Formula DRIFT Round 7: Judgment Day to Host the Royal Purple – Need for Speed Time Attack Challenge;
Drivers to compete on Oct. 17 at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale for $5000

Long Beach, Calif. – October 12, 2009 – Formula DRIFT will be hosting, during the Round 7: Judgment Day season finale, a live video game competition between the top drivers of the series in the Royal Purple – Need for Speed Time Attack Challenge. The drivers will compete using the newly released Need for Speed SHIFT game and the winner will receive a check for $5000 courtesy of Royal Purple.

Invites have been sent out to the top Formula DRIFT drivers to compete in this challenge. The drivers will need to qualify on Thursday, October 15 to make it to the live competition during the Round 7: Judgment Day event. The top 3 qualifiers will then compete during half time between the Top 32 and Top 16 Pro Competition at the Need for Speed SHIFT booth. Only one driver will be crowned the winner and will receive a $5000 check during the podium ceremony from Royal Purple.

‘Need for Speed SHIFT is the game for true enthusiasts,’ says Royal Purple VP of Sales & Marketing Mark McFann. “It’s the closest thing my racing brethren and I have seen to the real thing. We know Formula D drifters bring it on the track — now we want to see if they can bring it on the (gaming) console.”

The final competition will see the top 3 qualifiers battling on an XBOX 360 console in a hot lap challenge, with the fastest driver being awarded with the win. The drivers will be piloting a Maserati MC12 on the Nurburgring Nordeschleife track in Time Attack mode.

“I’ve seen some of the Formula D drifters race Need for Speed SHIFT previously and, believe me, some of them are amazing gamers.,” Rod Chong, creative director of Speedhunters. ““So we wanted to up the ante. This time, they’ll be competing in-game for the same prize money they’d win at the actual Toyota Speedway at Irwindale Formula DRIFT event.”

Tickets for Round 7: Judgment Day on October 16-17 are available now. Online tickets can be purchased on the Formula DRIFT website. For more information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.

Speedhunters.com has just uploaded a new video titled, “The Story So Far,” as part of their new Speedhunters Mediascape style of videos.

This video chronicles The Story So Far from rounds 1-3 of Formula Drift 2009. Great job by the SpeedHunters team.

Be sure to sign-up for Formula DRIFT All Access for more great videos on FDTV, image galleries, and the new Miss FD fan page.

This footage was taken at this past year at Irwindale 2008.  Here’s a point of view from Michelle Cifuentes one of the Need for Speed Girls, as she watches the qualifying session!

Michelle Cifuentes watches Formula D Irwindale Qualifying

Read more about it on SPEEDHUNTERS

Also check out Speedhunters website!  They have some really cool interesting articles!!

- Ceso