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Vaughn Gittin Jr. Qualifies First, Finishes 5th at Formula Drift Atlanta
Vaughn Gittin Jr. Qualifies First, Finishes 5th at Formula Drift Atlanta
16 May 2017
Vaughn Gittin Jr. defeated Matt Coffman in his Top 16 battle at Road Atlanta
K&N-sponsored Formula Drift driver Vaughn Gittin Jr. took the first overall qualifier position and finished fifth in the tandem competition at Round 3 of the Formula Drift Championship that took place at Road Atlanta. Gittin Jr. currently sits in fifth place overall after three of eight events, well within striking distance to be in contention for his second overall championship.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. drifts his Ford Mustang RTR at Road Atlanta
Gittin Jr. and his Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR drift team started the weekend out strong despite threats of bad weather, getting the car dialed in for the qualifying session on Friday that had to be moved up several hours to avoid a pending thunderstorm. Gittin Jr. laid down a solid 90-point run on his first qualifying pass that would have stood as a top-5 run of the day, but bested it with a 94-point run that earned him the pole position for Saturday’s tandem competition. As the top qualifier, Gittin Jr. not only earned himself some extra championship points for his effort but also an automatic bye into the Top 16 round of tandem as well as a $500 ‘bag of cash’ from Black Magic. This marked the second consecutive season that Gittin Jr. has earned the top qualifying position in Atlanta, and the second time this season as he also was the top qualifier at the season opener in Long Beach.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. poses with fans before the opening ceremonies at Formula Drift Atlanta
Saturday’s tandem competition is always difficult in Formula Drift, and the capacity crowd at Road Atlanta added to the environment. Fans camped out Friday Night at the front gates to ensure they could solidify the best seats in the amphitheater-style seating of the Turn 10 complex where the competition took place. In his first tandem competition of the evening, Gittin Jr. eliminated fellow K&N driver Matt Coffman in the top 16 with an aggressive chase run.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. dials in his Ford Mustang RTR at Formula Drift Road Atlanta
In the Great 8, Gittin Jr. would be paired up with Alec Hohnadell in their first ever tandem battle against each other. Both drivers had a pair of clean runs with no major mistakes, but Hohnadell earned the win by a narrow margin. “Hohnadell had a little bit more speed than we were expecting,” Gittin Jr. said after the event. “I brought it as hard as I possibly could, but he was the better driver today. Congrats to Alec and his team, they’ve been pushing all year and I’m pumped for him to get the victory in our run.” Gittin Jr. continued. As the highest qualified driver eliminated in the Great 8, Gittin Jr. finished the event in 5th place overall and sits in 5th place in the championship standings as well.
The Formula Drift circuit will continue on to Wall Speedway in New Jersey for the next round, while Gittin Jr. will be making an appearance at the Hyperfest event at Virginia International Raceway before the Wall, NJ event.
