Chris Forsberg Takes the Opening Round Victory of 2014 Pro Championship
Long Beach, Calif. 鈥� April 6, 2014 鈥� Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro kicked-off the first event of the 2014 season with Round 1: Streets of Long Beach to a sold out crowd. Chris Forsberg in the Hankook Tire Nissan 370 Z takes the victory and the lead in the chase for the championship.
Round 1: Streets of Long Beach started off the eleventh season of Formula DRIFT to a sell out crowd. Over 20,000 fans gathered to experience the drifting action and excitement on the famous Streets of Long Beach Grand Prix course. The Dailymotion Livestream partnership saw over 230,000 unique viewers watch the Driftstream over the event weekend with over 1 million views in a 24 hour period.
鈥淚t is truly a fantastic feeling to see not only the live event attendance grow steadily year after year, but also the global Driftstream audience,鈥� says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. 鈥淲e pride ourselves in being able to provide entertainment to such a young, engaged and tech-savvy audience.鈥�
Consistent driving helped propel Chris Forsberg to the top of the podium to earn the season鈥檚 first victory and championship points lead. Forsberg faced Norway鈥檚 Kenny Moen in the Bridges Racing Nissan 240SX in the final battle and after a close decision the judges awarded Forsberg the win. The top qualifier and 2013 defending champion, Michael Essa in the Essa Autosport / Yokohama Tire BMW M3 rounded out the podium with third place.
鈥淚t feels amazing to be on top of the podium, especially here at the first round of the eleventh season of Formula DRIFT,鈥� said Chris Forsberg, winner of Round 1: Streets of Long Beach. 鈥淲e will try to keep the momentum with our new changes and take the championship home.鈥�
The 2014 Formula DRIFT season continues with Round 2: Road to the Championship on May 9-10 at Road Atlanta. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.
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Formula DRIFT Professional Championship Presented by GoPro 2014 Standings After One Round
1. Forsberg, Chris Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z
2. Moen, Kenneth Bridges Racing Nissan 240SX
3. Essa, Michael Essa Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3
4. Pawlak, Justin Falken Tire Ford Mustang
5. Aasbo, Fredric Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC
6. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab / Hankook Tire / STR Racing Nissan S14
7. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX
8. McNamara, Darren Falken Tire Nissan S14
9. Gittin Jr., Vaughn Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR
10. McQuarrie, Tyler GoPro Mobil 1Chevrolet Camaro
11. Goodin, Pat Enjuku Racing Nissan 240SX
12. Tuerck, Ryan Retaks Maxxis Tires Air Force PSI Scion FR-S
12. Grunewald, Conrad Megan Racing / Top 1 Oil / BRE Chevrolet Camaro
13. Mohan, Kyle GT Radial Energy-X Mazdatrix RX-8
15. Baribeau, Mats Gold in the Net Toyota Mark II
16. Mertzanis, Dennis Hyundai Genesis Legato AR1
Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Event Results
1. Forsberg, Chris Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z
2. Moen, Kenneth Bridges Racing Nissan 240SX
3. Essa, Michael Essa Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3
Manufacturers Championship Standings After One Round
1. Nissan 122.00 Points
2. BMW 94.50 Points
3. Ford 92.00 Points
4. Scion 87.50 Points
5. Chevrolet 73.00 Points
Tire Championship Standings After One Round
1. Hankook 155.50 Points
2. Falken 103.50 Points
3. Achilles 102.00 Points
4. Nitto 90.50 Points
5. Yokohama 74.00 Points
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
In its eleventh season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each driver's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for professional drifters to compete nationwide for the coveted Formula DRIFT Championship crown. 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. For a competition schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.