Formula Drift entered the final event of the 2010 season at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale for Round 7: Title Fight. Tanner Foust in the Hankook/Rockstar Energy Scion Racing TC took the event victory and becomes the Tires.com Triple Crown winner, while Vaughn Gittin Jr. in the Monster Energy/Falken Ford Mustang was crowned the 2010 Formula Drift champion. The Toyota Speedway at Irwindale hosted the finale event to a sold out crowd. The action was non-stop all weekend featuring the Formula Drift ProAM championship, Fatlace One of One Showcase car show, and the Formula Drift championship. The finale event did not disappoint. The battle for third place pitted Darren McNamara in the Falken Tire Saturn Sky against Michihiro Takatori in the BFGoodrich Nissan S15. McNamara pushed his car too hard hitting the wall taking himself out of the competition giving Takatori third place. The finale battle put two-time champion Foust against Gittin. After a close One More Time battle, the Hankook-shod Foust edged out Gittin to take the event victory and also secure his first Tires.com Triple Crown bonus prize. With his advancement into the Top 16, Gittin secured the 2010 Formula Drift championship. It was the 11th podium finish for Team Falken in seven Formula D races, a season in which the company’s factory-supported teams dominated all year long. Falken placed first in five of the seven events, and three Team Falken drivers were in the top five in the final standings. "Our team’s success would not be possible without the support, hard work and dedication of our two fabrication/engineering facilities, Autosport Dynamics in Charlotte, and SPD Metalworks in Anaheim,” added Nick Fousekis, Falken senior manager of consumer marketing. “I'd also like to thank all of the sponsors, including our newest, Monster Energy, for their faith in Falken's program. Last but certainly not least, we thank the fans of drifting. Without you, the sport would not have grown into that it is today." Hankook driver Conrad Grunewald, a Formula Drift veteran, earned 12th place in his Hankook/Chevrolet Camaro with 295 points. Tanner’s score totaled 568.50 points. “We couldn’t be more proud of all our Hankook drivers and the incredible effort they put forth,” said Hankook Motorsports manager Paul Jho. “This is a well-deserved triumph for Tanner and a gratifying win for Hankook as well.”
Andreucci Claims Another Italian Title with Pirelli
Peugeot Italia driver Paolo Andreucci claimed his fifth Italian Rally Championship, and the fourth title that he has taken with Pirelli, on the Costa Smeralda Rally in Sardinia last weekend. The Italian made sure of his title with one round of the series left to go by finishing a safe third on the demanding gravel roads of the 'Emerald Coast'. Peugeot driver Kris Meeke won the rally in front of Skoda's Jan Kopecky: making it an all-Pirelli podium. Andreucci, who is also one of Pirelli's development drivers, said that one of the key forces behind his second consecutive Italian title with Pirelli was the performance of the tires. "Pirelli has played a huge role in this latest success, because for the past two years we have been extremely competitive everywhere," said the 45-year-old Italian. "The reason why we have won the title again this year is our consistent strength. With Pirelli, we've won on every surface, gravel or asphalt, whatever the conditions. It takes a special type of tire to be able to do that, but it's come as the result of all the hard work we have put in together for a very long time now. I'm absolutely delighted." "On behalf of everyone at Pirelli, we'd like to offer Paolo and Peugeot Italia our most sincere congratulations," said Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery. "The way that Paolo has driven throughout the season just goes to show what a true champion he is. We're very proud of our contribution to his fantastic achievement, and we look forward to more success in future on the world's rally stages - both with Paolo and all the many other drivers supported by Pirelli."
SCCA Champ to Join TeamBFG for 43rd Annual SCORE Baja 1000
When Chad Gilsinger won his first-ever Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) National Runoffs Championship in his Touring 3-class BFGoodrichg-Force R1-shod Honda S2000 at Road America, he thought he was at the pinnacle of his motorsport career. That was until the Honda engineer realized that he had also won the unique BFGoodrich Tires SCCA contingency prize – a spot on BFGoodrich/Wide Open Excursions Baja Challenge race team in the 43rd annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The legendary off-road event, to be held Nov. 18-21. “The race to the Touring 3 SCCA championship was exciting and it was made even sweeter with the win for a seat in the Wide Open Excursions BFGoodrich BC buggy,” said Gilsinger, who hails from Marysville, Ohio, and has never driven in an off-road event before. “I’m thrilled to jump in anything with a motor and four tires and can’t wait to put the insane toughness and grip of the BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain KM2s to the test on the Baja peninsula in November.” Gilsinger will join TeamBFG members Bud Brutsman, Jason Scherer, Casey Currie, Lars Wolfe and Kyle Tucker in the coveted seats in the Baja 1000.