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**INFO** · 10-14-2008, 06:34 PM

OCT 13

Formula DRIFT Awards Banquet
Posted by john

The Formula DRIFT Awards Banquet held last night at V20 in Long Beach was a very good event. The turnout was amazing with drivers, teams, sponsors, and the FD staff all coming together to celebrate the end of the 5th Championship Season.

And the winners are�.

Spirit of Drifting - Patrick Mordaunt

Superstar of the Year - Tanner Foust

Best Style - Daijiro Yoshihara

Biggest Rivalry - Rhys Millen versus Everyone

Hardest Charging Driver - Robbie Nishida

Best Tandem Battle of the Year - Tanner Foust vs. Robbie Nishida - Round 4 Vegas Motor Speedway

Most Improved Driver - Stephan Verdier

Rookie of the Year - Michihiro Takatori

Team Owner/Manager of the Year - Eddie Kim for Dynamic Autosport / Hankook and manager of drivers Joon Maeng and Robbie Nishida.

Mechanic of the Year - Shawn Hillier for the Papadakis Racing / Rockstar / AEM Team

Driver of the Year - Ryan Tuerck

Photo highlights from our FD official photog J.Martinez after the jump!

**INFO** · 10-14-2008, 06:35 PM

OCT 14

Ben Broke-Smith Added to International Roster
Posted by john

Ben Broke-Smith - EDC
Hometown - Solihull, Birmingham, UK
Car - 1990 Toyota Chaser JZX81, 1JZ Single Turbo

Right from an early age I�ve been obsessed with cars and driving, spending my entire childhood waiting for the day I could get my driving license. As soon as I could drive, the first priority was RWD, going straight out and buying a BMW 5 series. All I wanted to do was to be able to drive RWD cars with the natural ability of drivers like Tiff Needel, people I�d watched on TV as a kid. After only having my license for a year I attended a BMW day at Rockingham circuit, and met a now-good friend of mine and pillar of the UK drifting scene, Julian Smith, as soon as I saw him drifting his E30 M3 around the circuit I was instantly hooked. From then on I attended drift days in my bone stock BMW E28 525i, eventually getting the diff welded. From that step on, I gradually got more and more cars, tearing them apart and turning them into drift machines, gradually moving on to more and more powerful machines, but always BMWs. After blowing up an E36 M3 more times than I�d like to remember a couple of years ago, I decided to go JDM, and purchased an R32 Skyline GTS-T. This was 2006, the first year I really took things seriously. In my first year of competition I finished 5th overall, in a very home-brew car, spending most of the year battling it out with only 240bhp, a set of coilovers and a welded diff. This was the first year Driftworks sponsored me, Phil & James had been friends for a while, but this year I�d get to know them better and occupy more space in their workshop, creating mess wherever I went!!�. 2007 saw me in a JZX81 Toyota Chaser, probably not the most sensible car to buy, but it matched my pre 2006 image of different cars, a big 4 door but now JDM. I had a good year, but some poor design decisions on the Chaser meant that I had troubles with reliability all year, constantly breaking things and making my life difficult. 2008 saw me develop the car and my skills to the point where I could put in a reliable, consistent performance. The Chaser was now on Federal tyres, running 560bhp and reliable, a winning combination!!!! The combination of continued support from Driftworks and consistently using the same tyres helped me take the championship, something I�d worked hard for over the last few years!!

Outside of drifting seems to always be filled with cars, constantly working on the drift car to get it ready for the next event. Work life is at Driftworks, where I�m the sales manager, using all my skills and knowledge to help advise everybody on which parts they need. I get to work with my friends, Phil, James and Mel. When I�m not driving cars, fixing cars or at work talking to people about their cars, you�ll find me spending time with Laura (my girlfriend) and with my friends and family, generally doing normal things like normal people!!!!

**INFO** · 10-14-2008, 06:36 PM

OCT 14

Tim Marshall Added to International Roster
Posted by john

Tim Marshall - EDC
Hometown - Leicestershire England
Car - Nissan Skyline R33 with small block Chevy V8 race engine

I�ve been a race instructor for ten years and have been involved with racing from a young age starting as everyone does in karts. I became interested in drifting having seen a few clips on the internet of the Japanese guys on the streets and in competition. Having always been fascinated with driving cars sideways I was desperate to find out how to get involved. It was lucky for me that when I was working on the Nissan 350Z face lift launch in 2006 they had none other than Yasayuki Kazama giving passenger rides to members of the press. I managed to get a ride with him and in return he wanted to sit in and watch me drive. After his in car ride with me Kazama suggested to Andy Barnes, team manager of Sumo Power, that I drive his car in the 2006 D1GB championship. I did so and finished 5th in my first year of drifting.

For 2007 I would change teams and started my relationship with Apex Performance and their R33 Skyline. It was to be a development year for the team and a good job too as we now have a grave yard of RB25 engines. We managed 10th in the championship that year having attended only two of the rounds. Reliability with the RB was a big problem as we were pushing big power, 592bhp at one point.

2008 saw big changes. Gone was the RB25, replaced with a small block Chevy V8 race engine giving me the torque and reliability that I�ve always wanted. With the V8 we managed 3 wins and a third to finish 2nd in the championship, not bad for a developing year with a completely new engine. I�m now looking forward to the 2008 Red Bull World Championships in California.

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