2011 Falken Formula Drift Test
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Coming off a dominating 2010 season in which Team Falken driver Vaughn Gittin, Jr.¸ competing in the Monster Energy/Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang, became the Formula Drift Champion, the high performance tire manufacturer will be gunning for a repeat performance of last year. Falken’s ultimate goal is to have one of its five factory drivers again claiming the top rung of the Formula D ladder, and each team member will have the horsepower to do it. All drivers plan on fielding a new or improved vehicle with more power, which the sport has demanded. The cars will be unveiled this weekend on the streets of Long Beach for the opening event of the 2011 Formula Drift season. Gittin, Jr., will be aboard a Ford Mustang 5.4-liter, its motor built by Ford Racing and Huffaker Engineering, while Daijiro (“Dai”) Yoshihara, who placed fourth in the standings last year, returns in his re-engineered Nissan 240SX (Silvia S13). Finishing fifth in 2010, Darren McNamara also returns this year, running a new Saturn Sky built by Autosport Dynamics in Charlotte, NC, losing the convertible for a hardtop which adds an aggressive stance to the car. Tyler McQuarrie also recognized the value of a fully enclosed coupe, choosing a new hardtop Nissan 350Z, which allows for a significant change in weight distribution, making the Z a far more competitive vehicle. Finally, Justin Pawlak, returning for his second year with Falken, will again field a Ford Mustang, with an engine built by Ford Racing/Roush …
