Hankook Tire drivers Ken Gushi and Chris Forsberg secured second and third place podium finishes respectively at Formula Drift Round 2 this past weekend at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia.
The podium spots are the first for both drivers in the 2015 Formula Drift season following Hankook Tire driver Fredric Aasbo’s first place win at Round 1 in Long Beach, California.
Conditions at Road Atlanta were hot and humid on race day with temperatures in the high 80’s under sunny skies. Viewing stands were packed for the semi-finals, which saw Forsberg in his Hankook Tire/NOS Energy Drink Nissan 370Z, and Gushi in his Hankook Tire/GReddy Racing Scion FR-S race each other over multiple, close one-more-time battles. Gushi was able to edge out Forsberg in their third battle sending him to the finals and securing Forsberg a third place podium finish. The finals pitted Gushi against Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in his Nissan 240SX. After two close runs, the judges awarded Bakchis the win, giving Gushi a second place finish for the weekend. Forsberg’s third place podium puts him in third place overall in the 2015 Champions points standings with Hankook Tire driver Fredric Aasbo positioned at second overall.
“This competition was all about consistency, especially going into the top four against Hankook teammate Chris Forsberg,” said Gushi. “We just need to keep being consistent, keep going at it and push as much as we can through every square inch of the track, and it’s all about the tires that help me maintain that consistency.”
“I was very excited to have a semi-final battle against Hankook Tire teammate Ken Gushi,” said Forsberg. “Our car was performing flawlessly all night with the changing conditions, and we’re stoked to head to Orlando next month!”
All of Hankook’s Formula Drift drivers race on Hankook’s Ventus RS-3 Extreme Performance tire. The Ventus R-S3 is designed for serious sports car, sports coupe and performance sedan enthusiasts looking for race tire-like traction on the street or for use in autocross, drifting or track events.
“I am really happy for Ken and Chris. Having two of our Hankook drivers on the podium at the end of the night is fantastic,” said Paul Jho, Hankook Tire America Corp. Motorsports Marketing Manager. “Chris’s third place finish puts him in third place overall behind Hankook driver Fredric Aasbo, so our season is off to a great start.”
Additionally, as a proud partner of the DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Hankook helps provide vital services to all generations of veterans, and along with Formula Drift, honored five local DAV members during race day opening ceremonies. These members served with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force. Hankook supports DAV’s Mobile Service Office (MSO) program which helps American veterans receive the benefits and services they need following their military service.
Formula Drift heads to Orlando, Florida on June 5th and 6th for round three of the 2015 season.
