Following its success with Formula DRIFT Singapore, ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) and Goodyear are proud to announce that they will be bringing their partnership to greater heights with the launch of the inaugural Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia, where ESS will once again be the event organizer while Goodyear continues to raise its racing profile as the event’s title sponsor.
The event, scheduled for December 19 – 20 at MAEPS (Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang), will see over 50 competitive drivers from across the Asia-Pacific region pushing their rear-wheel-drive cars to the limits by demonstrating impeccable precision and vehicle control. With drivers hailing from as far as Japan, New Zealand, Philippines and Hong Kong, as well as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and of course, Malaysia, Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia promises to be an adrenaline-pumping event packed with raw action and colossal energy.
This year, Goodyear will be represented by their very own drift team, which will comprise woman drifter, Jane Cheah, together with Ariff Johanis, Michael Gan and Johan Norman. The team will compete with the other participants for the Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia title.
To demonstrate the tires’ powerful performance, all Goodyear Racing Teams cars are fitted with the Goodyear Eagle RS Sport and Eagle Revspec RS-02. The advanced features in these high performance tires are crucial when it comes to drifting, especially since the sport demands the utmost precision and control. They provide the required traction and response as the car slides on the track and enable drivers to hit the right lines and angles when it matters most.
“We are excited to bring the Goodyear Formula DRIFT event to the Malaysian public following its huge success in Singapore in July. The high caliber of drivers is sure to bring a new level of competition from the world-class field of participants that are scheduled to compete. This year, despite the current economic climate, we’ve managed to bring on board major sponsors including our title sponsor Goodyear, Tyrepac, Banana Boat and Hypertune and I’m heartened by their enthusiasm in getting involved to bring this action sports competition to new heights,” said Harvey Davis, Vice-President, ESPN STAR Sports Events Management Group.
ESPN STAR Sports Event Management Group has also lent its event management expertise to other regional competitions such as the Standard Chartered Bank FIH Men’s Junior World Cup, KIA X Games Asia, the Guinness 9-Ball Tour, the KL World 5s and the Netball World Championships 2011.
“We are excited to be part of Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia. Goodyear is committed to promoting motorsports around the world to greater heights – especially now with drift in the ASEAN region being one of the fastest growing motorsports in the region today,” explained Nasution Abdul Rahman, Managing Director, Goodyear Malaysia.
“Being involved in racing is part and parcel of Goodyear’s DNA. With racing pumping in our veins, it’s not surprising that Goodyear has developed some of the most innovative tires in the world. We’ve developed technologies that were first used for racing, such as tires reinforced with carbon fibre and DuPont Kevlar. These advancements have been incorporated in our products that you see in retail today, such as the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric, Goodyear Assurance and Goodyear Wrangler, just to name a few. Ultimately, the key benefits obtained from these technologies are passed down to our consumers,” he added.
The Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia will be the climax of the three-part Formula DRIFT Series, which blasted off with the Formula DRIFT Singapore ProAm Series 2009 in July. This will be pursued by the upcoming Goodyear Formula DRIFT Thailand on November 7 – 8, to be held in Bangkok, and promises to be an equally exciting event. For more information, log on to the official Formula DRIFT web site, www.formuladrift.com.my.
The Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia is organized by ESS and supported by Goodyear as the Title Sponsor, Tyrepac as the Official Tyre Pit Change, Banana Boat as the Official Sunblock and Hypertune as the Official Magazine.
ESS is also the official broadcast channel for the Goodyear Formula DRIFT Malaysia and the broadcast of the highlight programme will be shown on ESS’ footprint of 310 million viewers in 24 countries.
