FORD RETURNS TO FORMULA DRIFT WITH TOP MUSTANG TEAM, TRACKSIDE FUN AND 2014 FIESTA ST GIVEAWAY

March 31, 2014 by Ford

◾Ford returns to Formula DRIFT with sweepstakes for custom EcoBoost®-powered Fiesta ST

◾Former champ Vaughn Gittin Jr. and past winner Justin Pawlak to compete in Ford Mustangs

◾Ford Mustang, Fiesta ST and other cars featuring Ford parts and accessories will be trackside

To celebrate its second year as an official sponsor of the Formula DRIFT series, Ford Motor Company is returning in force for 2014. Ford will support Mustang drivers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Justin Pawlak, launch a sweepstakes for a custom Fiesta ST and bring trackside displays to three key events across the United States. Ford kicks off its Fiesta ST giveaway at the opening round of the series in Long Beach, Calif., April 4-5.

'The competitiveness of Ford Mustang and the passionate fans convinced us to return to Formula DRIFT this year,' said Steve Ling, Ford North America car marketing manager. 'Outsiders sometimes ask why we support Formula DRIFT so strongly. Anyone who follows the sport knows that it's the perfect place to connect with enthusiasts who value performance as much as we do at Ford Motor Company.'

Ford has supported drivers in Formula DRIFT since 2005, when the competition triggered a successful Ford Racing performance parts engine development program for a supercharged 4.6-liter V8 crate engine, increasing its support each year. For 2014, Ford is really stepping it up.

'Fans enjoyed seeing Ford's capabilities on the track last year,' says Mickey Matus, Ford Racing marketing communications manager. 'While we eventually finished third, our two Mustang drivers consistently finished at the top, keeping Ford in the hunt for the manufacturer's cup throughout the first year of the championship. We believe that Vaughn and Justin are poised for great success in their Mustangs this year.'

Drifting into the excitement of North America's foremost professional drifting championship, Ford will give fans the opportunity all season to enter online to win the Fiesta ST. Anyone can enter the contest while watching the hot action online each weekend at www.formulad.com.

'It's great to have Ford Motor Company back in the series again in 2014,' said Ryan Sage, Formula DRIFT vice president and cofounder. 'The excitement level is at an all-time high with the news of a custom Fiesta ST to be given away at our events. Fans can expect to be really blown away this year.'

Formula DRIFT fans can enter to win the car at the Ford display during any of the competitions. They can also feast their eyes on the hot Ford Mustang, which is similar to the pair driven by RTR Drift Team's Gittin and Team Falken's Pawlak. Gittin won the 2010 Formula DRIFT championship in his Ford Mustang, while he and Pawlak combined for three podium finishes in 2013.

'The hot new Fiesta ST featuring the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine is a huge hit, especially among the tuner crowd,' said Ling. 'So we partnered with Formula DRIFT to create an innovative way to give one to a lucky fan. We added a Ford Racing performance parts exhaust, some cool new wheels and touches to make this a true, one-of-one car. We plan to show it off at the Long Beach competition, at the Monroe, Wash., event in July and at the Irwindale series finale this October.'

The first official drifting series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme, attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life. This high-skilled, high-powered competition – in which drivers intentionally maneuver cars into controlled slides at high speeds through a marked course – has pro drivers and teams competing in seven events throughout the season. Judged on speed, execution and style, rather than fastest time, drifting is a crowd pleaser that is often compared to the freestyle nature of skateboarding and motocross.

For the first round of the championship series, Formula DRIFT slides its way on one of two street courses used for professional drifting – the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The expanded two-day event is one week prior to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and uses turns nine, 10 and 11 of the street course. With a high-speed entry and very tight spacing between the cars and walls, there is no room for mistakes, making this opening round of the Formula DRIFT season one of the most exciting drift events of the year.

Photo credit: Ford
posted on conceptcarz.com