Long Beach, Calif. – March 6, 2007 – Entering its fourth season, Formula DRIFT revs up for their most exciting year with a new TV package, new drivers and cars, new sponsors and partnerships, and almost a half million dollars in prize money available.
“This season of Formula DRIFT will be the most important and we are prepared to have all eyes on us,� said Jim Liaw, Formula DRIFT President and Co-founder.
The partnership with IMG has already paid off, with ESPN2 signed as the exclusive broadcast partner for 2007, Formula DRIFT and drifting will be elevated to a new level. Seven 1-hour shows will be filmed with multiple repeats beginning in November 2007. IMG will work further to build the Formula DRIFT brand and the sport of drifting by applying their global marketing media and licensing resources.
In addition to the television broadcasts, Formula DRIFT has partnered with CK Media to provide an internet podcast with over 15 hours of downloadable online content, which can be found on www.thedriftzone.com
Joining the ranks of Formula DRIFT’s professional drivers will be newly licensed, Nick Hogan, of VH1’s “Hogan Knows Best� and son of wrestler Hulk Hogan. Hogan will make his professional drifting debut at the Formula DRIFT season opener in Long Beach on April 7, 2007.
New cars will enter the field and leading the way will be 2-time Champion Samuel Hubinette defending his title in a new Mopar Dodge Charger, while 2005 Champion Rhys Millen will drive a new Red Bull Pontiac Solstice. Other notable new cars this season include a Lexus IS 350, Corvette Z06, and Porsche 911.
With new and renewed sponsors supporting Formula DRIFT the drivers will be competing for over half a million dollars in Pro Championship, Team Drift, and Contingency Prize money. “We are very grateful for the support our sponsors have given us and we are proud to have them on board for the biggest season yet,� said Liaw
The new Formula DRIFT series schedule is available online featuring the newly added venue, Summit Point Raceway, at www.formuladrift.com.
Formula DRIFT has selected The ID Agency, a Manhattan Beach, Calif, -based strategic marketing and communications agency, to create and implement a strategic public relations campaign designed to solidify and expand the Formula DRIFT brand as the premier North American professional drifting championship series.
For more information contact:
John Pangilinan
The ID Agency
310.545.2309
john@theidagency.com
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Entering its fourth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship series. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has involved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each racer’s driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for North American professionals to demonstrate their skills against the world’s top drifters. 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. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.
About IMG
IMG is the world’s premier Sports, Entertainment and Media Company. IMG is a diversified global business with two major business segments: IMG Sports & Entertainment, and IMG Media. IMG employs over 2,500 people in 30 countries. Forstmann Little & Co. purchased IMG in 2004.
IMG Sports & Entertainment includes: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, European football, rugby, cricket, motorsports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports. In addition, IMG Academies are the world’s largest and most advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport training and educational facility, delivering world-class sports training experiences to over 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult and professional athletes each year.
IMG Media, which includes our content production subsidiaries TWI, Darlow Smithson Productions (DSP) and Tiger Aspect Productions (TAP), is recognized as a global leader in the delivery of traditional and new media content and services, with Internet, broadband and mobile expertise, transforming how audiences access and interact with content.
IMG Media produces and distributes over 10,000 hours of sports, documentary, drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children’s content annually, over multiple platforms across 200 countries, including award-winning television and radio programming. It also represents the broadcast rights to many of the world’s premier sporting events and has the world’s biggest sports archive with more than 200,000 hours of footage.
More information about IMG is available at www.imgworld.com.
Formula DRIFT Inc. | 200 Pine Avenue, Suite 615 | Long Beach, CA 90802
Oh snap so the ESN2 TV schedule wont start untill.. NOV…2007 thats crazy…. somebody please tell me I am reading this wrong
Comment by Clinton — April 8, 2007 #
Oh snap someone please tell me I am reading this wrong…. Does this Document state that the ESPN2 TV schedule wont begin until 2007 of Novemeber… if that is the case I am throwing the BS flag..
Comment by Clinton — April 8, 2007 #
I have to agree not seeing this on TV till Nov. 07 is not good at all. The season will be over. With the season just opening up seeing this on TV soon will get people excited and wanting to go and see an event. Not sure what the thinking is on this..Waiting a month to see the event on G4 was long enough.Its exciting that ESPN2 is taking this but why so late?? You all need to rethink this…Dawn
Comment by Dawn — April 10, 2007 #
Completely agree with the first two. Even though the timing of G4’s airings was a little ludicrous (two months before finally airing the first round of 2006?), at least they were timely. Airing each event the night after the next round had already taken place in 2005 (except for Chicago, which aired before Labor Day, a week after Irwindale, and Irwindale itself in early October, about five weeks later) wasn’t too bad. ESPN2’s just tossing FD aside like its nothing. I think this’ll hurt FD more than help. I wouldn’t trust ESPN with my sport if it were fledging. Look at how they treated the NHL before it jumped ship and went to Versus.
Comment by Michael — May 8, 2007 #
Darn, fledgling.
Comment by Michael — May 8, 2007 #
this site kicks ass!!!!
Comment by potatoes-o-brien — February 22, 2008 #