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REALTIME S2000 set for Road Atlanta

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  • REALTIME S2000 set for Road Atlanta

    RealTime Drift entry set for Road Atlanta debut

    Kleinubing to drive Bridgestone-shod Honda S2000

    May 10, 2006 – Saukville, Wisconsin

    RealTime Racing, the winningest team in the history of SCCA SPEED World Challenge competition, has announced its entry in yet another form of motorsport—professional drifting. Three-time SPEED Touring Car champion Pierre Kleinubing has been slated to drive the RealTime Drift entry, a Honda S2000 on Bridgestone Potenza™ RE-01R™ tires. Kleinubing will commence his drifting career on May 12-13 at Road Atlanta, Round 2 of this year’s Formula D Championship, the first of two events scheduled for the RealTime Drift effort in 2006.

    While this is RealTime’s first event in the sport of drifting, it is not the first time one of the team’s drivers has ever intentionally gone sideways at a high rate of speed. Long before RealTime won its nine SCCA World Challenge road racing titles, it won the 1993 SCCA PRO Rally Production Championship and three International Ice Racing Association Championships in 1987, ’89 and ’90. Understandably, deliberately sliding or ‘drifting’ an automobile on a dry paved road is a good bit different from doing it on a gravel road or a frozen lake, but Kleinubing and the rest of the team are thrilled about the new challenge.

    The SCCA Pro Racing-sanctioned ‘Need for Speed’ Formula D Championship is now in its third year of existence, meeting the demand for professionally-organized drifting events. The large number of quality entries in the 2006 series represents a variety of automobile and tire manufacturers.

    The selection of vehicle brand for the RealTime Drift program was easy. The team has been racing Hondas and Acuras in various types of the sport since 1987, so the Honda S2000 Roadster was the obvious choice. This one-of-a-kind vehicle exemplifies Honda’s 40-year success story in racing. By the time the RealTime engineers and mechanics were finished designing and building their new hot rod, they were pleased with what they had created—complete with a Vortech-supercharged 400+ horsepower 2.2 liter powerplant.

    When it came to the crucial part of the car that touches the road, there was only one option: Bridgestone. RealTime has been working with Bridgestone Firestone since 1993, assisting them with the implementation of driving events including tire introductions, dealer sales training seminars and even teen driving classes through the ‘Driver’s Edge’ program. With the selection of the Potenza RE-01R tires, RealTime has put performance first.

    “We are excited to be a part of the 2006 Formula D season, and to feature Bridgestone tires on RealTime’s new Honda S2000,” said Phil Pacsi, executive director, consumer tire marketing, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC. “When you combine the performance of our ‘extreme’ Potenza RE-01R tires with Pierre’s seasoned racing experience, you have a solid foundation for success in this prestigious series.”

    RealTime program manager Nathan Bonneau had this to add, “This S2000 drift car is an exciting new project—something very different from our Touring Car effort, so the team is chomping at the bit to launch this rocket in Atlanta to see what it’ll do.

    “With limited testing and experience in the art of drifting, we’re expecting to learn a lot at our first event. We’re hoping that the knowledge we gain will allow us to improve quickly. With a driver like Pierre and the combination of Bridgestone, Honda and the RealTime crew, we have all the ingredients needed to drift our way to the front!”

    The RealTime Drift team is supported by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC, Red Line Oil, Eibach Springs, Vortech Superchargers, Brembo, Sparco, Total Auto Body, Enkei, Valley Graphix, PACT and A-YES.



  • #2
    is this the first time a championship winning pro team entered FD?

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    • #3
      wonder who they had build their car. Gary Castillo has been the only one to get the S2k to sustain a drift worth a beans...

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      • #4
        This sounds cool and all but I have a question.

        Since that Piere guy competed in SWC which is sanctioned by SCCA..does that mean he doesn't have to go through an FD qualifier?

        If you have a license to compete in a SCCA series does that automatically give you a ticket to compete in FD?

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        • #5
          Originally posted by MonkeySlide
          This sounds cool and all but I have a question.

          Since that Piere guy competed in SWC which is sanctioned by SCCA..does that mean he doesn't have to go through an FD qualifier?

          If you have a license to compete in a SCCA series does that automatically give you a ticket to compete in FD?
          i'm pretty sure this is done on a case-by-case basis. FD can, at their discretion, waive the liscensing process for those they feel have "enough experience" to warrent this. Signal's 2nd driver Shiro did not go through the process, but has enough credibility in Japan to warrant it (anyone know if he drove in D1? i can't find anything about it...)

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          • #6
            the car looks awesome guys, cant wait to see it in action. good luck, have a safe trip out!

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            • #7
              Originally posted by MonkeySlide
              This sounds cool and all but I have a question.

              Since that Piere guy competed in SWC which is sanctioned by SCCA..does that mean he doesn't have to go through an FD qualifier?

              If you have a license to compete in a SCCA series does that automatically give you a ticket to compete in FD?

              A SCCA pro liscense doesn't automatically transfer between series. A SCCA clubracing liscense regional or national definately does not transfer to FD.

              Pierre did not compete in any of the FD qualifiers.

              As to the question about this being the first time a previous roadrace champion has entered an FD event. There is Chuck Goldsborough from team Lexus Grand-Am Cup- Drivers Championship 2002.

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              • #8


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                • #9
                  The car looks great!

                  Goodluck Pierre!!

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Slapshotnerd
                    i'm pretty sure this is done on a case-by-case basis. FD can, at their discretion, waive the liscensing process for those they feel have "enough experience" to warrent this. Signal's 2nd driver Shiro did not go through the process, but has enough credibility in Japan to warrant it (anyone know if he drove in D1? i can't find anything about it...)
                    Can anyone from Formula D comment on this? Ryan? Jim? Andy?

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                    • #11
                      "4.1.2: Option 2: Appeals
                      In the case of extreme circumstances, driver’s may submit a profile and resume to the
                      Formula D Race Commission to be reviewed if the driver feels that he/she is qualified
                      to compete in the FD Championship on a competitive level. After all submitted information
                      has been reviewed and confirmed, the driver reviewed will be notified by
                      Formula D on the status of their request. Driver’s with no background or credentials
                      will not be reviewed and must obtain a license through the FD Minor League competitions.
                      Upon approval of an appeal, a provisional license will be granted and signed off
                      by FD. There are only a limited number of spaces allotted for appeals. In most cases,
                      driver’s appealing will be sent to compete in the FD Minor League events."

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by swifty949
                        "4.1.2: Option 2: Appeals
                        In the case of extreme circumstances, driver’s may submit a profile and resume to the
                        Formula D Race Commission to be reviewed if the driver feels that he/she is qualified
                        to compete in the FD Championship on a competitive level. After all submitted information
                        has been reviewed and confirmed, the driver reviewed will be notified by
                        Formula D on the status of their request. Driver’s with no background or credentials
                        will not be reviewed and must obtain a license through the FD Minor League competitions.
                        Upon approval of an appeal, a provisional license will be granted and signed off
                        by FD. There are only a limited number of spaces allotted for appeals. In most cases,
                        driver’s appealing will be sent to compete in the FD Minor League events."
                        Well that works..thanks dude

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                        • #13
                          Nice to see a new team entering FD!
                          Boost Up

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                          • #14
                            He's not bad at all. I'd put him at the same level as Steph. His Initiations needs work but in drift he is very fast and smooth


                            Last edited by my 1 88 u; 05-13-2006, 05:08 AM.

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                            • #15
                              yep... pierre's a badass. He'll make it happen. give it a few events.

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