CYPRESS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In his second year of Formula DRIFT (Formula D) Pro Championship circuit event for sponsor Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc. (www.nittotire.com), Southern Californian Matt Powers tamed the winding streets of downtown Long Beach, Calif., and catapulted the company and its NT05 tire to the podium for the first time in four years. The event took place on April 8-9.
In 2010, Powers was the youngest driver to place in Formula D's Top 16, and he continued his remarkable run by finishing second at the 2011 season's inaugural event, “Round 1: The Streets of Long Beach.” In addition to shining a spotlight on Nitto and the NT05, Powers and his Nissan s14 -- featuring an LS7 engine out of a Corvette Z06 mounted by GTI -- lifted title sponsor Electronic Arts' Need for Speed series of video games to its first-ever appearance on the podium.
“Matt increased his competitiveness in Formula DRIFT by making numerous upgrades in the off-season, and his hard work paid off with this season-opening victory,” said Harry Kong, marketing and event specialist, Nitto Tire U.S.A. “His exceptional skill and sense of daring were backed by a great team and a great tire. These are the kinds of stories and motorsports experiences that power our sponsorship, and we’re thrilled to see the season getting off to such a marvelous start.”
The NT05 is designed to provide precise, responsive handling, which gave Powers the edge he needed to “drift” – slide his car sideways back and forth – through the track's turns. Another sellout crowd in Long Beach watched as he demonstrated the versatility of the NT05, Nitto's most aggressive non-competition street tire, which was created through extensive computer simulation modeling and on-track testing with the driving enthusiast in mind.
Nitto backed five teams and five drivers at Long Beach, with Ryan Tuerck also finding success at the event by finishing in eighth place. Tuerck, second in the overall Formula D standings in 2009 and third in 2010, drove a Pontiac Solstice built by Gardella Racing, the first East Coast team Nitto has sponsored.
The “drifters” will return to the circuit early next month. “Round 2: Road to the Championship” takes place at Road Atlanta May 6-7. Powers, Tuerck and the rest of the Nitto Team, including 2009 Formula D Rookie of the Year Eric O'Sullivan (Gardella Racing), Joon Maeng (Bergenholtz Racing), Michael Essa (GSR Autosport), and Charles Ng, 2010 Rookie of the Year runner up, will once again chase the glory of the podium, this time in Braselton, Ga.
After Road Atlanta, other events on the nationwide Formula D circuit include:
“Round 3: Invasion” - Palm Beach International Raceway (Palm Beach,
Florida) - June 3-4
“Round 4: The Gauntlet” - Wall Speedway (Wall,
New Jersey) - June 17-18
“Round 5: Throwdown” - Evergreen Speedway
(Monroe, Washington) - July 22-23
“Round 6: After Dark” - Las Vegas
Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nevada) - August 26-27
“Round 7: Title
Fight” - Toyota Speedway (Irwindale, Calif.) - October 7-8
About Nitto Tire
Nitto Tire (www.nittotire.com) develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in both Japan and the United States, Nitto provides innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding automotive enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto or its products, visit the company’s web site or contact the company directly. Nitto is a registered trademark of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., located at 6021 Katella Ave., Ste 250, Cypress, CA 90630.
About Formula DRIFT
Now in its eighth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship series. As the first official 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. This high-skilled, high-powered motor sport where drivers intentionally maneuver their cars into well executed, controlled sideways slides at high speeds through a marked course, has more than 60 professional drivers competing in all seven pro competitions this year.