This year's "off season" hasn't really had any "off" in my world. I did manage to spend some quality time with friends and family during the holidays, enjoy some quarry rallying in my toys, and even squeeze in a skateboard car session with Rob Dyrdek (more details soon!) Since the Round 7, I have been slaving away in the home office in between traveling all over setting up for what is going to be a very insane, fun, and busy year for me! I can't speak of the majority of the projects I have been working on just yet, but you all will be the first to know when I can.
I will be stepping away from my other half, the blue and teal Falken Tire Mustang. My brand new 2011 Mustang chassis will be unveiled at an exclusive party at Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory April 7th.
While a piece of me without-a-doubt will be missing without the iconic blue and teal Mustang – as we have had so much success over our five-year abusive relationship – I am very excited about our new partner and this progression in my career.
About a week ago, I headed out to Charlotte Speedway (AKA Lowes) for testing with my Falken Tire teammates JTP, DMac, Tyler, and the always-impressive ASD crew. OH MAN was preseason testing a nice break from the “off season” business jazz. We have a great team and everyone believes in working hard and playing harder!
Every year that first test reminds me where all the passion and drive to spend the long hours in the home office stem from, which is actually being behind the wheel doing what I love… drifting. The screaming of the engine and the first real smell of those Falken Tires burning continue to get my adrenaline flowing and puts a smile on my face year after year.
Team Falken and ASD continue to step up the bar year after year with regards to build quality and setup. The changes ASD made while building the new chassis based on what we learned last year and the addition of the new unbelievably grippy Falken RT-615K – my mind was simply blown.
Hands down it is the BEST drift car I have ever driven. The more and more I check the car out and see the engineering put into it the more and more I am blown away with drifting's progression. I have seen it first hand from day one here in the USA and I continue to be amazed year after year.
In the back of my mind I can't help but think of the days when tracks didn't even want "tires spinning on their tracks" and now a lot of tracks love having drift events. I vividly remember driving hours to and from Englishtown with used tires jammed in my back from stuffing them in my first 240SX eight years ago and realize where we are now and it really is insane how far the sport has come.
As most of you know my Drift Alliance bro Justin Pawlak "JTP" is jumping in the blue and teal Mustang. When it was decided that car would still be on the track and a seat was open, I knew JTP had the style and aggressiveness needed to do the car justice and team Falken agreed.
I have NEVER seen that car go around the track aside from video for obvious reasons and seeing it out there for the first time put a smile on my face and brought a tear to my eye.
When JTP came in from his first run he was grinning ear to ear so excited saying that he couldn't believe how good the Mustang was and how much better it was then his RX-8 to drive. I simply asked him "do you think I been driving a Mustang since ‘05 just because it's not amazing?" I am so happy with the decision to put him in that seat and make up the other half of the Team Falken Brostangs!!!!!
- Vaughn Gittin Jr.
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Ok, im all for form over function but you really need to lower the car...
good luck in the new season dude. Cant WAIT to see JTP's attacking style in the mustang..
I think it's awesome that JTP going to be in your old stang, looking forward to the new season, but please tell me your going to change the liveries on your new stang, the current appearance is only temporary right?
JTP!JTP!JTP!JTP!JTP!
ILL MISS HES RX7 THOUGH
'stang..is that what happens after a wasp gets ya?
Good to see American cars doing things other that go fast turn left...
How ya doing bro, "big fan from Saudi Arebia". I wanna know if that a new bodykit in the first pictur or just a stok and good luck at Long Beach.
How ya doing bro, "big fan from Saudi Arebia". I wanna know if that a new bodykit in the first pictur or just a stok and good luck at Long Beach.
Sweet tail lights, amber turn signals FTW.
Can't wait to see you guys out there next week. Hope i dont have to take you out. New mustangs look cool too.
Wow, the Saturn Sky looks good in Falken colors.
Should be another great season- good luck JR!!!! The new car looks amazing!
Lower the car??WTF?? these stupid driftard kids need a lecture on how suspension works...
BROSTANGS. Ack.....
why does formula d have so many cars without aero kits??? the rear mounted radiator and carbon body panels are the only thing i like about this car.. the only saving grace would be to paint the car up in the falken scheme half blue half carbon.... lets go 4x4in!
lets see what are we missing... who wants to drift a taurus
@ Charles
Yeah your probably right, there is no possible way in the world to lower the car and make the handling just as good... wait a minute.. You might be on to something, all the racing teams in every series should raise their cars 3 feet and they would handle so much better. That was sarcasm btw.
Dude, you have to come to more clubloose events this year.
And does your mustang have IRS or a solid axle?
ITS CRAP BECAUSE ITS A MUSTANG
Im sensing Monster as the new livery for JRs car... The black and green, the ties with DC and Dyrdek... But Im sure Im not the first one to say this. Kind of excited to see what they have in store for this car...
The engines and superchargers are on those mustangs are BOSS HOSS! Damn they look good with no hood. I'm not the biggest Mustang fan in the world but the blacked out look is awesome and the blue valve covers and polished blower are a top notch touch when the hood is off!
@driftmk3
Now your just being stupid...
