K&N-Sponsored Drivers Take on Streets of Long Beach in the Formula Drift Opener
K&N-Sponsored Drivers Take on Streets of Long Beach in the Formula Drift Opener
Apr 25, 2017
Chelsea DeNofa in his new RTR Mustang at the Streets Of Long Beach looking for that repeat win
The first round of the Formula Drift Championship is always a fun one. You get a taste of everything from the city of Long Beach, to the waves, and the only street circuit drifting in the Formula Drift series just before the historic Grand Prix of Long Beach. K&N looked to gain a great start to the season with Vaughn Gittin, Jr., Matt Coffman, and new RTR and K&N-sponsored driver Chelsea DeNofa taking it to the streets. Could DeNofa get his second Long Beach win?
Vaughn Gittin, Jr. looked poised for a win and got the number one qualifying position on Friday
When it comes to difficult circuits, a street circuit with almost no runoff is one that is a challenge for road racing. Now take that and ramp the idea up because you’re sliding sideways, scraping the wall, and the other car, battling through plumes of smoke and you’ll see why the Streets of Long Beach is a popular event for Formula Drift fans and drivers alike. It’s an event that can give you the biggest victory of your career or the worst start to your Formula Drift season. That’s exactly the start that DeNofa had last year but this year he was in the new RTR car and partnered with Vaughn Gittin, Jr. Chelsea already looked comfortable in the car prior to Long Beach. However, for 2017 DeNofa wouldn’t have the breakout performance like he had last year as he was eliminated in Top 32.
Matt Coffman would back up his performance from last year with a Great 8 finish
Vaughn Gittin, Jr. would start his season with a number one qualifying run on Friday. It would earn him a bye-run in Top 32 but Vaughn would end his run at Top 16. Matt Coffman qualified in the twenty-seventh position but didn’t let that stop him. He would outperform his way to the Great 8 only to be beat out by the eventual third place finisher for the first round. Coffman has shown in the past that he had this performance in him and he backed it up here.
The next event for the Formula Drift Schedule and our K&N Drivers is Orlando Speed World Oval in Orlando, Florida. Stay tuned for more news from K&N and the 2017 Formula Drift Season.
