Note: The following press release was sent to us by Formula Drift. The views and thoughts expressed here do not reflect us at Wrecked Magazine but are the words/information of Formula D.

For immediate release

January 8, 2008

The Formula DRIFT 2008 Focuses on Safety

Long Beach, Calif. – January 8, 2008 – The Formula DRIFT Championship Series has updated their rulebook for 2008 with a focus on safety.

“Drifting is a very exciting sport, but it is inherently dangerous and as the level of the involvement and competition increases, we need to ensure we keep safety as our top priority and we work very hard to ensure the safety of our drivers, crews, staff, spectator, and sponsors,” said Randy Hembrey, Chief Steward of Formula DRIFT.

The major updates and changes in the rulebook pertain to safety in an effort to refine and strengthen the already rigorous safety standards. Some of the highlighted changes include: updated driver’s suit and helmet minimum standards, updated roll cage specifications and eliminated bolt-in cages, and revised fire suppression system standards.

“Formula DRIFT continues to be the pre-eminent drifting series, establishing competitive and safety standards that far exceed our peers. We continue to use real-life operational experience, and the experience of the other sanctioning bodies, as well as SFI to develop our safety standards,” said Hembrey.

Formula DRIFT is an SFI (www.sfifoundation.com) Affiliate Sanctioning Body. SFI is a non-profit organization established to issue and administer standards for specialty/performance automotive and racing equipment. The benefits include: provision of and authorization for use of Copyrighted SFI Quality Assurance Specifications, assistance in rule book development regarding SFI Specifications, and answering of inquiries from participants.

“We’re very pleased and proud that Formula Drift is included on the extensive list of worldwide SFI motorsport sanctioning body members and affiliates. It strongly confirms their commitment to the highest possible level of safety at Formula DRIFT sanctioned events,” said Carl Olson, Motorsports Manager of SFI.

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

The topic stirred up some replies on Drifting.com and Jim Liaw (partner of Formula D) weighed in his thoughts on the issue.

We will definitely look into it more but from our conversations with the track manager and owner this morning, this is not the case. We have actually been hearing these types of rumors since the first year we have been going there. I have heard that sometime potential buyers of this track or any track would release information like this to media outlets to leverage their negotiating. But either way, we will look into it more and have a “plan B” ready.

Formula D has a great track record holding to a calender and we expect them to stay on top of this one. We will keep you posted with any breaking updates on the situation.

As the Drift Alliance continues to grow here in 2008 it seems they have added 5 new official members of the team here for the new season. Here is the list of five drivers and brief descriptions of them in case your not familiar with the names. Here we go in no particular order.

New Drift Alliance Ace Number 1- Brian Wilkerson “MA Brian”

This guy drove like all over the world in 2007. I saw him at Drift Mania in Toronto and a few months later at Willow Springs in California. Wrecked even saw him ripping it in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With that being said Brian is probably stacked on frequent flyer points and ready to roll in 2008. He has already graced the pages of Wrecked Magazine in Issue 1 and 2 and he can also be seen in two of our podcasts including some good killer on car footage in the Ziptied All Star Bash piece.

New Drift Alliance Ace Number 2- Joon Maeng

If you don’t know Joon Maeng than you must be living under a rock! He took home the 2007 Spirit of Formula D award at the end of year banquet and laid down some sick runs through the year. Most noted, he started the season completely unsponsored but manged to score some support from the likes of Maxxis Tires and others. He also has been seen drifting in the Drift Day Evo at several events outside of Formula D. He is a nice addition to the Drift Alliance team and the only Ace to actively drive in Formula D in 2007.

New Drift Alliance Ace Number 3- Justin Pawlak “JTP”

Justin Pawlak has to be one of the hottest up and coming drivers in all of Drifting right now. His Mazda Rx-7 is recognizable and gorgeous. It makes one of the most vicious sounds to ever come out of a drift mobile as well. Justin Pawlak is a perfect addition to the DA Ace’s and we hope to see him at more pro events in 2008. He did gain his D1 license last year along with his Formula D license. So he should be gearing up for a killer season.

New Drift Alliance Ace Number 4- Ameen Rizvi

I am going to have to call Ameen my favorite of the new DA Aces. Maybe it’s because a long time ago before he moved to Texas we went to the same high school and both drove beater Honda’s with some stellar modifications? I think that’s it. Don’t let the fact that he went to high school with me discredit him though, he is a serious driver. You saw him in Slide America murdering it in the Houston section with all his Houston240sx.com peeps. He now also runs a garage with his brother called 786 Motoring. He made the cover of Issue 2 with his 50/50 wall grind at Laughlin. He didn’t get a Formula D license at the Pro Am but we do expect to see him driving at some NOPI Drift events this year.

New Drift Alliance Ace Number 5- Aaron Suarez

You might not know this guy but he has been around for a minute. Some quick research and you can find him listed at the 2004 D1 Driver Search at California Speedway. Aaron is also a member of Pink Godzira which has to be one of the coolest names for a drift team in the world.

