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2015 Formula Drift is Here: Welcome Tanner and Mad Mike

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    Nitto Admin
We've all been anxiously awaiting the start of the 2015 Formula DRIFT season, ever since Aasbo faced Saito at Irwindale's last battle in October.... and now the wait is over! Avid fans have already watched Friday's qualifying and the Top 32 will take to the track with competition beginning at 11am today. Before we're all covered in black tire dust, we wanted to introduce you to Nitto Racing's newest 2015 team members. Joining Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Odi Bakchis are Tanner Foust and "Mad Mike" Whiddett! team-nitto-formula-drift-2015 Yep... this season just got a little bit more exciting! Two-time Formula DRIFT champion and Top Gear USA host Tanner Foust makes his return to the world of drifting after a six year hiatus. Tanner will be competing in a car you may not expect to see out drifting, a Volkswagen Passat. With an LS-powered, 900hp V-8 stuffed inside, it's certain to make good use of its Nitto NT05 tires. "I'm excited to be returning to Formula Drift this season with Nitto Tire on the brand new Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Passat," said Tanner Foust. "My roots are in drifting and I'm happy to be back. There's something special about Formula Drift fans - they're real car enthusiasts and I'm looking forward to the chance to reconnect." New Zealander "Mad Mike" Whiddett is also returning to Formula Drift in the U.S, after nearly a decade burning up the tarmac on international drift circuits. We've got to wait until Round 2 Road Atlanta May 8&9th to see Mad Mike power his brand new "RADBUL" MX-5 around the track with a massive 1,200 horses coming from a custom Mazda 26B four-rotor engine - it should definitely be worth the wait... see more about it below.

Catch up on last season by reading DrivingLine's Top 16 recaps, and stop in again soon to see how Vaughn, Odi, and Tanner do in Long Beach.

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