In his second year on the
Formula DRIFT (Formula D) Pro
Championship circuit with
Nitto’s sponsorship, driver Matt Powers
tamed the winding streets of downtown Long Beach, Calif.
and catapulted the company and its NT05 tire to the
podium for the first time in four years.
“Matt increased his competitiveness in Formula DRIFT by
making numerous upgrades in the off-season, and his hard
work paid off with this season-opening victory,” reports
Harry Kong, Nitto’s marketing and event
specialist.
“His exceptional skill and sense of daring were backed
by a great team and a great tire. These are the kinds of
stories and motorsports experiences that power our
sponsorship, and we’re thrilled to see the season
getting off to such a marvelous start,” he says.
In 2010, Powers was the youngest driver to place in
Formula D’s Top 16, and he continued his run by
finishing second at the 2011 season's inaugural event in
Long Beach.
In addition to shining a spotlight on Nitto and the
NT05, Powers and his Nissan s14 – featuring an LS7
engine out of a Corvette Z06 mounted by GTI – lifted
title sponsor Electronic Arts’ Need for Speed series of
video games to its first-ever appearance on the
podium.
The NT05 is designed to provide precise, responsive
handling, according to Kong, which gave Powers the edge
he needed to “drift” – slide his car sideways back and
forth – through the track’s turns.
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“Another sellout crowd in Long Beach watched as he
demonstrated the versatility of the NT05, Nitto's most aggressive non-competition
street tire, which was created through extensive
computer simulation modeling and on-track testing with
the driving enthusiast in mind,” he says.
Nitto backed five teams and five drivers at Long Beach,
with Ryan Tuerck also finding success at the event by
finishing in eighth place. Tuerck, second in the overall
Formula D standings in 2009 and third in 2010, drove a
Pontiac Solstice built by Gardella Racing, the first
East Coast team Nitto has sponsored.
The drifters will return to the circuit May 6-7 for
“Round 2: Road to the Championship” at Road Atlanta in
Georgia.
Powers, Tuerck and the rest of the Nitto Team, including
2009 Formula D Rookie of the Year Eric O’Sullivan
(Gardella Racing), Joon Maeng (Bergenholtz Racing),
Michael Essa (GSR Autosport), and Charles Ng, 2010
Rookie of the Year runner up, will be among the
competitors.
For more information, visit www.nittotire.com.
