drift champion Dean Kearney as his second driver. The two will compete in a Dodge Motorsports Challenger and a Dodge Viper SRT-10. Kearney will wheel the Viper, while Hubinette will pilot the Challenger.

The two will drive for Hubinette's own team, Samuel Hubinette Racing, and will get sponsorship from Dodge and V-LEDs Federal. Hubinette is sticking with longtime crew chief Brad Manka to lead both efforts.

Hubinette managed two Formula Drift championships in his first three seasons in the sport, and hopes to groom 22-year-old Kearney into the next Formula Drift champion. Kearney, a native of Ireland, won the 2009 European Pro Drift Championship. Watch for Hubinette and Kearney when the Formula Drift season kicks off April 8-9 in Long Beach, California.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Samuel Hubinette to field two-car Formula Drift team for 2011

Samuel Hubinette to field two-car Formula Drift team for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Formula Drift UAE Invitational in Abu Dhabi 2011

Michael Harley — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 11:08:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Specialty, Middle East, Racing

Formula Drift in Abu Dhabi - Click above for high-res image gallery

After wrapping up the 2010 Formula Drift season (Vaughn Gittin Jr. took the podium, with Tanner Foust and Ryan Tuerck second and third overall), a handful of selected professional drifters loaded their cars into steel 40-foot containers and shipped them to the Middle East for the inaugural Formula Drift UAE Invitational in Abu Dhabi.

While the locals in that part of the world aren't strangers to wild car antics (as evident from those popular, yet crazy Middle East YouTube videos), the Invitational was formatted to introduce the locals to professional drifting - in a safe and controlled manner. The chosen venue was the new Yas Marina Circuit, designed and built for Formula One (interestingly enough, the Formula Drift guys were the first to every lay "drifting" rubber down on its fresh surface).

In addition to the main event, there was a media day (with ride-alongs), a karting competition (Tanner Foust set the all-time lap record), a visit to Ferrari World and a drag competition with locals. And, to help the local competitors, Tony Brakohiapa and Michael Essa taught drifting techniques to ten drivers from the local SSK Drift Club (four were eventually chosen to participate in demo during the main event).

The next stop for drivers Chris Forsberg, Tanner Foust, Michael Essa, Tony Brakohiapa, Fredric Aasbo, Mike Whiddett and Daijiro Yoshihara is the Qatar Racing Club in Doha, Qatar, for the inaugural Formula Drift Global Challenge on March 18, 2011.

Gallery: Formula Drift in Abu Dhabi 2011

Photos copyright (C)2011 Formula Drift / Ashley Glover / Nick Richards

[Source: Formula Drift]

Formula Drift UAE Invitational in Abu Dhabi 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Long Beach Grand Prix 2010: Reflecting on America's Monaco

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

2010 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Grid Girls - Click above for high-res image gallery

The great thing about a weekend of racing action in Long Beach is that there is so much to see and do besides the already thrilling track action and automotive displays. Vendor alleys, 'extreme sports' demonstrations, free concerts, '50s-style Mexican wrestling with a little extra vavoom thrown in...they all add to the payout on your already value-packed ticket purchase. That last one, though, is something new for the GPLB, via something old.

Dubbed Lucha VaVoom, it's a fairly new show that recalls the burlesque shows and masked wrestling matches of the '50s and '60s, but adds a few modern twists, along with a bunch of comedy and some daredevil antics to keep everyone happy and alert. Why do we bring this up when we're supposed to be covering an auto race? Because there's always more to the scene than just the racecars. Being at an event like the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is an experience. Anyone can watch a race on their LCD screen, but actually being at the track, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling the cars is a whole 'nother ball of wax.

A race event can be like having the circus in town. In fact, a whole little city sprouts up for these types of events, with restaurants, hair salons, recruiting centers, auto dealers, chapels, hospitals and entertainment spots galore. Participating in a race weekend is something all auto enthusiasts should do at least once in their lives, if not once a year or more. Long Beach in particular is such a great event because of its proximity to Hollywood, the Pacific Ocean and downtown Long Beach. And if you should ever think that attending a race is just a guy thing, know that there are plenty of families there as well, and plenty of ladies too, giving us all hope that the future of the hobby is in good hands.