@kstyle
Probably because 99.9% of all body kits on the market are awful. If a bodykit doesn't A) look good, or B) help performance in some way then its just useless plastic (or carbon fibre in the case of many modern kits). Why don't FD cars have them? Well in the case of the stang its because none have been made as such, and as an areo kit designer, let me tell you, it's really hard to make a kit that suits it's aggressive styling. It's likely that the normal bumpers work fine for their purpose and shelling out the extra cash to fabricate a potentially ugly and useless kit is not worthwhile. From personal experience, the only things that need fixing on a stock bumper normally are 1) better ventilation for a higher performance engine that is running at high temperatures (the stang had problems with this so they put holes in the front bumper, which is a much cheaper alternative to a whole new bumper, and Vaughn's new stang, on the other hand you'll notice has a different bumper with better ventilation), 2) better downforce, 3) lighter weight, all of which it is likely most of the cars in FD don't need help with and that only leaves styling. The cars already look great, and most cars body styles look best when they are simply left alone, after all, most car designers know what they're doing. I hope that helps.
@Sketch
How old are you, 10? Why come on to a thread just to name call?
I'm looking forward to seeing the new paint, although I can sense a black/white Falken scheme with Monster as the main sponsor
haha
As for the ride height... I'm the first to agree that I'd like to see the car lower. Unfortunately, when we lower the car and the suspension and roll center goes dynamic when in drift, the roll couple between front and rear roll centers goes all to whack.
The ride height you see here gives us the most ideal suspension geometry for the car to be competitive - mostly due to roll center and roll couple effects on the Mustang.
For right now, it is form over function unfortunately. However, this is the first car we"ve built at ASD under the new Formula D rulebook, and that new rulebook does allow us to do more that can create roll center (and consequently roll couple) changes.
We started with the suspension notes from last year with a few revisions, and we'll be developing the car as time goes on within the new Formula D rulebook allowances.
So no promises, but one of our goals this year is to work on ride height with all of the ASD cars, without sacrificing suspension geometry needs. As we build and develop new cars within the new Formula D rulebook, we should be able to have lower cars (also giving us a lower CG as well as better looks) without sacrificing the suspension geometry we need to be competitive.
I know this has been an issue for some of you for some time, so just wanted to give a little behind the scenes info. We're working on it. I like slammed cars too, I've owned my share of them
Ian.
ASD Inc.
That's one wild pony. How much do these cars cost to produce?
what? who the hell gives a shit about optimal suspension geometry when only part of drifting anyone should worry about is how cool they look. um. asd, u are totally fail for caring about shit like suspension geometry and its optimal setup and trying to win. DUMB! winning aint winning if u look stupid doing it!
@ Anthony F: more than you could afford pal
@GPT : you type way to much kid, u really need something else to do in life
Pro drifting is a serious business. Cars are set up by expert engineers who know exactly what theyre doing and have forgotten more technical information then most of you people screaming for a lower ride height will ever learn. Let the pros be the pros and keep your stupid opinions to yourself and whatever beat to shit pile you call a drift car.
Hey Petite you should gather up all the past Formula D winners in a room and tell them that yourself. As for the car it obviously needs a drop but you guys heard it here from the man, the geometry isn't right. This does not surprise me in the least as the Mustang is famous for its terrible and archaic suspension designs but I am sure ASD if anyone will work around that they make top shelf stuff guys. Props on the new car Ian and Vaughn I can't wait to see it in action with the new colors.
P.S. LOL at Deltron (It's a Ferrari)
@ clark
Engineers? very few, if any. Technical experts? Absolutely.
"Ok, im all for form over function but you really need to lower the car..."
I'm no physics genius but the speed of JR's entries coupled with the body roll immediately tells me the car can't be laying frame. Yes there is a gap between form and function but if you honestly expect a professional driver to forfeit handling just to look good then you are sadly mistaken.
If you want to see a nice custom car laying frame go out to the parking lot and see some hard parked beauty queens. But if you want to see a professional level FD competition car then watch JR sling this car around the track.
Honestly i'm shocked anyone would think an FD driver would give two shits about right height when title and sponsorship is on the line. There's a difference between grassroots drifting and competition drifting.
petite - how many FD races have you competed in?
Man you all are a tough crowd sometimes!!! hahahaha
Thanks for love (and Hate)!
@Wild&Smooth that is the same bumper that is on the RTR-C it is available in poly from www.Classicdesignconcepts.com
I cant wait to show you all the finished car. Will have a shot from the party up on the 8th at the Latest!
I think Mr. Gittin and ASD should ask Matt Powers for some help.....his S14 is pretty low.....lol.....and he won some too.....lol
Is modifying this model of vehicle in such a manner that it will end up looking like this particular specimen the only way to make it 'perform amazingly'?
@ alex- Ill bet matt's car get raised a bit as he decides to become more competitive.