Apparently yesterday’s Drifting shake ups were not enough to fuel excitement and gossip for the Drifting community because we found this today. The buzz on the circle track forums and the cover of Area Auto Racing News seems to be reporting that Wall Speedway was purchased by developers and is being closed down here in 2008. With Formula D moving this event from Round 6 to Round 3 hopefully we can sneak the event in at the June date before the track is closed? We will keep you posted on what we find out about the track closing. Here is the cover of Area Auto Racing News from Tuesday January 8th, 2008.

NOPI Drift just seems to be stealing the thunder of press today in the Drifting world. This was posted on racinghawaii.com by a member called punishum which we believe to be a representative of Punish’UM Drift series. As of this time nothing of this announcement is posted on either website (Punish’UM’s has a flyer up from September 07 still though).  Here is the post.

 Aloha All,

The Punish’UM Drift Series will be licensed and sanctioned by NOPI Drift. Representatives from NOPI Motorsports will be at the January 26 and 27, 2008 event and will issue national NOPI competition licenses to drivers they feel qualify to compete in their national series. Portions of the event will be on NOPI’s national television programming and website in 2008.

We still have 16 slots available and will have one more last meeting to get these final drivers registered.

We are locked in and the event WILL happen on January 26 and 27, 2008 at the Aloha Stadium.

Special 2 day passes can only be purchased as presale tickets and will NOT be available the day of the events. SO for $20 plus $5 service fee a 2 day pass can be purchased at Ron’s Performance Center and all military outlets. If you are in the military there will be discounted even further for our men and women in uniform. Other wise it will be $20 per day for walk ups.

Be listening to HOT 93.9 and Star 101.9 for your chance to get these 2 day passes at less than half of the actual $20 cost and a chance to win VIP package giveaways and a chance to win a ride in D1GP World Challenge finalist Sammy Tiger’s R-32 Skyline or Kris Milano’s 500 + Horsepower 350z.

The Phoenix, Arizona event has seemingly vanished from the NOPI Drift calender as someone brought to our attention just now. So it looks like the season will be starting in April now a week before Formula D in St. Louis. This is a big bummer to all the Phoenix area guys I am sure who were hoping for a fun local event to rip it up at.
March 15/16 Firebird Raceway, Phoenix, AZ. (Road Course/West Lot)

[source: Edrft]

We just received word that NOPI Drift has confirmed another event for the 2008 season! They are slated to have quite a busy season for drivers looking to tour the series. This event is slated for Columbus, Ohio at the Columbus Motor Speedway. This seems to be an interesting location/venue for a Drifting event. I would say the closest hotbed of drifters are going to be the Chicago area but it’s still a hike for them. This event is also slated a week before Formula D’s Round 3: Wall, New Jersey. So technically the professional teams could leave a little early from the west coast and make a quick stop in Ohio. Should be an interesting turnout and event.

June 7/8 – Columbus, OH – Columbus Motor Speedway -Oval track/Figure 8

Kaaz is proud to announce that Lisa Klassen (US Rally Driver) is one of our
new and up-coming drivers on the Kaaz Drift Team. With her background in Rally Racing,
Lisa has come along way and has decided to transition into the drifting sport!
With that said, Kaaz is now in the process of setting Lisa up as a full time drift driver!
More news to come within the not-so-distant future!

-Kaaz

In case your not a rally fan, Lisa Klassen is the first women to ever win a national rally event! In 2007 she took home first at the Rim of the World event. This should be an interesting addition to the Kaaz team. We currently have no information on weather she is slated as a Formula D driver and if she will replace any of the current drivers on the Kaaz team. We will keep you posted as more information comes our way!

Get Informed:
Kaaz Press Release
Lisa’s Personal Website

Check it out guys,

Tunerzine Story

I keep seeing on all the forums and blogs people bashing Formula D for allowing a FWD car (Scion tC) to participate in Formula D in 2008. The Scion tC is a  rumor we broke last month.  Allowing this car into their series seems to have most people thinking it is against the rules. Here is perhaps an answer or just a bigger gray area, the Toyota Avensis (sister model of the Scion tC) since the Scion tC is a North American exclusive comes in an AWD format in the 2.0 Xi model.

This is what the Formula D rulebook currently states:

8.1.1.3 Cars must have been originally designed as either Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) or All Wheel Drive (AWD).

I have verified this with some Toyota nuts, friends in Japan, and also the Wikipedia entry on the Toyota Avensis all confirm an AWD edition. Should this be just cause to allow the car into Formula D? Keep in mind that back in 2004 Blake Fuller ran an Acura Integra in the Formula D series, which was before this rule above was added into the rule book. But then again the Acura Integra (Honda Integra Xi 4WD) did exist in Japan holding true to the same idea that would allow the Scion tC into Formula D.