Red Bull Drifting World Championship

The Red Bull Drifting World Championship is a non-championship all-star drifting contest sponsored by Red Bull energy drink and hosted by IMG and Slipstream Global Marketing, the organizers behind Formula D. The event took place at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, California on November 15–16, 2008.[1]

Announced prior to the Las Vegas Formula D round on July 14, at $50,000,[2] it boasts of the largest prize money in a drifting contest[1] and the largest TV production for a drift contest.[2]

The inaugural event was won by Rhys Millen, incidentally sponsored by Red Bull, taking home $25,000.

Criteria for eligibility

As there are 32 places for the event, drivers from all over the world are given a place should they meet these following criteria:

Venue

Taking place on 90-acre (360,000 m2) lot of newly laided up asphalt on Port of Long Beach, in a course known as "Pier S".[2]

The entire venue had to be built from scratch, however temporary.[2] Altogether, the venue in all, accounting for three grandstands, borrowed from those of the Long Beach Grand Prix and the 2,000 seating for VIP and sponsor are designed to accommodate up to 25,000 spectators.[2]

The course length is 1,200 ft (370 m), with another 100 ft (30 m) to allow for a rolling start with six corners outlined by a Red Bull sign.[2] Drivers who had driven on the track are said to be capable of reaching 104 mph (167 km/h) during test runs.[2]

List of invited drivers
Driver Team/Principal sponsor Car/Engine Series Season Position Number
Tanner Foust [3] Rockstar/ AEM Nissan 350Z Formula D 2007 & 2008 Champion 34
Samuel Hubinette [3] Nuformz Mopar/BFG Dodge Viper SRT-10 2004 & 2006 Champion 77
Rhys Millen [3] RMR Red Bull Pontiac Pontiac Solstice GXP 2005 Champion 6
Daijiro Yoshihara [3] RMR Pontiac GTO 4th 9
Chris Forsberg [3] NOS Energy Drink Drift Team Nissan 350Z-VK56DE V8 5th 64
Michihiro Takatori [3] Super Autobacs Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 7th 23
Conrad Grunewald [3] Tanaka Racing/Nitto Tires Chevrolet Corvette C5 8th 79
Robbie Nishida [3] Hankook Nissan 350Z 9th 31
Vaughn Gittin, Jr. [3] Team Falken Tires-Drift Alliance Ford Mustang GT "5th Gen" 10th
Ryuji Miki [3] A'PEXi-Bergenholtz Racing Mazda RX-7 FD3S 11th
2004 D1GP Champion
Darren McNamara [3] Sears/Falken Tires Saturn Sky V8 12th
2008 Prodrift Runner-up
Stephan Verdier [3] Crawford Motorsports Subaru Impreza WRX STI GD 13th
Ken Gushi [3] RS*R Scion Scion tC 14th
Bill Sherman [3] Retaks/Bridgestone Nissan 240SX S13 15th
Justin Pawlak [3] Drift Alliance Mazda RX-7 FC3S 16th
Kyle Mohan [3] Mazda RX-7 FC3S 17th
Garry Whiter [3] Toyo Tires Nissan Silvia S14.5 D1NZ Champion
Carl Ruiterman E&H Motors Nissan Silvia S14 NZ Drift Champion 16
Freddy Girrard [3] Hankook Tires Nissan Skyline R32 DMCC Champion
Marcos Santos [3] Runners-up
Leighton Fine [3] Toyo Tires Nissan 240SXS14 Drift Australia 2008 Champion
Luke Fink [3] Holford Motors Nissan 180SX 2008 Runners-up
Robbie Bolger Nissan 180SX 2007 Champion
Ben Broke-Smith [3] Driftworks Toyota Chaser EDC Champion 24
Tim Marshall [3] Apex Performance Nissan Skyline R33/SB Chevy V8 2nd 118
Tengku Djan Ley [3] Bridgestone Nissan 180SXS13.5 FD Singapore Champion
Mike Whiddett [3] Red Bull Mazda RX-7 FD3S 4Rotor 2nd 15
James Deane [3] Nexen Nissan 200SX S14.5 RB26 ProDrift Champion
Eric O’Sullivan [3] Rockstar Toyota Corolla Coupe AE86 F20 2nd
Fredric Aasbø [3] Japan Auto Toyota Supra NDC Champion
Remmo Niezen [3] BMW M3 E30 V8 IDS Champion
Paul Vlasblom [3] Driftking.NL BMW M3 E36 Touring
Katsuhiro Ueo [3] Drift Speed Nissan Silvia S15 D1GP 2002 Champion 86
drivers who been invited but declined entries
Ryan Tuerck [3] Gardella Racing Pontiac Solstice GXP Formula D 6th
Nobuteru Taniguchi [3] HKS Toyota Altezza D1GP 2001 Champion
Youichi Imamura [3] Auto Produce Boss Nissan Silvia S15 2003 Champion
Yasuyuki Kazama [3] 2005 Champion
Nobushige Kumakubo [3] Team Orange Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 2006 Champion
Masato Kawabata [3] Team Toyo Nissan 180SX 2007 Champion
Daigo Saito [3] Team 22 Toyota Mark II JZX 100 2008 Champion
Manabu Orido [3] MSC Challenge Series judge