@matej- It could perform OK lowered more but performs noticeably better at the current ride height. In 2005 and 2006 we ran pretty low but that was before forward bite and side bite mattered so much. Drifting has progressed so much since. Here is a picture from 2005 the car was pretty slammed but lacked the bite needed today to be competitive. http://www.vaughngittin.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2550
See how much lower it is here in drift? http://www.vaughngittin.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7467
Unfortunately I don't get any points for hard parking well..... When we do I will try my best at that too!
Thanks again everyone! See you in Long Beach!
Vaughn,
Just out of curiosity, what type of lines did you fabricate to circulate the engine coolant?
I went with aluminum instead of hose as seen here:
http://highperformancetrucks.com/forums/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=10492
http://highperformancetrucks.com/forums/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=10787
Aluminum allows for better cooling than hose, but I'm a little concerned about harmonics potentially causing a failure in the tubing so I'll be adding some silicone damping as well.
this car is pretty cool. most of you guys are just killing the whole "low car" and "wheel fitment" thing to where its not even cool anymore, so religious about it.
excited to see whats JTP can do in the car and what the 2011 car is gonna end up looking like!
Awesome response. This is the main reason(suspension travel) that I havnt slammed my car. I have the ability with my coilovers, but dont want to lose the ability for my suspension to do its job. Everyone agrees lower looks better, but not when it sacrifices it purpose
wow...so many kids on this, uh what do you call it? COMMENT POST SECTION???? C'mon, guys seriously, this isn't a forum. Love or hate. and if you wanna argue over technical stuff then join nicoclub, there's plenty of self-righteous idiots over there.
Sigh...anyway JR sorry for the garbage polluting your post. I seriously love the new car, and the fact that JTP loves his new 'Stang better than the RX-8!!! That means with his attacking drift style he might win this year...but good luck to team falken tire this year! my fav drift team of all time!
Thanks bro,I wish you guys all the luck because no one gonna represents the Mustang better than
" you" and JTP. By the way I can help u with a paint design.
hey guys awesome car .question why did you move radiator to back of car was it more for balance or cooling issues? cant wait to see in action.....
@ 2000GTX- Balance. thanks man!
Thanks for the inspiration JR. I was recapping the 07 season and I admire the way you always came back for more. Maybe I'm a minority but I'm the type of drift fan that respects and roots for EVERY driver. I think people that miss the qualifying runs are douche-bags (although I'll be the first to admit I wish there was a bigger fleet fighting for the 32 spots).
JTP will be a great addition to Falken Tire. I was bummed that he lost the 8 but stoked he'd come back in the FC I miss. And even though Joon is fantastic I hope JTP gets matched up and beats the 8.
Keep drifting fun. See you guys in LONG BEACH!!! I'll be blowing smoke off my blunts watching the pros until I can get in there and duke it out myself.
JR and JTP FTW against the Camaro, Challenger, and Corvette...(but it better be a battle!!!)
This post was mentioned on Twitter by falkentire: More from our 2010 Drift Test, behind the scenes of @VaughnGittinJr 2011 Mustang! http://bit.ly/aSPI4z
Looks dope JR, I am glad I got to see you drive in the Blue and Teal for the last time this past weekend :D. Good luck man, that car looks sick!
I'm going to take an educated guess and say monster is his new partner,just something I couldve heard/read from A little birdie;)
I think its respectable that the ASD team acknowledges the whack ride height and FD allowed changes to be made to adapt cars to lower the roll centers and consequently CG's. Having cool looking cars is important imo and i know FD has become hypercompetitive and their first goal is win. However they have taken a secondary look at what the fans demand (lower cars) and tried to meet both criteria. One of the criteria gives points and big pay checks while the other simply creates lots of internet hype....
cool
@ petite pounder....hope your being sarcastic, but if not, Who are you????? Never heard of you other than your stupid comments on all the FD blogs. Is your life so pathetic that you think your opinions matter enough that you might bring others down to your level? I like how ASD and Vaughn both didn't even acknowledge your ridiculous comment. Shows their time doesn't need to be wasted on you and your "expert advice". I on the other hand, am also a nobody, so I DO have the time. I'm sure that if ASD took your advice, they would probably be the sole engine and chassis builders for all of the FD pro cars rather than just the multi-million dollar company cars that trust them with their money. I'm sure if you were in charge, rather than Ian, ASD would have a monopoly over the sport, based solely on the idea that ride height should be slammed rather than adjusted for maximum performance. If you step back and take a look around you, look at all the failed attempts in your life to be SOMEBODY, and you might realize it's because of your attitude and outlook on whether people really care what you have to say. Now that you've seen your miserable attempt at influencing a major sport into doing your bidding, take a look at the awesome things ASD has done for the sport in being able to tune all sorts of cars to the specifics of some of the greatest drivers this sport has ever seen. I'm sure if these drivers didn't trust the tuning of their cars to ASD, then we would not see the Falken Team growing bigger and better every year. My hats off to ASD, Falken and all the drivers. Thanx to you as well Vaughn for the great advice you and Dmac shared about my car setup and choices. Still missed you guys on St. Patty's day.
Hey Vaughn you should take a look to this picture
http://le-foro.com/fotos/files/jtlixziyymznnjymmzfy.jpg
It's when you came down here to El Salvador to the drift show on dec 200something
Take care!!