This past weekend we were so pleased to find so many young women, in particular, at the track, that we couldn't help but take some pictures of all their smiling faces to prove our point. Take a look at the gallery below and you'll understand why we love Long Beach, and why it's been referred to as America's Monaco.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Grid Girls

Long Beach Grand Prix 2010: Reflecting on America's Monaco originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rhys Millen gets first Formula Drift podium for Hyundai Genesis Coupe [w/video]

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Videos, Hyundai, Racing

Rhys Millen drifting primer - click above to watch the video

After struggling in his first season of Formula Drift competition with the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Rhys Millen finally came good at Long Beach this week. Millen still hasn't won with the Genesis, but he managed to get second place on the podium against over 50 other drivers.

After rushing to get the coupe ready for the season opener a year ago, Millen's team spent this past winner thoroughly going over the car. Hyundai's Lambda V6 now produces over 650 horsepower compared to the 480 hp it turned out last year. Vaughn Gittin Jr. grabbed the top spot on the podium with his new Ford Mustang. For those unfamiliar with drifting, you can check out Millen's video primer after the jump along with the official press release.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Rhys Millen gets first Formula Drift podium for Hyundai Genesis Coupe [w/video]

Rhys Millen gets first Formula Drift podium for Hyundai Genesis Coupe [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vaughn Gittin Jr. unveils new 2011 Mustang drifter, announces new sponsor

Drew Phillips — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Ford, Racing

Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s 2011 Monster Energy Ford Mustang - Click above for high-res image gallery

A few days ago, Vaughn Gittin Jr. gave a sneak peak of his new 2011 Mustang and hinted that a new sponsor would be involved for the 2010 Formula Drift season. Judging by the green wheels and that the car's unveiling would be held at Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory in Los Angeles, it was an easy assumption that Monster Energy Drink would be involved. The company is most famous in the motorsports world for sponsoring Ken Block, and both Gittin Jr. and Formula Drift seem like an easy fit. Sure enough, when the wraps were pulled off the new livery featured Monster's green and black theme.

Like the production 2011 Mustang, Vaughn's new ride features several new upgrades. The chassis and suspension have been updated using the knowledge gained from the 2009 season, and the looks have been tweaked to match Gitton's ponycar for the street, the RTR-C Mustang. Falken Tire remains as a sponsor and has provided their brand new RT-615K tires to be sacrificed on track, and a version of Ford Racing's 4.6-liter supercharged V8 is still under the hood. So what will happen to the 2010 Falken Mustang? Justin Pawlak, who finished ninth last year with a Mazda RX-8 last year, is joining the Falken team and will take over Vaughn's old Mustang.

We were fortunate enough to receive an invite to the unveiling, and made sure to have cameras in hand. A dark, crowded warehouse isn't our favorite place to photograph a car, but we did the best we could and have put the resulting images in the high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s 2011 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Vaughn Gittin Jr. unveils new 2011 Mustang drifter, announces new sponsor originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Electronic Arts puts down controller, forms real racing team

Zach Bowman — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Toys/Games, Racing

Wonders never cease. The crew from Electronic Arts has decided to take its love of all things racing off the console and onto the track. The company just formed a genuine race team under the Need For Speed banner, and while we've seen plenty of brands go racing in the past as part of their marketing scheme, for the moment, this appears to be somewhat different.

For one, the team will be competing in at least two different series. While the fans in the states will get to feast their eyes on an NFS car getting sideways in Formula D, our European counterparts will have the opportunity to see the team compete in the VLN series, an endurance racing league that shares many of the same rules you'd find on your typical 24 hours of Nurburgring run.

EA has also managed to score some pretty serious talent behind the wheel. Patrick Söderlund, Mad Mike Whiddett and Matt Powers have all agreed to man the tiller in one car or another. The company has also announced it will be filming the whole shindig, so expect a 12-part series on the whole race season to come out of the project, too.

[Source: Kotaku]

Electronic Arts puts down controller, forms real racing team originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Rhys Millen warms up his Hyundai Genesis coupe for the drift season

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Videos, Hyundai, Racing

Rhys Millet gets drifty with his Hyundai Genesis Coupe - Click above to watch the video

2009 was a less-than-stellar year for Rhys Millen and the debut of his Hyundai Genesis coupe. The Genesis is an eminently driftable car as was demonstrated during the media launch a year ago. But despite Millen's considerable skills, the defending champion finished the Formula Drift season in 19th place.

