In the lead up to this month's Red Bull World Drifting Championship,
we'd like to preview the cars and drivers that will be seen sliding
around the Long Beach docks on November 15 and 16. For the first part
we will be taking a quick look at Formula D drivers that will be
appearing in the event. Even though the Red Bull event will include
drivers from a number of international series,the Formula D representatives alone hail from all corners of the globe and their cars are very diverse.

In the opening photo we have 2008 Formula D Champion Tanner Foust's AEM/Rockstar 350Z. There is nothing outrageous about this car, but as of late it has been the most dominant car in Formula D competition with Tanner behind the wheel and 2008 marked the second consecutive championship for Tanner and the Z. Like Rhys, Tanner's resume spans far beyond drifting and he will also be appearing on the upcoming Top Gear USA TV series. Interestingly, the Red Bull event will mark the last appearance of Tanner and the Z as he will be switching to a Scion TC for 2009. It will be interesting to see how he does in the 350Z in its final outing.

Next up we have Rhys Millen's Red Bull-sponsored Pontiac Solstice. I don't think New Zealand-born Rhys needs much introduction as he is one America's most established drifters and his RMR Solstice is representative of how high the level of pro drift car building has gotten. Of course Rhys also does far more than just drifting, and besides ripping it up on the Formula D circuit, he also drove the Solstice at this year's Pike's Peak Rally where he set the 2WD time attack record.

And rounding out the "podium brothers" is Sam Hubinette and the Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10. Sam has more wins than any other Formula D driver and he'll be looking to add another one at Red Bull event. You have probably heard about the new Dodge Challenger drift car that Sam will be driving in 2009, so depending on how fast the new car will be finished, the Red Bull event could also mark the last appearance of the Viper.

If you need an example of just how globalzied drifting has become in the USA, check out Daijiro Yoshihara and the RMR Pontiac GTO. Here you have a Japanese driver driving an Australian-built, American-powered Pontiac. Pretty interesting isn't it? The large GTO was a big change from the Silvias that Dai drove in the past, but he was able to do well in the car, finishing fourth in the FD points standings this year. The GTO has a long history in Formula D, but rumor has it that Dai will be driving a new machine next year.

Next up we have Chris Forsberg's V8-powered 350Z roadster. Chris is one of the most aggressive drivers in Formula D and the big V8 in the drop-top Z just sounds beautiful. Chris has been one of FD's top drivers since the start of the series in 2004 and over the years he has driven a number of really cool Nissans. I think Antonio will be taking a look back at some of Chris' cars as part of our Nissan features this month.

Japanese driver and former D1GP competitor Michihiro Takatori and his Super Autobacs R34 Skyline have had a great first year in Formula D taking home the "Rookie of the Year" award for 2008 and finishing sixth overall in the FD standings. Takatori's acheivements this year included a second place finsih at Road Atlanta which was only his second Formula D event. The blue Skyline will be one to watch in Long Beach for sure.

Heading into the Red Bull event, I'd say things are looking good for Speedhunter Vaughn Gittin Jr. and the Falken Mustang. He has a lot of momentum coming off his victory at last month's FD closer at Irwindale and he also has done very well in past international drift competitions. After the Red Bull event, the current Mustang will be retired after four years of service and JR switch to a new 2010 Mustang drift car for next year.

Another burly American V8 machine that will be in the Red Bull event is the 650hp Tanaka Racing/Nitto C5 Corvette driven by Conrad Grunewald. Conrad is another FD driver who does more than just drift, and when he's not drivng in Formula D, he's a driving instructor and the well known Skip Barber Racing School. For more about Conrad and his 'Vette, check the feature that Antonio did on it a while back.

Robbie Nishida, pilot of the Hankook Nissan 350Z is another driver that has been having a great season in 2008. He finsihed ninth overall in the season point standings and finished third at the Evergreen Speedway event in Washington. I think his Z is one the coolest looking cars in FD with its C-West aero parts and Enkei GTC01 wheels. Robbie's Z is another example of how you don't need an off-the-wall car build to be succesful in pro drifiting.

The Red Bull event would not complete without Ryuji Miki and the Apexi/Bergenholtz Racing FD3S RX7. Not only does Miki's strong finish in Formula D make him worthy of the event, but he was also the 2004 D1 Grand Prix champion in the Top Secret S15 Silvia. We have actually heard the the Miki will be switching to a naturally aspirated Mazda RX8 in the future, so could this be the last appearance of the FD?

Irish driver Darren McNamara and the Sears/Falken Saturn Sky are another interesting addition to the roster for the Red Bull event. It won't be Darren's first time at an international competition, and you might remember his appearance at the 2006 D1GP all star event. His V8-powered Sky is one of the wildest cars in Formula D and it will be interesting to see how he does against the international competition in Long Beach.

Adding even more the variety to the roster for the Red Bull event will be French driver and Formula D regular Stephan Verdier in the Crawford Motorsports Impreza STI with a rear-wheel-drive conversion. It's like the American version of the Team Orange Imprezas in Japan. When not sliding on the pavement in Formula D, Stephan takes it onto the dirt. He is a seasoned rally driver who has won at Pikes Peak and competes in the Rally America series.

Scion is launching a full scale invasion into the world of pro drifitng, and their first entrant this year was the RSR Scion TC driven by Ken Gushi. The orignally front-drive Scion TC was converted to rear wheel drive, and the original Camry motor was yanked for a big power 3SGTE. Ken finished 13th in the 2008 FD standings and the car will be joined by other Scions in 2009. By now, the team should have the car set up pretty well and it will interesting to see how Ken will do at the Red Bull event.

Next up we have Bill Sherman and his Retaks S13 240SX with an S15 front end conversion. As I was putting this post together, I just realized the this is the ONLY Nissan S-chassis in the Formula D top 16. I thought that was kind of interesting. Anyways, Bill put on a great performance at Sonoma where he finished third and that gave him enough to points to qualifiy for the Red Bull event.

Justin "JTP" Pawlak and his FC3S Mazda RX7 were able to get a spot on the roster for the Red Bull event after his awesome podium finish at Irwindale last month. He has been coming on strong lately and he also just traveled to China for a drift demo with the WDS. He will be one of the drivers to watch as he competes against the rest of the field on his home territory in Long Beach.

And finishing off the 16 Formula representatives at the Red Bull event is another FC3S RX7 driven by another Long Beach local, Kyle Mohan. He just missed a podium finish with a fourth place performance on the Streets of Long Beach earlier this year, and he will be looking for another good finish in front of his hometown fans at the Red Bull event.

Later this week, we will continue this with a look at the international cars and drivers to who will be competing in the Red Bull event.

Red Bull Drifitng World Championship

-Mike Garrett