The Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift Team joined forces with ContourHD Cameras for 2010. The marketing partnership will assist the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Drift Team highly with on track and mechanical analysis. In addition, the video footage captured by the Contour HD cameras will be utilized to create exciting video for the fans to enjoy on VHOLDR.com. ContourHD is the official camera of the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift Team. “We activated the ContourHD cameras right away and they produced the utmost highest quality video footage we have ever seen. On top of that we were able to really study the real-time mechanical dynamics of the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto RX8. The footage is extremely useful and important in tuning the car. ContourHD cameras are a must for any professional race team!” Said Ed Bergenholtz Chief of Data Analysis for the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift Team.

ContourHD is the world’s first High Definition wearable camcorder that combines amazing video clarity (choose between High Definition or High Action), a wide-angle lens (135 degrees), single-button simplicity, and a click to share online experience. Perfected for outdoor use, ContourHD can switch between crisp HD quality video (captured at 30 frames per second) or SD quality video (captured at 60 frames per second). This camera is the ideal complement to your outdoor gear with its all-in-one design ContourHD has no wires or separate recorder. Instead it records up to 8 hours of HD video to its own internal memory card (compatible with up to a 16 GB microSD card). Its light (4 ounces) but armored aluminum body enables you to capture video in any weather conditions. ContourHD’s Trail Mounts seamlessly attach the camera to your body, helmet, goggles, or vehicle for hands-free recording.

One Button Record
ContourHD’s operation couldn’t be simpler, as it features a single oversized record switch that you can use even when you’re wearing a pair of gloves. Slide the switch forward to record and slide it back to stop–congratulations, you just made a video! Now you can capture the best scenes right before they happen.

Easy to Align
Have you ever seen a camera with lasers? ContourHD uses two of them and a 192o rotating lens to ensure you line up the shot every time. Turn on the lasers and rotate the front lens until the two laser points are horizontally aligned. Congratulations, you just lined up your video.

The fans were blown away by the drifting action of drivers Joon Maeng – Full Tilt Poker / Nitto Tires Mazda RX-8, Justin Pawlak – Falken Mazda RX-7, Michael Essa – Nitto Tires BMW 335i, Mike Whiddett – Need for Speed Mazda RX-8, and Samuel Hubinette – SHR Dodge Challenger.

Right after the IZOD event in Hollywood, The Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift Team will make its way to downtown Long Beach where it will compete in Formula Drift’s Team Drift competition in front of over 175,000 fans. In conjunction with the Long Beach Gran Prix, The Full Tilt Poker Drift Team will also be doing exhibition runs on all three days of the Gran Prix. “It is quite an amazing spectacle to be competing and exhibiting at the Long Beach Gran Prix. The fans love the drifting and can’t get enough of it during the event. It should be awesome!” Said Ed Bergenholtz Chief of Data
Analysis for Bergenholtz Racing.

Details for the great event can be viewed with this link: www.racetotheparty.com

The Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Tire Drift Team met TV/Movie star Patrick Dempsey at the Long Beach/Formula D Media day in Long Beach. An avid Mazda enthusiast as well, Patrick Dempsey participated in the media event turning in practice laps in TriPoint’s World Challenge Mazda 6. In addition, Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift Team was also giving ride-alongs to media people in the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto RX8. Both Mazda race teams operated media day under the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift trailer. “I must admit I was pretty awe struck at first to meet Mr. Dempsey. Beyond his A-list Star power, it was just cool talking to a fellow Mazda racer. We talked about racecar dynamics, driving technique, and our own Mazda racecars we were piloting.” Said Joon Maeng pilot of the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto RX8.

The media event was quite successful for the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift Team. Several high profile media companies were given exciting rides in the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto RX8. Everything from TV media “E” Entertainment, The Best of Korea Channel, to media periodicals: Performance Racing Industry Magazine and The Korea Los Angeles Times experienced the outright exhilaration and thunderous sound of drifting in the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto RX8. “Joon just about scared some of them on the racetrack. Some others wanted to go again and again as if though they were on a roller coaster. Overall, the media will crazy good things to write about and cover about the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift Team.” Said Brian Benson Crew Chief of the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift Team.

Cypress, Calif., April 8, 2010 – Nitto Tire proudly announces four team sponsorships for the 2010 Formula Drift racing series. Joon Maeng of Bergenholtz Racing will campaign a Mazda RX-8; Michael Essa will campaign a brand-new BMW 350R; grassroots racer, Matt Powers, will campaign a Nissan S14, and Alex Pfeiffer of Tanaka Racing will campaign a C5 Corvette. All four teams will use Nitto’s NT05, a max-performance street tire.

Nitto plans to extend its racing heritage by partnering with talented teams. Joon Maeng, who is supported by Bergenholtz Racing and Full Tilt Poker, is relatively new to Formula Drift. Nonetheless, in his 2009 rookie season he finished an impressive 17th place overall. For 2010 he will campaign the Bergenholtz Racing/Full Tilt Poker/Nitto Tire Mazda RX-8. Its tri-rotor 20B engine, built by Mazdatrix, was fully ported and powered by a custom-matched turbocharger to produce 600 hp at the wheels with a rotary engine scream. Maeng stated, “In drifting it is crucial to have tires that can handle harsh driving conditions. The NT05s provide plenty of traction and predictability.”

