The 2008 Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series may only have finished in September with its fifth and final round at Oran Park Speedway on 20-21, but Federal Tires – which supplies some of the participants’ rubber and sponsorship – is already looking forward to “an even bigger year in 2009.” The Federal brand is heavily represented by the rides of Khudar Elhaouli, Tom Monkhouse, Eugene Arendsen and Nathan Weissel. The latter two drivers have also represented Team Federal alongside Trent Whyte in the Team Drift competition, which the Taiwanese manufacturer singles out as a particular highlight of the series.

Federal has been pleased with its progress in the competition and with the brand development opportunities it has had through participation in the series. The brand is particularly keen to raise awareness of its products in the high and ultra-high performance sectors, and the audience of Drift events – which involve throwing cars into spectacular slides to gain points for style rather than just speed – is typically made up of willing consumers of products in this sector. In terms of results, Elhaouli’s overall series fourth place, alongside the eighth, ninth and tenth placements of Monkhouse, Arendsen and Weissel, reflects the relative success Federal-shod competitors have experienced, allowing them to finish the year, in the company’s words, “at the pointed end of the field.”