Team Falken driver Vaughn GittinJr. takes third in Vegas

Aug. 28, 2012

Team Falken Driver Vaughn Gittin, Jr., took the final step on the podium with his third place finish at the late night run in Vegas, keeping him in the lead in the points standings for the final showdown for the Formula D championship to be decided in October.
 
Qualifying fifth in his Monster Energy/Falken Tire 2013 Ford Mustang on a new track configuration at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Gittin, Jr., - JR – to those who know him, easily glided through the Top 32 and Top 16 rounds.  Falken teammates Justin Pawlak, also in a 2013 Falken Tire Ford Mustang, qualified 9th, and Daijiro “Dai” Yoshihara was 17th.  By the Top 8 Round, only JR was left, and he moved on to the Top 4 Round only to lose to Fredric Asabo during a “one more time.”  In the Final Round, Gittin, Jr. defeated Robbie Nishida for third, while Asabo lost to eventual Vegas winner Rhys Millen.

The third place finish for JR added more points to his total of 473.  He leads second place Daigo Saito by 25.5 points.  Millen moved to third with 428.25.
 
“Competition has never been tougher,” admitted Gittin, Jr.  “We’ve got some time to prepare for our last Formula Drift event in October, and we are going to do everything possible to keep the recent momentum going.”
 
Team Falken Formula Drift Supervisor Jonathan Bradford agreed.  “It’s at this point we really sink our teeth into preparation.  I have every confidence that my entire Falken team of drivers and crew will make sure everything is dialed in when we attack Irwindale Speedway.  This is what it’s all about – the championship.”  While Gittin, Jr., is in first, Pawlak sits in fourth and “Dai” in fifth, just 1.5 points behind Pawlak.