Michael Essa will debut a brand-new BMW this season. Under the hood Essa shoehorned a more powerful M5 V10 powerplant built specifically for drifting in place of the stock in-line six motor. Essa is the first driver to campaign an E92 BMW in the series. To accommodate the switch, GSR Autosport rerouted piping and parts throughout the engine bay. His career highlights include being a drift instructor, race car fabricator and professional drift driver. “The Nitto NT05 is a great tire; it’s incredibly consistent and has tons of grip,” said Essa. “They give me the confidence to drive the car at the limit, sideways, next to walls.”

Matt Powers is a longtime grassroots racer who made his way into the professional arena in 2009. In the four events in which he competed in his rookie year, he finished three of them in the top 32. During the series break, he teamed up with Team Need for Speed added some serious power upgrades to his Nissan S14. All of this newfound power will be transferred to the pavement via Nitto’s NT05 max-performance tire. Powers said, “I love the insane smoke and awesome grip of the NT05. My car is an animal and it feeds on NT05s.”

Last but not least, Alex Pfeiffer teamed up with Tanaka Racing for the 2010 season. His career includes stints in the SCCA road race series, and 2-1/2 years as a Formula Drift judge before he returned to the driver’s seat in 2009, piloting a Lexus SC300. This year he will campaign a completely different vehicle, the 800-hp C5 Corvette. This is the only Corvette running in the series this season to date.

All four teams will use Nitto’s NT05 max-performance radial. The NT05 was created using advanced computer simulation and extensive on-track testing. The result is a tire that provides precise and responsive handling and performance, which are needed for the grueling demands of drifting. See Nitto, the NT05 and all four sponsored teams in action at the 2010 season opener held in Long Beach, Calif., on April 9-10.

Nitto Tire develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in both Japan and the United States, Nitto provides innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding automotive enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto or its products, visit the company’s web site or contact the company directly. Nitto and Fueled by Enthusiasts are registered trademarks or trademarks of Nitto Tire U.S.A., Inc., located at 6021 Katella Ave., Ste 250, Cypress, CA 90630.

Formula DRIFT pilot, Joon Maeng has just produced a video of his first test session with the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto RX8. Joon warmed up quickly to the racecar and enjoyed the endless power the Mazdatrix turbo 3 rotor was able to deliver. “I was astonished with testing the Full Tilt Poker MAZDA RX-8! First time driving a vehicle with 604 WHP and 486 TORQUE! Those phenomenal Nitto NT05’s were smoking up the entire track and had plenty of traction and predictability! Bergenholtz Racing did an amazing job building this machine! I’m still trying to adapt with this powerful Mazda Trix 3 rotor Tial turbo Motec M800 setup.” Said Joon Maeng pilot of the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto RX8.

Overall, the test session for the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift Team went well and the team is currently making improvements. “We found a number of gremlins in the car that Joon managed to shake out of the Mazda. Joon did really good and despite the gremlins was able to practice and burn through 12 Nitto NT05’s. I know he’s going to get even crazier when we address and remove all the gremlins. I know it’s going to be a great Formuila Drift season!” Said Ron Bergenholtz Team Manager of the Full Tilt Poker Mazda Nitto Drift Team.

Come join Bergenholtz Racing this Friday at Smooth’s in downtown Long Beach as team announces a new marketing partner/sponsor and the unveiling of the new paint scheme for the Bergenholtz Racing Mazda RX-8. In addition, Formula D will be selling specially priced Round 1: Streets of Long Beach tickets, buy a Saturday reserved ticket and receive a free Friday GA ticket for only $27 (no TicketMaster surcharges will be applied). Cash & Credit Card payments only. Ticket quantities are limited.

When: February 12, 2010
Time: 12:15 P.M.
Where: Smooth’s Restaurant
144 Pine Ave. Long Beach CA 90802

Media Inquiries Contact: John@theidagency.com

- ceso

Bergenholtz Racing and Enkei Wheels established a marketing partnership for the 2010 Formula Drift race season. With the latest announcement of Joon Maeng as the new Official driver, Bergenholtz Racing is also implementing the all new light weight Enkei PF01 to its Mazda RX8. The Enkei PF01 is designed to be an ultra-light weight wheel. For more sizing and more info on the new ENKEI PF01, visit Enkei Wheels

“It is quite an honor to be working with Enkei Wheels. Both Bergenholtz Racing and Enkei Wheels have been known for performance and racing. It is a perfect partnership. We are extremely excited to be working with a great company.”
-Ron Bergenholtz Team Manager of Bergenholtz Racing.

The ENKEI PF01 is the newest addition to Enkei’s Racing Series line of wheels. With its light weight, the PF01 is the hottest racing wheel for 2010. Made with Enkei’s MAT technology, the PF01 is a light, racer friendly wheel. Sized from 15” to 18”, with plenty of clearance for large brake calipers. The new Enkei PF01 is a high quality, very lightweight wheel offered at a competitive price.

“Enkei wheels are engineered to the highest degree to deliver the best in performance. Simply mounting up the PF01’s to the NITTO NT05’s will increase the agility and acceleration of the Mazda RX8 immediately. It’s like having horsepower and and a suspension upgrade built into a wheel! I can’t wait to try them on track. The Mazda RX8 is going to do some amazing things with the Enkei PF01’s.”
-Joon Maeng pilot of the Bergenholtz Racing/Nitto Mazda RX8.