WALL TOWNSHIP, NJ (June 8, 2009) Performance and preparation paid off as Team Falken Tire’s factory drivers swept the podium at Wall Speedway in Saturday night’s round 3 of the 2009 Formula Drift season. Darren McNamara took the top rung in his Saturn Sky; Vaughn Gittin, Jr., earned second with his 2010 Ford Mustang GT; and Tyler McQuarrie finished third, driving his Nissan 350Z.
The achievement was historical as this was the first time ever for three Team Falken cars to take the top three positions as well as the first time one team has dominated the podium.
Wall Speedway, aptly named "The Gauntlet", is a 16-degree banked oval along the straightaway with 30 degrees on the turns before moving to the figure 8 infield portion of the course. The capacity crowd witnessed strong competition among Team Falken and other Formula D competitors as skies and rain cleared allowing for ideal door-to-door high speed battles. Five drivers using Falken Azenis RT615 tires advanced to the top 16. In the finals, Gittin, Jr., stood up against McNamara with McNamara ultimately taking the win in a close fought match.
Following round 3, Darren advances to first in points in the overall championship, while Gittin, Jr. moves to fifth and Tyler McQuarrie moves forward to seventh place in the standings.
Falken Tire would like to thank their drivers, staff, associates and fans for helping make this long standing goal a reality for their team and brand. Round 3 results truly show the capabilities of the Azenis RT-615 and their dedication to the sport of drifting. Autosport Dynamics has done an outstanding job building and preparing each of the three vehicles winning this round, and as they enjoy this historic win, they will now focus on the final four rounds of Formula D as they gun for the Championship.
Team Falken will head to hotter climates when Formula D hits Las Vegas and goes “All In” for Round 4 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, July 10-11.
