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D1GP USA ANNOUNCES CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS SERIES FOR 2009 AND RELEASES 2009 RULEBOOK AND SERIES JUDGING FORMAT
LOS ANGELES (January 20, 2009) – Since announcing its official comeback to the United States in late 2008, D1GP USA’s new management continues to make news with the announcement that the upcoming 2009 season will be a Championship Points Series. The announcement coincides with the launch of the new D1GP website (www.d1gp.com), as well as the release of their 2009 Rulebook and details regarding their new judging format. The information below provides the highlights and in depth information is available at www.d1gp.com.
Event Format
The D1GP USA management team set out to create a format that will not only provide the world’s top drift teams with a new Championship Points Series, but also a format that will also serve as a breeding ground for the next generation of drift competitors. Therefore, the drift weekend is broken down into a two day format consisting of a Pre-Qualifying and Pro-Qualifying on Friday, culminating with the Professional Competition’s Championship Points Series on Saturday.
Friday Pre-Qualifying
On the Friday prior to each drifting event, D1GP USA will hold a Pre-Qualifying event also known as a “Drivers Search.” This competition will be open to amateur drivers who do not hold a Professional D1 Competition license. They will perform solo runs in front of the D1GP USA judges and based on their performance, D1GP USA will advance the drivers who possess the skill level to compete in the D1GP USA Professional Qualifying round later that same day.
Friday Pro-Qualifying
Following the Pre-Qualifying round, D1GP USA will hold a Pro-Qualifying round to secure the top drivers for Saturday’s competition. Those that competed in the Pre-Qualifying round that have the right skill set to make it on to the Pro-Qualifying round will then compete against the professional drivers in hopes of making it in to the top 30 for Saturday’s Professional Championship Points Series.
Championship Points Series
The Championship Points Series will begin in Anaheim on May 2nd 2009. On May 1st, all professionally licensed D1 drivers who register (defined as drivers who competed Internationally in 08’, all D1 U.S. licensed drivers from the 07’ season, drivers who competed in other event series’ who are waived in and given a D1 Provisional license, and the drivers who advance from Pre-Qualifying) will be required to compete in the Pro-Qualifying round. The Pro-Qualifying round will determine the top 30 drivers who will move on to compete in the Pro-Competition held the following day. The drivers who make it to the top 16 will then be seeded for the following event in Miami on May 30th, and will not have to compete in Pro-Qualifying, thus leaving 14 open spots for Pro-Competition in the Miami Pro-Qualifier. Points will accrue over the course of the season and the top 16 seeding may change leading into the Philadelphia event on July 18th, and the Chicago event on August 1st. Only the top 16 drivers in each event will earn points as outlined in the D1GP USA Rulebook at www.d1gp.com. The driver with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned the 2009 D1 USA Champion.
Battle and Attack
The top sixteen qualified drivers “SUPER16” will have an opportunity during their practice to bump the number one qualifying driver off the top spot before the competition actually starts. The driver will simply declare to the Head Judge during practice that he wishes to challenge the top spot and he will be scored accordingly. Once practice is over the “SUPER16” run order may be completely reshuffled. This is an exciting battle within the event that can easily change the outcome of the competition. Additional prize money of $1,000 will be awarded to the number #1 qualifying driver going into the “SUPER16” round.
Progressive Prize Payouts
D1GP USA has developed a Progressive Prize Payout System. The way it works is that the registration fees from each driver will be totaled for each event. This total will then be cut in half with ˝ going towards that events prize payout and the other towards the Championship Points Series prize payout. For example: registration for each driver at a D1 event is $100 for qualifying day. If 100 drivers register to compete, the total is $10,000. On Pro-Competition day there will be 30 drivers who advance and those drivers will pay $250 each. The total is 30 drivers x $250 or $7,500. The total prize payout is then the total of the Qualifying entry fees (example: $10,000 above) and the Pro-Competition entry fee’s which will always be $7,500 for a total prize payout of $17,500. Of that, ˝ or $8,750 will go directly towards paying the top 4 drivers of that particular event as follows: 1st place 50%, 2nd place 25%, 3rd place 15%, and 4th place 10%. Over the course of the series the other ˝ (in the example above $8,750) will get thrown into the progressive “pot” accruing over the course of the series (4 events in 09’) for a total (in this example of $8,750x4) of $35,000.
The Championship Points Series payout percentages will be the same as above. Making the deal even sweeter for the drivers, D1GP USA encourages and incentivizes companies to offer contingency prizes in the form of cash and product to both the per event payout as well as the Championship Points Series payout. The sky is the limit in this system.
Rulebook
The D1GP USA Rulebook is one of the most comprehensive rulebooks D1GP has ever released. The entire rulebook is available through registration at www.d1gp.com. We have provided some of the key highlights below:
D1 GRAND PRIX USA will to continue to provide a challenging, safe, fun and friendly environment for drivers to further develop their skills and evolve the vehicles to make for exciting competitions.