With the 2010 season set to kick off next weekend in Long Beach, the Millen Racing crew has been working on improving the car and Millen spent some time practicing recently at El Toro. While the car is certainly generating plenty of tire smoke thanks to its 650 horsepower, we have no idea at this point if it will move Millen further up in the rankings this year. Millen did tell us that he will have more to announce soon on additional race programs. Perhaps a GT2 Genesis Coupe? or a Pikes Peak Equus? Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: Rhys Millen Racing via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Rhys Millen warms up his Hyundai Genesis coupe for the drift season

Video: Rhys Millen warms up his Hyundai Genesis coupe for the drift season originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ruh-Roh: Nick Hogan announces return to drifting

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities

Hulk Hogan's son, Nick Hogan, has announced that he'll be returning to competitive drifting. That's right, at one point in time Nick Hogan was a competitive professional drifter, licensed by Formula D and finishing as high as third place at a 2007 NOPI Drift event. Then he went and crashed his hyper-modded Toyota Supra (while drunk and racing) and in the process put his friend and Iraq veteran into a vegetative state. Hogan, who was a minor at the time of the crash and subsequent incarceration, served six months of an eight-month sentence and had his drivers license suspended for three years.

Hogan will be participating in the newly formed XDC (Xtreme Drifting Circuit) drift series that pits professionals against amateurs. Nick will be fielding a black, turbocharged Nissan 350Z. Also of note is that Hogan is now involved with a group called Keep It On The Track which is, "dedicated to educating Americans about the consequences of participating in illegal street races and driving without a seat belt." Hogan will use his return to drifting to promote Keep It On The Track. All we can say is "good."

[Source: Motorworldhype | Image: Jacob Andrzejczak/Getty]

Ruh-Roh: Nick Hogan announces return to drifting originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iron Man Tony Stark to sponsor Formula D car? [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Subaru, Racing

Click above to view the trailer after the jump

Of all the fictitious captains of industry and superheroes ever to grace the silver screen, Tony Stark's got to be one of our favorites. Why? Well aside from flying around the world in his super-suit and kickin' terrorist butt, he's also a hardcore car guy. Just look at the Audi R8, Saleen S7 and the poor old Shelby Cobra he nearly ruined in the first episode. Now the sequel is almost upon us, and Tony is taking to the track in a Stark Industries-sponsored single-seater. (See for yourself in the trailer after the jump.) But though the company and its eponymous chief may be fictitious, that won't stop them from actually sponsoring a real race car of their own.

As you can see from the photo above, Iron Man 2 will be sponsoring Stephan Verdier's Crawford Performance-prepped Subaru Impreza in this season's Formula Drift series. That's nothing new: Movies, superhero movies especially, often sponsor racing teams. (Just check out David Coulthard on the podium in a superman cape or Jarno Trulli riding the bat-pod to see what we mean.) But if you look closer, you'll see the Stark logo on the quarter-panel. So while we wait to see Stark's on-screen heroics in the upcoming movie, we can enjoy Verdier's on-track heroics in Formula D as well. Top Tip, Andy!

[Source: MotorWorldHype]

Continue reading Iron Man Tony Stark to sponsor Formula D car? [w/video]

Iron Man Tony Stark to sponsor Formula D car? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Formula D Judgment Day 2009

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, UAW/Unions

Formula D Judgment Day - click above image to watch the video

Two weeks ago was Formula D's big season finale and 2009 Championship, AKA Judgment Day. While we (sadly) couldn't be there, we did get a little preview of the event when Tanner Foust took us drifting in his ferret-on-linoleum-out-of-hell stock car-engined Scion. Anyhow, in this video all the usual trouble makers and tire killers are present, including Vaugn Gitten Jr., Samuel Hubinette, Tanner Foust and Joon Maeng -- plus the 2009 season winner, Chris Forsberg. Also -- you're going to like new host Kerryann De La Cruz. Still, wish we could have been there at the Irwindale Speedway watching it all unfold.

But sometimes we just have to settle for second best, which in this case our friends over at WebRidesTV have put together a most excellent Judgment Day video. If you've never given drifting and/or and Formula D a chance, this could be your ticket in. As has been noticed countless times in the past, in what other motorsport do Dodge Vipers and Ford Mustangs go head to head with Nissan Zs, 240SXs and Skylines? Not to mention Toyota AE86 Corollas and the occasional Japanese-tuned Corvette -- on the same track at the same time. It's just nothing but fun. Make the jump to watch the video.

