Play by Play: Formula Drift Rd 3 Miami

June 3, 2014
Story By
Andrew Modena

Maybe it was the sweltering heat and humidity or the fact it was a new, untested track for Formula Drift but Round 3 in Miami was the most action packed event of the year, thus far. Former champions didn't qualify, cars flew in the air and caught on fire. See how it all went down in Miami.

Ford Top 16

Forsberg vs Tuerck

Tuerck Lead - With Tuerck in front, Forsberg is all over the rear of the FR-S. Forsberg clearly has more speed and more angle. Forsberg Lead - Forsberg continues to show Tuerck that he has more speed and more angle, leaving Tuerck's FR-S behind in the smoke. Advantage Forsberg.

Kearney vs Field

Field Lead - Kearney follows close and makes contact with Field's 240sx. The contact damages the Vipers suspension and Field moves into the Great 8.

Wang vs Stoneback

Wang Lead - In a highly anticipated battle, fan favorite Wang goes up against "Future of Formula Drift" as declared by one of the co-founders of Formula Drift and 1st ever Pro 2 winner Geoff Stoneback. Wang dives into turn 1 hard catching air but maintaining drift. Stoneback does not flinch and stays close though the whole follow. Stoneback Lead - Stoneback leaves Wang behind in the dust. The gap is big and Wang cannot catch up. Stoneback wins without a doubt to make his first appearance in the Great 8.

Pawlak vs Nishida

Nishida Lead – Robbie Nishida almost did not make it to the line. After Top 16 driver introductions, he had to be pulled to the starting line. Regardless, Robbie charged on driving hard against Pawlak with good speed and swift transitions. Pawlak Lead – Nishida follows close. Pawlak cannot break away from Nishida. Advantage Nishida.

Gittin vs Castro

Castro Lead - Jhonnathan Castro seems to be driving for his life with Gittin behind him. Castro has good speed and angle. This is going to be close. Gittin Lead - Castro keeps a good distance behind Gittin but a slight correction and the judges declare Gittin the winner.

Aasbo vs Ryquist

Aasbo Lead - Out of turn 1, Ryquist slightly straightens as Aasbo pulls away from him. Advantage Aasbo. Ryquist Lead - Aasbo is right behind Ryquist in every turn. More angle and speed lets Aasbo move on.

Moen vs Briggs

Moen Lead - Briggs tries to dive in on the corners but Moen has much more angle than him. Moen drives a flawless run. Briggs Lead - Moen seems to close the gap on Briggs through each corner. Moen moves on.

McQuarrie vs DeNofa

McQuarrie Lead - In one of the most exciting battles in Formula Drift history, both drivers leading runs had the crowd on their feet. As they go though turn one, Denofa is seen bumping McQuarrie's Camaro. Out of turn 3, McQuarrie drops a wheel and loses speed. When the smoke clears, DeNofa runs into the side of his car and both cars jump in the air. DeNofa Lead - McQuarrie returns minus his front end. McQuarrie’s Camaro drops 3 wheels into the dirt and judges declare a one more time battle.

Nitto Tire Great 8

Forsberg vs Nishida

Forsberg Lead - Forsberg has a clean lead run but Nishida is right behind him. Nishida Lead - Nishida throws his Lexus through the turns in great form but Forsberg follows right behind him. Forsberg moves on.

Field vs Stoneback

Field Lead - Field and Stoneback go though each turn nearly making contact. Both V8 powered 240sxes look like they are mirroring each others moves. It's a close one. Stoneback Lead – Stoneback is faster than Field though the run. Judges call One More Time.

Denofa vs McQuarrie (Top 16 OMT)

McQuarrie Lead - Denofa stays close but goes too far inside the last turn and drops a wheel into the dirt. When he does, fire burst from under his car and a trail of fire follows him like the Delorean in Back to the Future. Track officials quickly put the fire out but declare Denofa’s car no longer fit to compete for the remainder of the event. McQuarrie moves on.

Field vs Stoneback OMT

Field Lead - Into turn 3, Stoneback dives inside Field but makes contact and both cars come to a stop. A competition time out is called as they assess the damage. Stoneback Lead - Out of the starting line but Field is right behind him. Stoneback has a solid run, lots of smoke, good angle but overall, the win goes to Field.

Gittin vs Aasbo

Gittin Lead - Gittin leaves Aasbo behind throughout his lead run. Advantage Gittin. Aasbo Lead - Aasbo has a good leading run bug Gittin is better on the follow. Like their last match up in Atlanta, Gittin wins again.

Moen vs McQuarrie

McQuarrie Lead - After DeNofa's car was declared not fit to compete, McQuarrie lined up against Moen in the Great 8. McQuarrie looks great and Moen is just one step behind him. This will be close. Moen Lead - Moen is on point with with his lead run. Moen ends McQuarries day.

Forsberg vs Field

Forsberg Lead - Out of turn 3, Field goes almost door to door with Forsberg's 370z and the crowd goes wild! Excellent follow run by Field. Field Lead - Going back to the starting line, Forsberg tailgates Field, psyching him out for his lead run. Though the run, Field keeps a good distance from Forsberg but Forsberg closes in on Fields 240sx towards the end of the run. Going back to Fields follow run, judges say that Field's fender makes contact with Forsberg and OMT is called

Final 4

Gittin vs Moen

Gittin Lead - Gittin nails every turn. Gittin moves on to face Forsberg for 1st place. Moen Lead - As Moen goes through the turns, Gittin is seen close through the smoke. Moen has a solid lead run but Gittin out drives him in both runs. Gittin moves on to face Forsberg for 1st place.

Forsberg vs Field OMT

Forsberg Lead - Trying to get close to Forsberg like their last run, Field gets too close and spins giving him a zero. Forsberg has to mess up for Field to move on. Field Lead - Out of turn 1, Field straightens out a bit but Forsberg is unaffected and makes a solid follow run. Forsbergs error free run ends Fields night and he finishes in 4th place.

Gittin vs Forsberg

Forsberg Lead - This match up had the crowd on their feet. Seeing two veteran FD drivers go at it is always a show – especially when the two are best friends. These two last battled each other at 2013 Formula Drift Long Beach. As Forsberg pulled from the starting line, Gittin was right on the bumper of the 370z. It was close but Forsberg calls a competition time out due to oil pressure issues. Gittin Lead - Gittin was much faster and initiated earlier than Forsberg though each corner. It seems like Forsberg's oil pressure issues put the nail in the coffin. When the smoke cleared, Gittin was declared the winner.

Vaughn Gittin Jr. Monster Energy/Nitto Tire Mustang 2014 Formula Drift Round 3 Miami Champion Things are just starting to get interesting as Round 4 is just a few weeks away at Wall Speedway in New Jersey. Can Chelsea DeNofa keep his BMW from catching fire? Will Dai Yoshihara and Daigo Saito sort out their engine issues? Will Vaughn Gittin Jr. have a three-peat? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.