D1 GRAND PRIX USA competitions will remain focused on drifting by challenging the drivers skill not his / her personal choice of equipment
Any vehicle passing D1 GRAND PRIX USA safety inspection will be eligible for competition
Any DOT street legal tires minimum 120 are eligible for competition
You do not need to declare the tire manufacturer you choose to compete on
D1 GRAND PRIX USA will continue its commitment to the growth of drifting by ensuring safety is the main priority. D1GP USA will disseminate any new safety information or concerns to all drift organizations globally
D1 GRAND PRIX USA is an advocate of professional and amateur drift programs, and takes a firm stance when it comes to setting the examples of safety, integrity, honesty, responsibility, and good sportsmanship
Judging Format
The new D1GP USA judging system is an easier system for judges to operate taking into account both the objectivity and subjectivity of the sport. Each D1 judge will be accountable for only one of the of the sports three objective criteria which are Angle, Line and Speed. Simply put, Judge #1 can now focus on just the Drift Angle of the car throughout the whole course, while Judge #2 and Judge #3 focus exclusively on Vehicle Line and Vehicle Speed respectively. The only subjective aspect of the sport is Driver Style or overall impression of which each judge will score accordingly. As Driver Style is largely subjective and to combat any major points difference between the judges all the Style points are totaled and averaged to give the final Style score for each driver.
Judge #1 Angle/Style
Judge #2 Speed/Style
Judge #3 Line/Style
“With a Championship Points Series, we are attracting many of the world’s elite drivers, but with our inclusive and economical format, we’ll also be a breeding ground for the newest drift teams wanting to compete at the highest level. The complete D1GP USA package which is inclusive of a New Pro Am series to be announced in the coming weeks is helping build the overall sport of drifting and we are sure teams, spectators and the overall industry will be happy with this new experience,” said Rich Goodwin, President, D1GP USA.
Driven Events, Inc. (D1GP USA Management)
D1GP USA is operated by Southern California based, Driven Events. The company licensed the rights to D1 Grand Prix in the United States in late 2008 and they share a long term vision with D1GP Japan. Driven Events is made up of auto industry insiders. Led by Rich Goodwin and Michael Munar, the D1GP is under complete new management. Both Goodwin and Munar were the founders of the original Hot Import Nights (HIN) started in the late 90’s. They sold HIN in 2004 and Goodwin and Munar went separate ways and have now reunited specifically for this project. They are partnered with Ed and Emil Arguellas, the founders of Extreme Autofest. The group has also employed many of the original HIN & Autofest team who are now working to build one of the best new drifting events in the U.S.
For more information on the D1GP USA, please visit www.d1gp.com. For media inquiries please contact Terry Miller, terry@drivenmc.com
LOS ANGELES (January 20, 2009) – Since announcing its official comeback to the United States in late 2008, D1GP USA’s new management continues to make news with the announcement that the upcoming 2009 season will be a Championship Points Series. The announcement coincides with the launch of the new D1GP website (www.d1gp.com), as well as the release of their 2009 Rulebook and details regarding their new judging format. The information below provides the highlights and in depth information is available at www.d1gp.com.
Event Format
The D1GP USA management team set out to create a format that will not only provide the world’s top drift teams with a new Championship Points Series, but also a format that will also serve as a breeding ground for the next generation of drift competitors. Therefore, the drift weekend is broken down into a two day format consisting of a Pre-Qualifying and Pro-Qualifying on Friday, culminating with the Professional Competition’s Championship Points Series on Saturday.
Friday Pre-Qualifying
On the Friday prior to each drifting event, D1GP USA will hold a Pre-Qualifying event also known as a “Drivers Search.” This competition will be open to amateur drivers who do not hold a Professional D1 Competition license. They will perform solo runs in front of the D1GP USA judges and based on their performance, D1GP USA will advance the drivers who possess the skill level to compete in the D1GP USA Professional Qualifying round later that same day.
Friday Pro-Qualifying
Following the Pre-Qualifying round, D1GP USA will hold a Pro-Qualifying round to secure the top drivers for Saturday’s competition. Those that competed in the Pre-Qualifying round that have the right skill set to make it on to the Pro-Qualifying round will then compete against the professional drivers in hopes of making it in to the top 30 for Saturday’s Professional Championship Points Series.
Championship Points Series
The Championship Points Series will begin in Anaheim on May 2nd 2009. On May 1st, all professionally licensed D1 drivers who register (defined as drivers who competed Internationally in 08’, all D1 U.S. licensed drivers from the 07’ season, drivers who competed in other event series’ who are waived in and given a D1 Provisional license, and the drivers who advance from Pre-Qualifying) will be required to compete in the Pro-Qualifying round. The Pro-Qualifying round will determine the top 30 drivers who will move on to compete in the Pro-Competition held the following day. The drivers who make it to the top 16 will then be seeded for the following event in Miami on May 30th, and will not have to compete in Pro-Qualifying, thus leaving 14 open spots for Pro-Competition in the Miami Pro-Qualifier. Points will accrue over the course of the season and the top 16 seeding may change leading into the Philadelphia event on July 18th, and the Chicago event on August 1st. Only the top 16 drivers in each event will earn points as outlined in the D1GP USA Rulebook at www.d1gp.com. The driver with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned the 2009 D1 USA Champion.
