Andrew Gray Takes the Victory and Chris Forsberg Moves to the Top of the World Championship Standings

Long Beach, Calif. – August 23, 2016 – Formula DRIFT Japan presented by G-Shock returned to the Okayama International Circuit for Round 3 of the Formula DRIFT Japan Championship / Round 8 of the World Championship. Andrew Gray battled to victory to solidify his defense of his 2015 Formula DRIFT Japan title. Chris Forsberg moves atop the World Championship Standings.

The famed Okayama International Circuit, home to previous Formula One events, hosted the event round. Andrew Gray took the victory through consistent driving at the historic track.

'The whole weekend I focused on being consistent and to take each battle as it came,' said Andrew Gray, winner of Formula DRIFT Japan Round 3. 'I never play it safe, but the team helped me out to get the win in the end.'

The highly competitive event saw a new driver enter the field. 2-time Formula DRIFT champion, Chris Forsberg, set his sights on securing a Formula DRIFT World Championship. After a One More Time battle with second place finisher Kazuki Hayashi, Forsberg failed to reach the podium, but secured a healthy lead in the overall chase for the World Championship.

'I'm really happy with where I finished this weekend. It was a grueling event where I had to deal with lots of travel as well as trying to figure out how to drive at a high level on the other side of the car, but with my Top 16 finish, I have put my campaign for the World Championship in a good position,' said Chris Forsberg.

The 2016 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship will continue to Round 7: Showdown on September 9-10, 2016 at Texas Motor Speedway. For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaD, and Snapchat - formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT

In its thirteenth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the leading international drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each driver's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for professional drifters to compete nationwide for the coveted Formula DRIFT Championship crown. As 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 and establishes itself as the world-wide leader for the Sport. Formula DRIFT is featured on CBS Sports in the US and distributed globally by IMG Media, reaching over 400M households. Formula DRIFT has the most viewed live stream in the world, catering to over 1.5M fans annually. For a competition schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.