K&N Drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. finishes 1st at Infineon Raceway
- Sep 17, 2010
On Saturday, the fans piled into the paddock and filled the stands of Infineon Raceway excited to see all the insane drifting action and cheer on their favorite Formula Drift drivers. After he put down two picture-perfect runs in his battle with Ken Gushi, Vaughn was deemed the winner and would advance into the Sweet Sixteen. Meeting Vaughn in the top 16 would be Ireland's Dean Kearney. Vaughn led first with an excellent entry and maintained a ton of speed and angle throughout the course. Kearney tried to keep up with the Monster Mustang, but ended up going wide, then straightening up, and just wasn't able to close the gap.
When it was Vaughn's turn to give chase, he followed Dean into the first clipping point and then as Dean slowed down a good amount going into the second clip, Vaughn was forced to tap him with nowhere else to go. Vaughn was awarded the advantage and would be moving on to the Great Eight.
Vaughn was paired with Fredric Aasbo in the top eight; his third time battling this Norwegian drifter this season. Aasbo had taken the win over him at Round 4 in Seattle and Vaughn was determined not to let that happen again. He gave chase first, as Aasbo put down a solid run, but Vaughn was all over him piling on the pressure. When it was Vaughn's turn to lead, he threw down an amazing run while blazing through the course, and was able to pull a decent gap on Aasbo, giving him a clear advantage. Vaughn was awarded the win and would move on to the Final Four. Vaughn met fellow K&N drifter and 2009's Formula Drift Champion, Chris Forsberg, in the semi-finals, where they would both stop at nothing to win a spot atop the coveted podium. Forsberg led first with a great run, but wasn't quite able to shake Vaughn from his door throughout the course. When it was Vaughn's turn to lead, Forsberg attempted to put the same pressure on Vaughn, but ended up going wide and off course after the first turn, ultimately spinning out. Vaughn was awarded the win and would move on to the finals with a guaranteed spot on the podium. In the finals, Vaughn faced his Drift Alliance teammate, Ryan Tuerck, who he has battled numerous times this season, defeated him every time thus far. Vaughn gave chase first, sticking to Tuerck like glue throughout the course, while maintaining a ton of angle and leaving an insane trail of Falken Tire smoke in his tracks. When it was Vaughn's turn to lead, he put down one last amazing run of the day, as Tuerck pushed to keep up, but it was just not enough to overcome Vaughn's unbelievable determination and driving. He was deemed the winner of the battle and Round 6 at Infineon Raceway. "Winning this round makes this dream-season even more unbelievable for me and I don't want to wake up," says Vaughn. "The success I am experiencing on the track is due to multiple variables; most notably our reliable 2011 Ford Mustang and my incredible team that I appreciate more than words can explain. I look forward to carrying this momentum to Irwindale!" With his 1st place finish at Round 6, Vaughn remains the Championship points leader. He is 58 points ahead of Dai Yoshihara in 2nd place, and 75.5 points ahead of Tanner Foust in 3rd place. This is Vaughn's fifth podium this year out of the six rounds, setting the record for the most podiums in history by a Formula Drift driver going into the final round. Vaughn Gittin Jr. and the Monster Energy Falken Tire Ford Mustang head to Irwindale Speedway, otherwise known as "The House of Drift", October 8-9 for Formula Drift Round Seven. Vaughn has had three victories at this track, so you can bet he will be aiming for not only another podium finish, but ultimately to claim the 2010 Formula Drift Championship title. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