Battle and Attack
The top sixteen qualified drivers “SUPER16” will have an opportunity during their practice to bump the number one qualifying driver off the top spot before the competition actually starts. The driver will simply declare to the Head Judge during practice that he wishes to challenge the top spot and he will be scored accordingly. Once practice is over the “SUPER16” run order may be completely reshuffled. This is an exciting battle within the event that can easily change the outcome of the competition. Additional prize money of $1,000 will be awarded to the number #1 qualifying driver going into the “SUPER16” round.
Progressive Prize Payouts
D1GP USA has developed a Progressive Prize Payout System. The way it works is that the registration fees from each driver will be totaled for each event. This total will then be cut in half with ˝ going towards that events prize payout and the other towards the Championship Points Series prize payout. For example: registration for each driver at a D1 event is $100 for qualifying day. If 100 drivers register to compete, the total is $10,000. On Pro-Competition day there will be 30 drivers who advance and those drivers will pay $250 each. The total is 30 drivers x $250 or $7,500. The total prize payout is then the total of the Qualifying entry fees (example: $10,000 above) and the Pro-Competition entry fee’s which will always be $7,500 for a total prize payout of $17,500. Of that, ˝ or $8,750 will go directly towards paying the top 4 drivers of that particular event as follows: 1st place 50%, 2nd place 25%, 3rd place 15%, and 4th place 10%. Over the course of the series the other ˝ (in the example above $8,750) will get thrown into the progressive “pot” accruing over the course of the series (4 events in 09’) for a total (in this example of $8,750x4) of $35,000.
The Championship Points Series payout percentages will be the same as above. Making the deal even sweeter for the drivers, D1GP USA encourages and incentivizes companies to offer contingency prizes in the form of cash and product to both the per event payout as well as the Championship Points Series payout. The sky is the limit in this system.
Rulebook
The D1GP USA Rulebook is one of the most comprehensive rulebooks D1GP has ever released. The entire rulebook is available through registration at www.d1gp.com. We have provided some of the key highlights below:
D1 GRAND PRIX USA will to continue to provide a challenging, safe, fun and friendly environment for drivers to further develop their skills and evolve the vehicles to make for exciting competitions.
D1 GRAND PRIX USA competitions will remain focused on drifting by challenging the drivers skill not his / her personal choice of equipment
Any vehicle passing D1 GRAND PRIX USA safety inspection will be eligible for competition
Any DOT street legal tires minimum 120 are eligible for competition
You do not need to declare the tire manufacturer you choose to compete on
D1 GRAND PRIX USA will continue its commitment to the growth of drifting by ensuring safety is the main priority. D1GP USA will disseminate any new safety information or concerns to all drift organizations globally
D1 GRAND PRIX USA is an advocate of professional and amateur drift programs, and takes a firm stance when it comes to setting the examples of safety, integrity, honesty, responsibility, and good sportsmanship
Judging Format
The new D1GP USA judging system is an easier system for judges to operate taking into account both the objectivity and subjectivity of the sport. Each D1 judge will be accountable for only one of the of the sports three objective criteria which are Angle, Line and Speed. Simply put, Judge #1 can now focus on just the Drift Angle of the car throughout the whole course, while Judge #2 and Judge #3 focus exclusively on Vehicle Line and Vehicle Speed respectively. The only subjective aspect of the sport is Driver Style or overall impression of which each judge will score accordingly. As Driver Style is largely subjective and to combat any major points difference between the judges all the Style points are totaled and averaged to give the final Style score for each driver.
Judge #1 Angle/Style
Judge #2 Speed/Style
Judge #3 Line/Style
“With a Championship Points Series, we are attracting many of the world’s elite drivers, but with our inclusive and economical format, we’ll also be a breeding ground for the newest drift teams wanting to compete at the highest level. The complete D1GP USA package which is inclusive of a New Pro Am series to be announced in the coming weeks is helping build the overall sport of drifting and we are sure teams, spectators and the overall industry will be happy with this new experience,” said Rich Goodwin, President, D1GP USA.
Driven Events, Inc. (D1GP USA Management)
D1GP USA is operated by Southern California based, Driven Events. The company licensed the rights to D1 Grand Prix in the United States in late 2008 and they share a long term vision with D1GP Japan. Driven Events is made up of auto industry insiders. Led by Rich Goodwin and Michael Munar, the D1GP is under complete new management. Both Goodwin and Munar were the founders of the original Hot Import Nights (HIN) started in the late 90’s. They sold HIN in 2004 and Goodwin and Munar went separate ways and have now reunited specifically for this project. They are partnered with Ed and Emil Arguellas, the founders of Extreme Autofest. The group has also employed many of the original HIN & Autofest team who are now working to build one of the best new drifting events in the U.S.
For more information on the D1GP USA, please visit www.d1gp.com. For media inquiries please contact Terry Miller, terry@drivenmc.com
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