Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: Formula D Judgment Day 2009]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/29/video-formula-d-judgment-day-2009/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/29/video-formula-d-judgment-day-2009/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/29/video-formula-d-judgment-day-2009/#commentsFiled under: ,

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Chris ForsbergChrisForsbergDriftFormula DFormula DriftFormulaDFormulaDriftIrwindale SpeedwayIrwindaleSpeedwayJoon MaengJoonMaengJudgment DayJudgmentDaySamuel HubinetteSamuelHubinetteTanner FoustTannerFoustVaughn Gittin Jr.VaughnGittinJr.Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Racecar fabricator and NuFormz owner Shaun Carlson dead at 35]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/06/racecar-fabricator-and-nuformz-owner-shaun-carlson-dead-at-35/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/06/racecar-fabricator-and-nuformz-owner-shaun-carlson-dead-at-35/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/06/racecar-fabricator-and-nuformz-owner-shaun-carlson-dead-at-35/#commentsFiled under:


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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Drag RacingDragRacingDriftingFabricatorFormula DFormula DriftFormulaDFormulaDriftMOPARNHRANuFormzSamuel HubinetteSamuelHubinetteShaun CarlsonShaunCarlsonSport CompactSportCompactTue, 06 Oct 2009 09:28:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Hubinette drifts the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/13/video-hubinette-drifts-the-lamborghini-murcielago-lp670-4-super/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/13/video-hubinette-drifts-the-lamborghini-murcielago-lp670-4-super/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/13/video-hubinette-drifts-the-lamborghini-murcielago-lp670-4-super/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above to watch Samuel Hubinette drift the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV after the jump

Sam Hubinette is one lucky guy. The Crazy Swede gets sideways in an 800-horsepower Dodge Viper for his day job and does occasional stunt driving in his off time. Last year Lamborghini hired him to drift the Gallardo LP560-4 in the streets of Los Angeles for a commercial, and they must have liked it so much that they hired him again to burn rubber in the brand, brand new Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce in Germany. The video is the first we have seen of the car outside the show floor of the Geneva Motor Show, and while shorter than the Gallardo vid, it does at least provide a soundtrack for the upgraded V12 that's now producing 670 horsepower. Follow the jump to watch the video. Thanks for the tip, Saikou!


Gallery: Geneva 2009: Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce


[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Hubinette drifts the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce

VIDEO: Hubinette drifts the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>LamborghiniLamborghini MurcielagoLamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloceLamborghini Murcielago SVLamborghiniMurcielagoLamborghiniMurcielagoLp670-4SuperveloceLamborghiniMurcielagoSvmurcielage superveloceMurcielageSupervelocemurcielagomurcielago SVMurcielagoSvSamuel HubinetteSamuelHubinettevideoFri, 13 Mar 2009 13:29:00 EST<![CDATA[That looks like fun! BF Goodrich's drift commercial]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/17/that-looks-like-fun-bf-goodrichs-drift-commercial/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/17/that-looks-like-fun-bf-goodrichs-drift-commercial/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/17/that-looks-like-fun-bf-goodrichs-drift-commercial/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Charger Drift CarThe spot's months old, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining. It shows Team Mopar's Samuel Hubinette piloting the Charger drift car into, through, and out of an airplane hangar. What's particularly cool is that you can follow the tire marks on the ground from previous takes and/or practice runs as the car does its thing. The superscript at the bottom of the screen as it begins reads "Closed Course. Professional Driver. Do Not Attempt."

Professional driver, indeed. Hubinette's nasty. Follow the jump for the spot. SPEED TV seems to still air it pretty regularly, too.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading That looks like fun! BF Goodrich's drift commercial

That looks like fun! BF Goodrich's drift commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bf goodrichbf goodrich drift commercialBfGoodrichBfGoodrichDriftCommercialchargercharger drift carChargerDriftCardriftinghubinettesamuel hubinetteSamuelHubinetteFri, 17 Aug 2007 16:03:00 EST<![CDATA[NASCAR drivers take on pro drifters at Irwindale]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/30/nascar-drivers-take-on-pro-drifters-at-irwindal/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/30/nascar-drivers-take-on-pro-drifters-at-irwindal/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/30/nascar-drivers-take-on-pro-drifters-at-irwindal/#commentsFiled under: ,



NASCAR drivers don't usually like to experience extreme oversteer in their racecars because it usually means they're spinning out of control and about to hit the wall. Tomorrow, however, a brave group of NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers will fight their instincts in a drift battle against some of the top D1 drifters at Irwindale Speedway, the site of this country's very first professional drift event in 2003. All of the proceeds from the event, called the Mopar D1 All-Star Duel presented by ShiftIntoGear, will go to the Kasey Kahne Foundation.

