LONG BEACH, Calif. (Nov. 21, 2013) — Formula Drift Holdings L.L.C. is planning a World Championship series for 2015, following the recent merger of the racing series' U.S. and Asia operations.
Formula Drift (FD) said it will begin to operate a world championship in 2015 that will integrate both the U.S. and Asia series, while the current Formula Drift USA and Formula Drift Asia Pro championships will continue to run as is, with the World Championship as the overarching pinnacle.
In 2015, according to series promoters, it will "consider some or all of the events on the Formula Drift USA and Formula Drift Asia calendar as well as possible new host venues into a points championship that will include events on at least three continents."
The World Championship also will have its own prize purse, media package and champion. Drivers competing in both series this year include Daigo Saito, Robbie Nishida, Fredric Aasbo and Ken Gushi.
"This move is inevitable. With two firmly established operational series on at least three continents, it makes sense to link them together," said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula Drift.
"Drifting is a global sport and we believe we are the global leader in the sport. The gold standard in international motorsports is that when a championship series is able to be held on three continents, it can then be classified as a world championship, otherwise the moniker would not have real meaning.
"We've also given ourselves plenty of time to plan and build this out so that our methodical planning can be integrated into the World Championship in a productive and meaningful way. Our focus has always been one that targets longevity and sustainability."
Beginning next year, FD will merge its U.S. and Asia operations with a global headquarters in Long Beach and a regional office in Singapore. The merger comes after six years of successful event operations in Asia—taking the Formula Drift Asia Championship Series to Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and, earlier this year, Australia, FD promoters said.
Driftpac, the Formula Drift licensor, will remain an integral part of the series' events in Asia and will continue to assist in expansion of the brand, FD said, but the Formula Drift global operations will begin to operate each event internationally as it does with its USA Series.
FD said additional information will be announced prior to the start of the 2014 Formula Drift Pro Championship season.
For information about Formula Drift, visit its website.
