Bridgestone Champions Compete With Drifting Elite Against NASCAR Stars At “Mopar D1 All-Star Duel”Current Formula D Leader Rhys Millen to Battle NASCAR Drivers Kasey Kahne, Bill Elliott, Robby Gordon...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 29, 2006) - Ranking 2005 Formula Drift (Formula D) Champion and current series’ point leader, Rhys Millen, sponsored by Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC and 2005 D1 Grand Prix Champion Yasuyuki Kazama are among the eight elite drift drivers scheduled to appear in a head-to-head drift battle against some of the most popular names in NASCAR.
The “Mopar D1 All-Star Duel presented by ShiftIntoGear” will take place in the “House of Drift,” Southern California’s Irwindale Speedway on Thursday, Aug. 31 and will feature Nextel Cup stock car series’ headliners, including Kasey Kahne, Bill Elliott, Greg Biffle, Robby Gordon and Casey Mears.
“I grew up racing sideways around dirt tracks in an 800 horsepower sprint car. This is going to be a lot different, but I am excited and ready for the challenge,” said Kahne, who has won four Nextel Cup events in 2006. “Drifting looks like so much fun and my NASCAR buddies are jumping at the opportunity to whip some of these cars around.”
Attendees will witness a D1 All-Star match race, a NASCAR vs. D1 tire smoking competition, and a not-to-be-missed D1 tandem drift, with all eight participating D1 drivers drifting simultaneously on the Irwindale course. Fans will also be able to take part in a brief autograph session with the drivers.
“This is such an exciting time for the sport of drifting and this is a great opportunity to gain some fans from another great motor sport. “I’m anxious to see what these NASCAR guys can do behind the wheel of a drift car!” said Millen. He has also appeared as a stunt driver in several movies, including “Dukes of Hazard” and “The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift.”
Gates will open at 4 p.m. with an on track driver autograph session at 7 p.m. Competition is scheduled to begin at 7:45 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Irwindale Speedway’s ticket office, by calling (626) 358-1100 and online at www.irwindalespeedway.com or www.kaseykahne.com/drift. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Kasey Kahne Foundation, which donates funds to charitable organizations that care for chronically ill children and their families.
About Formula Drift:
Entering its third season, Formula Drift, produced and wholly owned by Irvine, Calif.-based Formula Drift, Inc., continues to expand into new markets as the first and only sanctioned and recognized North American professional drifting championship series (sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing). A well-established sport in Japan for more than a decade, Formula Drift, Inc. and its sister-company Slipstream Global Marketing, Inc. were instrumental in bringing the first official competition to the United States in 2003 at the Irwindale Speedway (Irwindale, Calif.)
About Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC:
Nashville-based Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BFNT develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The company is focused on wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off-road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in North America.