Kasey Kahne himself will be among the eight NASCAR drivers drifting it out at Irwindale, along with Bill Elliot, Robby Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Chris Cook, Greg Biffle and Casey Mears. The professional drifters, meanwhile, will be lead by none other than Samuel Hubinette, a.k.a. the Crazy Swede, and also include Ken Nomura, Toshiki Yoshioka, Voughn Gittin, Rhys Millen, Tanner Foust, Hideo Hiraoka, Takahiro Ueno and Tatsuya Sakuma.

Chris Cook, professional racer and part owner of the ShiftIntoGear professional driving school, will be responsible for educating the NASCAR drivers in the fine art of drifting before flying off to compete in the NASCAR Busch Series race at Kentucky Speedway this weekend.

We sure hope ESPN or some show is on hand to capture this event. Regardless of whether or not you're a fan of drifting, it's going to be fun to watch.

[Source: Irwindale Speedway]

NASCAR drivers take on pro drifters at Irwindale originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>driftdriftingIrwindaleKasey KahneKaseyKahneMatt KensethMattKensethNASCARRhys MillenRhysMillenSamuel HubinetteSamuelHubinetteWed, 30 Aug 2006 17:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Dodge's drifting Charger debuts]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/24/dodge-s-drifting-charger-debuts/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/24/dodge-s-drifting-charger-debuts/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/24/dodge-s-drifting-charger-debuts/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Amidst the hoopla surrounding the release of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Universal Studios held a Drift Party in its parking lot where Dodge quietly parked its Mopar-powered Charger drift car that will eventually be driven in the Formula D professional drift series by Samuel Hubinette.

Dodge unveiled a version of its drifting Charger at last year's SEMA show in Las Vegas, but it wasn't race ready and featured many bits and pieces that were tacked on for show. The car that will actually compete gets a much smaller hood scoop, less pronounced fenders and ditches the carbon fiber rear wing out back. A more realistic set of 19-inch Racing Hart wheels and Brembo brakes also replaces the show setup on the SEMA vehicle.

Tire-shredding power will be provided by a Mopar 392 crate engine capable of producing 650 horsepower on 104 octane fuel. Considering this Charger weighs 900 lbs. less than a consumer Charger R/T, we're pretty sure Hubinette will be able to dominate the field like he's been doing in his Viper drift car.

More pics follow after the jump...

[Source: IGN]
[Vote for this post on Netscape]

Continue reading Dodge's drifting Charger debuts

Dodge's drifting Charger debuts originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jun 2006 07:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chargerD1driftdriftingformula dFormulaDhubinettemoparsamuel hubinetteSamuelHubinetteviperSat, 24 Jun 2006 07:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Pontiac unveils Red Bull Solstice GXP drifter to replace GTO]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/28/pontiac-unveils-red-bull-solstice-gxp-drfiter-to-replace-gto/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/28/pontiac-unveils-red-bull-solstice-gxp-drfiter-to-replace-gto/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/28/pontiac-unveils-red-bull-solstice-gxp-drfiter-to-replace-gto/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

UPDATE: GM RELEASED PICS FINALLY (click for high rez)


With the Goat about to go bye-bye again, Pontiac needed to cough up another car for its championship drifter Ryhs Millen to pilot in this year's Formula D circuit. Fortunately the 2007 Pontiac GXP makes a perfect choice thanks to its RWD layout and potent 2.0L ECOTEC engine. The ECOTEC four-cylinder has been pumped up to over 1,400 hp in drag racing applications, so the fact that it will provide Millen's right foot with 500 hp is no surprise. And the darn thing runs on E85! Live Green, Go Yellow, Burn Rubber we always say.

Domestics have dominated the Formula D circuit since its inception a few years ago, with either Millen in his GTO or Samuel Hubinette in his Dodge Viper taking top honors at nearly every competition. Hubinette will also be trading in his Viper this season for something a little more accessible to John Q drifter... a Dodge Charger drifting sedan.

The first competition of the 2006 season has already taken place, and we're not surprised that Hubinette, the 2004 Champion, is in the lead with Millen, last year's champion, following close behind in points.

We put in a call to Pontiac for an actual pic of the Red Bull Solstice GXP drifter and are awaiting a reply.

Follow the jump for GM's official release that includes more details on the Red Bull racer.

[Source: GM]

Continue reading Pontiac unveils Red Bull Solstice GXP drifter to replace GTO

Pontiac unveils Red Bull Solstice GXP drifter to replace GTO originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Apr 2006 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Dodge ChargerDodge ViperDodgeChargerDodgeViperdriftdriftingFormula DFormulaDfour-cylinderPontiac GTOPontiacGtoRhys MillenRhysMillenRWDSamuel HubinetteSamuelHubinetteFri, 28 Apr 2006 11:18:00 EST