Hankook-sponsored drivers Rhys Millen and Chris Forsberg
placed second- and third-place respectively in front of
a sold-out crowd this past weekend at the final Formula
Drift race of the season at Toyota Speedway in
Irwindale, Calif.
The Final 4 competition came down to Forsberg in a
Nissan 370Z battling it out against Darren McNamara in
his Saturn Sky along with Millen in his Genesis Coupe
racing against Tyler McQuarrie behind the wheel of a
Nissan 350Z.
After Forsberg’s and McNamara’s first tandem run,
Forsberg held a slight lead. During their second run
however, both drivers crashed and the judges gave the
win to Forsberg, ultimately earning him a third-place
podium finish.
Millen’s run against McQuarrie in the Final 4 was just
as intense. Millen won the match up and was sent to the
final where he was able to secure second place.
“This final event really put Hankook’s drivers and our
Ventus R-S3 tires to the test,” says motorsports manager
Paul Jho. “Our teams did an outstanding job this weekend
and demonstrated the performance our Ventus R-S3 tires
provide under extreme conditions.”
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 Jho.
Overall this year, Hankook’s Formula Drift drivers
earned six podium finishes including Conrad Grunewald’s
first-place win at Round Four and Millen’s first-place
victory during Round Six.
PAGE 2
Round Five saw Forsberg and Fredric Asabo capture
second- and third-place finishes, while Round Seven this
past weekend solidified two additional second- and
third-place finishes by Millen and Forsberg, who
finished the season in third place overall in the final
Formula Drift championship point standings.
Hankook has been involved with the Formula Drift series
for six years. The company “garnered enhanced visibility
and sales increases” in 2010 as a result of its
motorsports sponsorships and special racing programs and
multiplied its involvement for 2011 by becoming an
official Formula Drift sponsor, says Jho.
The tire maker also supports teams competing in the
Redline Time Attack series, Rally Cross and Pikes Peak
Hill Climb.
For more information, visit www.hankooktireusa.com.