[Source: WebRidesTV]

Continue reading VIDEO: Formula D Judgment Day 2009

VIDEO: Formula D Judgment Day 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Formula Drift 2009 season wraps up in Irwindale, California

Merritt Johnson — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

2009 Formula Drift Championship Round - Click above for high-res image gallery

The sixth season of the Formula Drift series wound to a close in Irwindale, California this weekend, and the finale certainly lived up to the host venue's 'House of Drift' reputation. The high speeds and excessive angle required to navigate the speedway's bank required a "go big or go home" attitude in order for drivers to move through the rounds, and there was no playing it safe for seasoned veterans.

The 2009 Formula Drift season began with the debut of a slew of radical new platforms. It was anyone's guess as to what methodology would win out come October. Driver Chris Forsberg proved that the tried and true ride, with a few years of service under its belt, was the key to securing a championship. Forsberg powered his V8-equipped Nissan 350Z to the top 16, earning him enough points to take the 2009 Formula Drift Championship title. Nipping right at Forsberg's heals in the point race was fellow Drift Alliance member, Ryan Tuerck. Tuerck showed that Pontiac is still well and alive by sliding his Solstice GXP to the top of the event podium. Hit the jump to get all the results and a rundown on the season finale.

Gallery: 2009 Formula Drift Championship at Irwindale Speedway

Continue reading Formula Drift 2009 season wraps up in Irwindale, California

Formula Drift 2009 season wraps up in Irwindale, California originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog goes drifting with Tanner Foust in NASCAR-powered Scion tC!

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Scion, Celebrities

Autoblog goes drifting with Tanner Foust - Click above for high-res image gallery

"It feels like I'm down on power!" yells Tanner Foust in the general direction of the gathered throngs containing both his crew and assorted media. Tanner and myself are currently five-point bolted into his new stock car-engined Formula D Scion tC. We've just exited an aborted lap around the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale because something - so says Foust - is amiss with the car.

Rockstar Energy Drink Drift captain Stephan Papadakis comes charging towards the Scion and begins earnestly, if not frantically, checking the car's vitals through the steering wheel's digital readout. Steph floors the motor a few times, checks the numbers and exasperatedly tells Foust that everything looks fine. "Oh," says Tanner, patting me on my beer belly. "Must be him." Very funny, jerk.

Gallery: Autoblog Goes Drifting with Tanner Foust

Continue reading Autoblog goes drifting with Tanner Foust in NASCAR-powered Scion tC!

Autoblog goes drifting with Tanner Foust in NASCAR-powered Scion tC! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Racecar fabricator and NuFormz owner Shaun Carlson dead at 35

Merritt Johnson — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

In the late hours of October 4th 2009, the world lost an innovator in sport compact racing, Shaun Carlson. The NuFormz owner and fabricator extraordinaire had a genetic heart condition - however, it is unknown if the defect contributed to his death.

In more recent years, Carlson, 35, had been known for his lead on the Team MOPAR drift team, but his roots go all the way back to Truckin' and Turbo Magazine. Although he could shoot cars with the best of them, his talent in building them won out in the end. Carlson knocked the socks off the sport compact industry with the Honda CRX he created in collaboration with Jason Whitfield, but he really blew everyone away when he unveiled the world's first tube frame front-wheel drive Honda Civic. Driven by Stephan Papadakis, the car made the industry stand up and take notice that sport compact drag racing was a force to be reckoned with. Following his Civic's success, Carlson created the spectacular web of steel tubing, carbon fiber and titanium that is known as the Meguiar's Ford Focus. His ability to turn the unfortunate into amazing even transferred over from drag racing and into drifting. This is shown by the Dodge Charger and Challenger he built for two time Formula D champion Samuel Hubinette.

It is an understatement to say that Shaun Carlson will be missed. His influence has been far reaching and he undoubtedly had many more groundbreaking builds ahead of him. On a personal note,I will never forget the guidance and knowledge that he gave me as I was starting to get my feet wet in the automotive industry. I first met Shaun when he brought Stephan's yellow Civic to run on the East Coast. As I stared at the car in wonderment, he went out of his way to tell me all about it. After that, whenever I ran into Shaun at a race, he let me hang around his pit. He never dismissed my probing questions about his mechanical troubles either. He could see I wasn't just a female trying to hang around, but a student with a thirst for knowledge and someone looking for direction. I eventually found that direction with a degree in mechanical engineering. Now, in my work, I think back to design tips I learned from master fabricator Shaun Carlson.

Everyone at Autoblog extends their thoughts to all of Shaun Carlson's loved ones.

[Source: NHRA]

Racecar fabricator and NuFormz owner Shaun Carlson dead at 35 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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