Cooper Tires has set a new World Donuting record at the Santa Pod Raceway, Northamptonshire. Twenty-two enthusiasts mainly from the online ‘Drift’ community, Driftworks.co.uk, helped Cooper break the previous record for the number of cars simultaneously donuting, which stood at three cars.
(Akron/Tire Review) Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has selected its team of drifters for the Need for Speed Formula Drift (Formula D) drifting series. Casper ”Da Ghost” Canul and Matt Vassallo and Rob Fleming from Team Enjuku will lead the drifting team. Cooper will supply the drivers with Cooper Zeon 2XS, Zeon ZPT and Zeon Sport A/S tires.
(Akron/Tire Review) Toyo Tire USA Corp. will provide the official tyre “The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift.” The blockbuster movie, “The Fast and The Furious,” and its sequel, “2 Fast 2 Furious,” created a new awareness of the automotive aftermarket, according to Toyo.
Max Power Live, the UK’s biggest modified motor show, will be returning to Birmingham for its eighth consecutive year from Friday 30 June through to Sunday 2 July 2006. The number one custom car event, a collaboration between Haymarket Exhibitions and Emap Automotive, will fill 500,000 square feet of the National Exhibition Centre this summer.
The organisers of this year’s Max Power Live are expecting to entertain more than 50,000 car enthusiasts as they descend upon the NEC to catch a glimpse of the latest in tuning, styling, drifting performances and ‘In Car Entertainment’ (ICE).
(Akron/Tire Review) Hankook Tire America Corp. is now the official sponsor of the Kaaz USA Motorsports Competition Drift Team for 2006. Kaaz USA Team cars competing in Formula Drift and D1 events and exhibitions will use Hankook Ventus RS2 Z212 performance tyres. “Drifting is one of the fastest-growing automotive competitive events in the world,” said Bill Bainbridge, Hankook’s marketing director. “We’re excited to be partnered with Kaaz USA and their stable of some of the top drivers in the sport. We expect great things from our sponsorship in terms of brand awareness with sport compact enthusiasts and showcasing the performance of our Ventus line of ultra-high performance tyres.”
Following on from the success of the MPH show, the Fulda Exelero feature in a Drift Team demonstration run by Collins Autosport Ltd at the forthcoming Race of Champions at the Stade de France in Paris.
The Race of Champions pitches the best circuit racers against the best off road drivers in the world to determine who is the fastest. Using identical equipment and track, drivers can prove themselves based on their talent alone and a packed Stade de France will see the winner rewarded with the title “The Champion of Champions.”
Dunlop’s treadheads are to return to the SEMA show, with 200 buzz cuts expected to take place at the event. The manufacturer reports that Chicago barber, Nate “Scissorhands” Hoops, is sharpening his haircutting tools, and Dunlop Direzza DZ101 tread designs are dancing in the heads of the throngs visiting the automotive aftermarket show. Hoops is expected to reach a clipping rate of 50 heads-per-day clip.
Andy Traicoff, director of Dunlop marketing in North America, said: “Dunlop’s booth is all about performance – from sleek treadheads to sideways drifting cars to the annual ‘Maxxed Out’ Awards. There also will be plenty of surprises. Because the SEMA Show emphasises tuner-style automotive accessories, the venue is a perfect fit for Dunlop.”
Federal’s 595 competition tyre has reportedly become something of a favourite amongst professional Japanese drifting drivers. According to popular Japanese drifting magazine, Drift Tengoku, 54 contestants participated in the recent D1 Super Challenge in Japan. Five contestants, 9.3 per cent of the total number of competitors, used Federal’s 595 on their vehicle. Second place driver Atsushi Goto used 215/40/17s on the front and size 215/45/17 on the rear. Atsushi Goto noted that the wear and tear on his 595s was minimal after the event, according to Federal.
Federal Corporation held its annual shareholder meeting in Chungli, Taiwan last week announcing the launch of “Federal Motorsport.” The manufacturer’s new tyre lines, are a result of “years of intense research and testing by Federal Technical Center (FTC),” said Jamie Ma, president of Federal Tire.
Two distinct series’ will make up Federal Motorsport – the street-legal 595 Competition Series and the exclusive, limited production FZ Combat Series for professional circuit use.
(Akron/Tire Review) Kumho Tire USA has introduced a specially designed tyre that produces red smoke, developed for drift competitions. The Kumho Ecsta MX-C made its debut with Enjuku Racing at the Formula Drift event at Road Atlanta last weekend.
“When we saw the red smoke boiling off the rear tyres, we just stood there and stared in awe,” said Enjuku lead driver and team captain Matt Vassallo. “I think people will be blown away when they see this.”
(Akron/Tire Review) Kumho Tire USA has expanded its 2005 motorsport efforts, making its first appearance in professional drifting competition. Florida-based Enjuku Racing will compete on Kumho Ecsta MX tyres in Formula Drift, World Drift Challenge and D1 Grand Prix events. The team made its debut at a Formula Drift event in New Jersey on 16 April.
(Akron/Tire Review) Falken Tire Corp has announced its 2005 contingency programme for Formula Drift series. Falken has put together a Team Falken “works” team, but is offering payouts to works or private teams using its tyres in Formula Drift competition.
“Tyres are by far the most costly recurring expense in drifting,” said Nick Fousekis, Falken’s performance marketing manager. “We want to help drivers – and especially the privateer teams that earn their way to the winner’s circle on Falken tyres.” In the contingency programme, event winners on Falken tyres take home $2,000, while a series champion will win $5,000. Falken will pay through eighth place finishes per event, and first through third for the series.
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