Perfect Game
Vaughn Gittin Jr. notched his first Formula Drift win of the season in Georgia
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Ford Performance, Mustang RTR and Nitto Tire
It’s only fitting that Vaughn Gittin Jr. chalked up his first Formula Drift win of the season at the track where the series began back in 2003—Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. In fact, he definitely took a liking to the Southern (tire) cooking as he qualified in the top spot and picked off competitors through the 32-car field to eventually take the win over 2011 champion Dai Yoshihara in the finals.
After climbing to the top of the qualifying ladder with a score of 91, Vaughn entered the top 32 with clashes against Geoff Stoneback, Tyler McQuarrie, and his pal Chris Forsberg. He dispatched each challenger before facing off with Dai in the finals. Vaughn was having that kind of weekend, as he again prevailed with a victory awarded unanimously by all three judges.
Here’s a look at Vaughn’s perfect weekend...
[video=youtube;U-Kw252Yfko]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Kw252Yfko[/video]
“To have a perfect event with our brand new Ford Mustang RTR that my team has been working their butts off during the off-season to get ready I’m just pumped.” Vaughn enthused. “It doesn’t get any better than this. I’m just looking forward to the rest of the year.”
The 100-plus-mph performance of his new Mustang RTR was definitely part of his successful run and both Ford Performance and Nitto Tire recently provide insight into this impressive Mustang.
Here’s a 360-degree look at what it’s like as Vaughn navigates the Road Atlanta course in his Mustang RTR competition drifter…
[video=youtube;8NDHbEQbipo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NDHbEQbipo [/video]
And here’s a peek under the hood…
[video=youtube;iDNZYAwx9GI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= iDNZYAwx9GI [/video]
“This new Ford Mustang RTR has inspired me to simply just be me behind the wheel. That fact, combined with my team’s hard work, and all the support from the Ford Performance team throughout our development over the last year, is why we are on this top step,” Vaughn said. “It feels so good to bring home a win for everyone that has worked so hard and supported our goals out here. I love this new Mustang.”
After ascending to the Great Eight in Long Beach and finishing a top the podium at Road Atlanta, Vaughn is now perched atop the Formula Drift Pro standings heading into the third event of the season in Orlando, Florida, on June 3-4.
It would appear that Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s 2016 Mustang RTR has really hit its stride in Formula Drift competition. Look at how the suspension and the Nitto Tires are gripping the Hotlanta surface as the Professional Funhaver navigated the course. That is air you see under the passenger front tire.
Vaughn put the over 900 horsepower of his Roush-Yates small-block to good use at Road Atlanta, often exceeding 100 mph while outdriving his opponents to take his first win of the young season.
After winning the second event of the season, Vaughn is now atop the Pro Championship standings with 155 points, which is 36 points above the number-two driver Chelsea Denofa.
