Hankook driver Conrad Grunewald placed first in
round four of the Formula Drift season this past
weekend at Wall Speedway in New Jersey.
Hankook driver Conrad Grunewald placed first in
round four of the Formula Drift season this past
weekend at Wall Speedway in New Jersey.
The sold out event with more than 8,000 spectators
saw Grunewald qualify high in the top five in his
Hankook Chevy Camaro, eventually battling Ryan
Tuerck in his Gardella Racing Camaro in the top
four. The top four Camaro vs. Camaro match-up ended
with Tuerck hitting the wall and Grunewald advancing
to the finals.
The final battle pitted Grunewald against Formula
Drift points leader Justin Pawlak in his Ford
Mustang for an American muscle car clash. The race
was tight, but Grunewald edged out Pawlak to land a
first-place finish.
“I’m really happy for the team,” says
Grunewald.
“This speedway requires a lot of tire smoke and
vehicle control. My Hankook Ventus R-S3’s provided
the edge I needed to win,” he notes.
The R-S3 is an extreme performance summer tire
developed for serious sports car, sports coupe and
performance sedan enthusiasts looking for race
tire-like traction on the street or for use in
autocross, drifting or track events, according to
motorsports manager Paul Jho.
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Grunewald’s win puts him in sixth place with 272
points in the overall Formula Drift
standings.
“Formula Drift at Wall Speedway is always a great
event for spectators and competitors alike,” says
Jho. “The design and technology that Hankook puts
into developing the Ventus R-S3 that Conrad uses
allows us to develop improved high performance
tires. This type of investment isn’t only a win for
Conrad and his team; it’s a win for consumers as
well.”
This season marks the eighth year for the Formula
Drift series and Hankook’s sixth year of
involvement. The company garnered enhanced
visibility and sales increases in 2010 as a result
of its motorsports sponsorships and special racing
programs, says Jho, and has multiplied its
involvement for 2011 by becoming an official sponsor
of Formula Drift. It also supports teams competing
in the Redline Time Attack series, Rally Cross and
Pikes Peak Hill Climb.
For more information, visit www.hankooktireusa.com.