With the exception of Formula D, each series are allocated two entries, including D1GP, who following negotiation, were given six invites[4]

When negotiation broke down, D1 drivers were discouraged from taking invites, therefore they were approached directly by the FD management to find out that they invited entrants, the former D1GP champions in particular, had to decline their entries[4] for the reason of scheduling conflicts. Kumakubo declined his as he was due to take part in a drift demo in Dubai,[3] Kazama, despite no longer involved in the series, declined because of schedule clash.[3]

Former D1GP judge, competitor and Super GT driver, Orido was forced to decline his invitation as he was competing in the WTCC Guia Race at Macau on the same weekend,[3] as was fellow judge and returning competitor Taniguchi, was taking part in a Super Taikyu race in Japan.

Other than that, and 2003 champion, Imamura declined his as he was unable to attend,[3] the 2007 champion Kawabata declined his entry, but it was revealed that "conflict of interest" led them to decline. Saito, who originally accepted his entry, was forced to decline his entry for the same reason, although it was rumored that he placed two cars in a container to make its way to the event.[5] Millen backed this claim of the organisation's bullying tactic during an interview[6]

Only one FD driver, Tuerck, declined for budgetary reason as he is lacking a title sponsor, funding could not stretch for the event, therefore Mohan took his place.[3][7] Santos, Bolger and Ruiterman made up the rest of the available slot.

Qualifying
Number Starting
order[8]		 Driver Score[9]
6 26 Millen 98.17
77 18 Hubinette 97.00
32 9 Vlasblom 96.83
86 13 Ueo 96.08
8 10 McNamara 95.75
9 28 Yoshihara 94.67
25 6 Gittin 94.50
79 25 Grunewald 93.83
34 5 Foust 93.50
99 21 Mohan 93.08
23 11 Takatori 92.25
64 32 Forsberg 92.08
16 7 Ruiterman 90.33
51 24 Aasbo 90.33
17 19 Deane 86.67
48 17 Djan 86.50
12 23 Verdier 83.92
118 8 Marshall 83.67
69 14 Fink 83.42
11 29 Whiter 82.92
7 31 O’Sullivan 82.92
22 16 Sherman 82.50
14 12 Fine 80.58
20 30 Niezen 79.58
31 3 Nishida 77.83
19 4 Santos 77.25
911 27 Bolger 72.67
24 20 Broke-Smith 72.42
5 1 Gushi 0.00
15 2 Whiddett 0.00
26 15 Miki 0.00
13 22 Pawlak 0.00

Knockout stage
Top 32[10] Top 16 Great 8 Semi Finals Final
Millen
Gushi Millen
O'Sullivan Verdier
Verdier Millen
Takatori Gittin
Sherman Sherman
Gittin Gittin
Santos Millen
McNamara Foust
Broke-Smith McNamara
Foust Foust
Niezen Foust
Ruiterman Whiddet
Fink Ruiterman
Vlasblom Whiddet
Whiddet Millen
Hubinette Yoshihara
Miki Hubinette
Deane Tengku
Tengku Hubinette
Forsberg Forsberg
Whiter Forsberg
Grunewald Nishida
Nishida Hubinette
Yoshihara Yoshihara
Bolger Yoshihara
Mohan Fine
Fine Yoshihara
Aasbo Ueo
Marshall Aasbo
Ueo Ueo
Pawlak

Notes
  1. http://www.everythingdrift.com/blog/?p=45
  2. "So what does Red Bull DWC really mean?". Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  3. "World Championship Drivers List Announced". Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  4. http://www.wreckedmagazine.com/blog/2008/11/02/formula-d-speaks-out-about-d1redbull-drama-on-driftingcom/
  5. "More Redbull Drift Drama: Daigo Saito Not Coming Anymore". Breaking Drift News. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2012-08-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Ryan Tuerck – Not at Redbull Championship". Breaking Drift News. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  8. "Red Bull Drifting World Championship Qualifying Order". Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  9. "Red Bull Drifting World Championship Top 32 Bracket". Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  10. "Formula DRIFT - 404". Retrieved 21 February 2016.

References
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