RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. — Giti Tire USA is planning to return to Formula DRIFT next year with its GT Radial brand after a three-year hiatus.
Giti said it is planning to compete with an "extreme" performance tire it will produce at its U.S. tire plant in Richburg, S.C. Giti has not as yet announced which teams or drivers will be using GT Radials next year.
"There's a lot of great things happening at GT Radial, a tire brand that has been rolling on American roads for 25 years now," said Thomas Okihisa, director of marketing for Giti Tire USA.
"2020 will be one of the biggest years yet (for Giti), with an all-new website, new products designed, developed and manufactured in America, and exciting promotional activities such as Formula DRIFT," Thomas Okihisa, director of marketing for Giti Tire, said.
Giti Tire competed in Formula Drift from 2014-16 with its Champiro brand.
Formula DRIFT Holdings L.L.C. President Jim Liaw said, "Adding another leading tire manufacturer to our lineup is an indication of the important role the series plays in tire development and promotion. And hopefully adding another tire brand will lead to even more plot twists as we look forward to another exciting season in 2020."
Brands that competed in 2019 season include: Achilles Radial; Falken Tires; Nexen Tire; and Nitto Tire.
James Deane, a Worthouse Drift Team driver, claimed the 2019 season title in a Nissan S14 on Falken tires. This is Mr. Deane's third season title and for Falken, it was the fourth tire manufacturer's title in a row.