Another buzz around the paddock this weekend is the return of Mad Mike in his Redbull Mazda Rx-8 next year. Rumor has it a company currently in Formula Drift as a title sponsor has been courting him to make a return next season. We are going to work on getting more details tomorrow but it sounds like this could very well bring back Mad Mike Whiddett next season. Would you like to see him return to the series next year?
Mad Mike brought out a new rendition of the Rx-7 for 2011. Redbull Energy New Zealand has a fantastic video featuring him in this car he has dubbed “generation 5″ of the Rx-7. With a damp track during his shake down had some amazing reverse entry nonsense. He did mention going to a 35 sidewall from a 40 which seems pretty nuts to us!
He threw a compliment to the guys now in the United States who are now starting to master driving past lock and doing basically beyond reverse entry. We miss Mad Mike in Formula Drift but Team Need for Speed and Redbull sent him packing back to New Zealand without huge sponsor support in the United States and left us with Rhys Millen. Follow the link below for the video.
Watch the video: Redbull.co.nz
Mad Mike is running around Qatar wielding an AK47 caught by the Formula Drift staff photography Jose Martinez. We aren’t sure what he will do if you don’t watch the LiveStream right now so it’s probably an empty threat but do you really want to find out? We know it’s early in the morning but you can catch the event here on Justin.tv for the next few hours.
A little more while we are on the topic of Mad Mike Whiddett. He seemingly has retained Team Need for Speed and Redbull Energy for 2011 but his Formula Drift car is currently sitting in Qatar for this event. This means he won’t be running in Formula Drift for 2011 and has seemingly been replaced by Fredric Aasbo in Formula D. We are curious to know what Team Need for Speed will have Mad Mike getting involved with since he is seemingly not going to be on the grid in 2011 in America.
Photo Source: Jose Martinez as Staff Formula Drift Photographer
Check out our first gallery from the Middle East’s main event. The Yas Marina gallery features some great content from the main event on Friday night. We also have another 200+ image gallery coming out later today with even more in depth coverage from this historical drifting event on a Formula 1 circuit.
Check Out the Gallery: http://www.wreckedmagazine.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=211
Formula 1′s Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE was raped by some of the worlds most skilled drifters in old competition cars. Unless you have been reading some other non updated drifting websites for the last month we are sure you have heard abuzz about this event. Here is the first installment of our gallery coverage from the event which shows off the paddocks, some practice daytime runs, the Formula Drift trip to Ferrari World, and some kart racing around Yas Marina.
Check out the Gallery: http://www.wreckedmagazine.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=210
http://www.wreckedmagazine.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=210
Remembering the 2010 Formula Drift Season with Shreeve Films
Here is the 2010 Formula D review video put together by Shreeve Films. He toured around the 2010 season and compiled some of the great moments featuring Mad Mike Whiddett, Matt Powers, Ryan Tuerck, and Sam Hubinette. He recently released a 2010 season DVD he is trying to sell which you can find at his BigCartel Store. Make sure to stay tuned after the credits to catch some Behind the Scenes or post credit video action.
Watch the video: http://www.wreckedmagazine.com/watchvideo/remembering-the-2010-formula-drift-season-wit
In just seven days Formula Drift will be kicking off in the Middle East! We are heading out of town next week to cover the event in person at the Formula 1 Yas Marina Circuit. This snapshot posted on the Yas Marina Facebook Page shows just how amazing and fun this event is going to be! The site has been full all year about hype leading up to this event and judging by this photograph it won’t disappoint one bit! The countdown has begun at t-minus one week.
As the days wind even closer to the first ever Formula Drift Abu Dhabi Invitational at Yas Marina Circuit, the cars are beginning to arrive in the middle east. Among the first is Mad Mike’s Team Need for Speed/Red Bull RX-8 which arrived in Dubai ‘s Mall of the Emirates to be displayed front and center at the Virgin Megastore.
The competition ready RX8 will be on display at the Virgin Megastore for the weekend, with Mad Mike making an appearance to sign autographs, meet with fans, and promote the upcoming Formula Drift Invitational.
source: FormulaD.com
Here is about the seventeenth post we have done on UAE drivers but this is the officially official one from Formula Drift. First let’s cover tickets and how you get them. You can buy tickets for Formula Drift UAE at this link or you have several other options of purchasing. Tickets can also be purchased through the Yas Marina Call Centre at: 800-YAS-(927) or the international number at +971 (0) 2 446 0384 (Everyday from 9 AM – 6 PM). Tickets can be purchased directly at the Yas Marina Circuit at the East and West Entrance Gate Welcome Centre, Yas Marina Hotel, and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Yas Marina Circuit Kiosk. In addition, tickets may also be purchased at select Virgin Megastores around the UAE starting next week. For the rest of you not traveling or living in the Middle East it will be aired on the Driftstream Saturday February 25th.
2011 Formula Drift UAE Drivers List
Fredric Aasbo
Chris Forsberg
Tanner Foust
Ryan Tuerck
“Mad Mike” Whiddett
Daijiro Yoshihara
Ken Gushi
Michael Essa
Tony Brakohiapa (alternative driver)
It looks like D1NZ has a 45 minute video up highlighting Round 1 that functions just like a full length television show sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drink. A few big names in NZ came out in attendance like Gaz Whiter and the much more familiar star Mad Mike Whiddett to the American drifting scene did compete. I love Fanga’s S15 more than any of the other cars in the episode.
Watch D1NZ Episode 1: http://vimeo.com/18653777
