Team Need for Speed will be in full effect at select European drift events this summer and fall with Formula Drift superstars Fredric Aasbo and Darren McNamara in the spotlight. Team Need for Speed has had quite a successful 2011 season thus far in the Formula Drift Championship – the North American premier drifting series – and now that the team will be expanding its horizons to European events, more success is guaranteed to follow.

2010 Formula D Rookie of the year, Fredric Aasbo, will be reunited with his Abu Dhabi Invitational-winning Team NFS Japan Auto Toyota Supra at the Gatebil Rudskogen Festival in Norway. Taking place July 8-10, the Gatebil Festival is one of the wildest auto events on the planet. More than 45,000 spectators and 10,000 campers are expected onsite for three days of non-stop car excitement and all-night partying. Car enthusiasts from Scandinavia, England, and even Japan will be in attendance, making this event one of the biggest car festivals in Europe. “Some of my best memories went down at various Gatebil events in Scandinavia over the last five years,” says Fredric, “and it feels very special to get back to my roots and join the Gatebil madness with the other 40,000-plus gear nuts that will attend the July event."

Owner of multiple Formula Drift podium-finishes, Darren McNamara (D-Mac) has been working for one year to create the wildest Toyota AE86 ever imaginable: the Dmac86. The car will make its world debut at the AwesomeFest at Mallory Park in the UK on July 29-31. Staying true to its name, AwesomeFest is a brand new three-day extreme sports festival focusing on fun with a mix of drift lifestyle, skateboarding, BMX, and music. Many of Europe’s top drift cars will be on site to create on-track automotive mayhem.

"I'm delighted to be returning to European competition with Team Need for Speed,” says D-Mac.
“We have been working hard on testing and developing the ‘Dmac86’ in
the spring, so it’s just as hard to beat in real life as it is in SHIFT 2
UNLEASHED.”

Both D-Mac and Fredric will then team up for a mini-competition tour this September. They will make their competition debuts at the Trax Show at Silverstone, Sept 4th, competing in the fifth round of the British Drift Championship. Trax is known best as the UK’s ultimate performance car event and is one day of thrilling track action, huge club displays, and a massive performance-tuning retail village.

This will be Fredric’s competition debut in the UK, while D-Mac will make his return to Silverstone – a track that has played a strong part in his rise as a professional drifter. The BDC finale will also be the first time that the Dmac86 will see tandem drift battles. “I'm looking forward to returning to Ireland to drift in front of my home crowd again and also back to Silverstone where we started to take on the drift world at the D1 Exhibition,” says D-Mac.

Rounding out their European Team Need for Speed tour, Fredric and D-Mac will travel to Mondello Park in Ireland to compete at the ProDrift finale on Sept 10-11. The Irish drift scene has long been one of the leaders of European drifting, and Team NFS is looking forward to putting a on a stellar show for Irish drift fans.

"In Europe, drifting as a motorsport first caught on in UK and in Ireland, and the drifting scene that blew up in the years to follow has always been a big inspiration for me,” says Fredric. “I have always wanted to compete on the Isles, but to no avail – before now. Thanks to Team Need for Speed, Japan Auto, and my other sponsors, we are actually doing it this year, and I can't wait to compete at some of the most anticipated 2011 European drifting events!"

Accompanying the Team Need for Speed drivers to these European events
will be the All-Star cast of Speedhunter photographers. Both Paddy McGrath and Larry Chen will be appearing at Gatebil next weekend…

… as well as DJ Miki Taka who will be spinning some dark bass-lines deep into the Norwegian night.

Team NFS European Drift Tour

Gatebil Festival Rudskogen: Norway, July 8-10 (Fredric only)

Awesomefest Mallory Park: United Kingdom, July 29-31 (Dmac only)

British Drift Championship at Trax Silverstone: United Kingdom, Sept 4

Pro Drift Mondello Park : Ireland, Sept 10-11