Officiel : D1 Grand Prix 2005 Season Opener

FORMULA DRIFT FINALS, Irwindale, California, Aug 27, 2005
"The Kiwi smokes the Viking"

Pontiac GTO Driver Rhys Millen Wins 2005 Formula D Drifting Season Championship

Fight For The Title Comes Down To The Wire At The Formula D Finale

IRWINDALE, Calif. : Rhys Millen clinched the 2005 Formula D Drifting Championship title in his Pontiac GTO at the Irwindale Speedway this past Saturday. Capping an exciting season of tire-smoking, sideways and spectacular Drifting, Millen and his GTO charged consistently through all six Formula D events during the 2005 season, maintaining his point leadership throughout the entire year. The Rhys Millen Racing (RMR) team beat out skilled entries from factory and private teams alike, setting the bar for a highly competitive season that drew even more fans onto the growing American Drifting scene.

After qualifying in first place at the high-speed, banked Irwindale track, Millen went into the weekend battling Samuel Hubinette's Dodge Viper, and the Ford Mustang driven by Ken Gushi, for the championship title. Known as the home of American Drifting, Irwindale provides fans with aggressive and exciting action. It's also a venue Millen knows well. He drove the GTO in battle after battle, smoking the Yokohama tires all the way to the final, where a power steering failure pitched the GTO into a very uncharacteristic spin. The event win went to Chris Forsberg in a Nissan, but Millen's second-place finish sealed the 2005 Formula D Series Championship.

>>> Rhys Millen Champion
Formula Drift 2005

>>> Chris Forsberg vainqueur
finale Formula D

It was an amazing year for us, said Millen, driver and team principal of RMR. We steered our Pontiac GTO towards the championship title since our win at the Formula D season opener, and we haven't looked back since. This is an incredible victory for me and the team, and I thank all our sponsor partners and our fans for the opportunity their support gave to me this year.

The 2005 season proved to be extremely challenging, with all teams stepping up and improving their driving skills and perfecting their car setups. RMR's win at the season opener in New Jersey set the stage and was backed up with podium finishes at Atlanta, Houston and Irwindale; RMR also scored points at Sonoma and Chicago. The team now sets its sights towards the 2006 Formula D season, which will no doubt bring even more competition and excitement to a sport that is quickly gaining young, American race fans.

Pontiac congratulates Rhys Millen and RMR for their unrelenting fight and the well-deserved championship title, said Todd Christensen, GM Racing. Pontiac was the first American brand to enter Formula D competition and was extremely proud to have the GTO quick reach the leadership position in 2005.

First developed in Japan and popularized by video games in the United States, Drifting commands a strong fan base within the 16-24 year old youth audience. Drifting combines extreme driving skill with flair and artistry as drivers negotiate a complicated course at high speeds while in a controlled slide. Combining both solo qualifying runs with head-to-head
competition, each event is judged on execution and style rather than speed, similar to skateboarding and freestyle motocross.

Pontiac is a division of General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) and markets the G6 sedan, GTO, Grand Prix, Vibe and Montana SV6. Pontiac sold more than 474,000 vehicles in 2004, ranking third among GM divisions in total sales. In 2005, Pontiac will introduce the Solstice roadster, G6 coupe and Torrent compact SUV, followed by the G6 retractable hardtop convertible in early 2006. More information on Pontiac and its products can be found on the division's website at www.pontiac.com and in Spanish at www.pontiac.com/espanol.

RMR of Huntington Beach, California, has a comprehensive history of competing and winning in various forms of motorsports, including rally and desert racing. All the experiences gained from competition are skilfully applied towards performance parts available through RMR's retail divisions, RMR Products and R. Millen Motorsports. The full line of race
proven products can be found at the company's web site at www.rmrproducts.com. Further information on Team RMR/Pontiac and the GTO drift car can be found at www.gtodrift.com.

  1 Rhys Millen Pontiac GTO LS1 500 pts
  2 Samuel Hubinette Dodge Viper 460 pts
  3 Ken Gushi Ford Mustang 431 pts
  4 Vaughn Gittin Jr. Ford Mustang/Nissan S13 392 pts
  5 Daijiro Yoshihara nissan S13 388 pts
  6 Chris Forsberg Nissan S15 339 pts
  7 Taka Aono Toyota Corolla 316 pts
  8 Calvin Wan Infinity G35 295 pts
  8 Michael Peters 295 pts
10 Alex Pfeiffer Honda S2000 285 pts

D1 Grand Prix 2005 Season Opener

THE 2005 D1 GRAND PRIX SEASON OPENER WILL TAKE PLACE IN IRWINDALE CALIFORNIA AND WILL BE A US vs JAPAN MATCH !

February 26th and 27th  Irwindale Speedway, California

After a successful year for the D1 Grand Prix in 2004, D1 is forecasting a heavy downpour of rubber and a thick layer of tire smoke in 2005. We kick off the 2005 D1 point series with the D1GP Round 1 in California! The public is suggested to stay indoors until February 27th when the stands should fill up and cars will be ready to battle.

February 26th will be a closed event where we hold a short Driver Search for the first portion of the day and a D1 qualifying round in the afternoon. As always we open the Driver Search to all hopefuls who want a chance to be D1 Eligible. All Eligibles can participate in the qualifying round to become D1 Qualified, where 20 available spots will be filled to compete along side the 12 Qualified drivers from Japan for the big day on Sunday. The 26th is also a media day where photo sessions, interviews and a press conference will be held.

D1 Point Series Round 1 will be held on Sunday the 27th bringing our spectators an official point series experience. The top 32 drivers from the US and Japan will be competing for actual series points. Come watch the intense battles come to life when we narrow it down to the top 16 and start Tsuiso (tandem drifting). Watching two D1 machines in twin drift come around that Irwindale bank at 100mph is something only D1 can bring you. There will also be booths from your favorite import lifestyle companies, vendor booths, activities, and a halftime show for all our fans to check out.

This is going to be another successful event and we want you all to be a part of. We hope to see you all there in February. Yes… ONE MORE TIME !!!