RICHBURG, S.C. — Giti Tire U.S.A. Ltd. has signed three "up-and-coming" drivers to represent the GT Radial brand in the 2020 Formula Drift season, Giti's first since 2016.
The drivers — Travis Reeder, Ryan Litteral and Kazuya Taguchi — were introduced as members of the GT Radial Formula Drift team Feb. 13 at the Giti factory in Richburg, which manufactures the GT Radial extreme performance SX2 RS tires they will be competing on.
Giti disclosed last November it was planning to compete in Formula drift in 2020, after a three-year hiatus. It previously used the Champiro brand in competition.
GT Radial SX2 RS tires will be available in the North American market and to drifting enthusiasts worldwide, Giti said. Several GT Radial product lines are being produced in the company's only North American tire plant.
Competing in Formula Drift will allow the company to demonstrate its engineering capabilities and product performances in the most extreme conditions for tires, the tire maker said.
Joining the GT Radial team are:
- Travis Reeder, who was named rookie of the year in Formula Drift Pro2 competition in 2017 and won that series in 2018. He was named 2019 Rookie of the Year in the Formula Drift PRO Series and is a drift school instructor;
- Ryan Litteral, whose team is based in Atlanta, was named Most Improved Driver in 2019 Formula Drift PRO Series competition; and
- Kazuya Taguchi, who has been drifting for 10 years and competed in the Formula Drift PRO Series for the past two years.