Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc. announced its 2016 Formula Drift lineup, bringing a wide range of experience and skill to this year’s championship. Formula Drift champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. and fan favorite “Mad Mike” Whiddett are both returning this year, but in brand new cars for the season. Vaughn Gittin Jr. will debut his 2016 Ford Mustang RTR, equipped with a 436 cubic-inch Ford Performance/Roush Yates-built V8 that produces over 900 horsepower at 9,000 RPM. Mike Whiddett continues his high-revving, rotary-powered Mazda MX-5 journey with the new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Up-and-coming driver Alex Heilbrunn will be joining Team Nitto in his supercharged LS-powered BMW E46. After claiming the 2015 Formula Drift Pro 2 championship, which also happens to be his first year in professional racing, Heilbrunn proved himself to be a strong competitor in the drift scene.
Each Team Nitto driver will compete on the sticky Nitto NT05 tires, while using the new NT555 G2 model tires for street and drift demos. The 2016 Formula Drift season begins at the Streets of Long Beach on April 8-9.
