FormulaDRIFT.com > Drivers > Ryan Tuerck

Ryan Tuerck

Ryan Tuerck is emerging as one of the Fastest growing drivers in Formula D and is someone to keep your eyes on

Ryan has always loved the so called “Extreme Sports”. At a young age he gained much interest in BMX and Motocross. At the age of nine his father bought him his first dirtbike and at ten he started racing motocross. As he progressed through the amateur ranks he had countless podium finishes. The highlight if his amateur career was placing7th in the nation, at Lorreta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals. When he turned 16, he received his professional license from the AMA. At 17, Ryan had the opportunity to travel Canada racing the professional Canadian Nationals. Some of the highlights of his professional career were placing 5th in the 125cc Canadian Nationals Championship as well as qualifying for Budds Creek, and Unadilla in the AMA Motocross Nationals. Though Ryan’s motocross career was looking promising, he was forced to stop due to personal reasons. Ryan was gaining a lot of interest in cars since he turned 16.

When he stopped racing, he bought his first car, a 1990 Ford Mustang. At night, feeling the need to challenge himself he would get his car sideways pulling out of stop signs and slide around in empty parking lots near his home. After having the Mustang for a year, Ryan found out on the internet that sliding your car around or “Drifting” was actually a real sport. Ryan immediately sold his Mustang to by a lighter, and better handling Nissan 240sx. He upgraded the suspension and bought a 2-way LSD for the car to help it drift. In 2003 Ryan went to his first formal event at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ where he meant future “Drift Alliance” teammates Tony Angelo, Chris Forsberg, and Vaughn Gittin Jr. Ryan did very well at his first winning the competition. Ryan continued to do very well everywhere he went and constantly spending all his money upgrading his car to handle better and to make more power.

In 2005 Ryan Competed in Two Rounds or Formula Drift where he did well enough to get noticed by a few sponsors. In 2006 Ryan competed in the entire Formula Drift series with help from his Drift Alliance brothers, Cooper Tires, Discount Tire, and 240sxMotoring. Ryan did very well his rookie season with a 6th place finish at the Sonoma round. In 2007 Ryan moved to California with his Drift Alliance Teammate Tony Angelo and started “Team Snakebite” together and ran the whole Formula Drift season independently with help from sponsors. Bridgestone tires, Origin Lab, Peak Performance, K&N, Sam’s Autoland, Autometer, SR motorcars, Enkei wheels, Tomei, Haltech, and Exedy clutches to name a few. Ryan finished the season 15th in points. In 2008 Ryan was picked up by Gardella Racing and drives a 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP sponsored by Gardella Racing, Mobil 1, GM Racing, and Maxxis Tires.