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ESPN to Cover HANKOOK TIRES/JIC MAGIC Drifting

As a sign of the sport's  growing popularity and importance, Formula
Drift racing will now be carried nationwide by ESPN2.  Fans of this
exciting, edgy sport will be treated to a double pay-day as this is also
the inaugural season for the Hankook Tires/JIC Magic Drifting Porsche,
the first Porsche in North America to be reworked specifically for
competitive drifting.  Please see the full details in the release below
and attached. 
 
 
For Immediate Release

 

 

Hankook Tires/JIC Magic USA Drifting Porsche Makes National Debut on
ESPN2

 

Viewers Nationwide Can Watch America's First Drifting Porsche in Opening
Formula Drift Series Event at Long Beach Grand Prix, April 8, 2007

 

WAYNE, NJ (January 22, 2007) - Hankook Tire America Corp., manufacturer
of ultra high-performance passenger car, sports car, and racing tires,
is pleased to announce its Hankook Tires/JIC Magic USA 993 GT2 Porsche
will make its official debut on ESPN2 in 2007.  The renowned sports
cable network recently announced it will provide exclusive coverage of
the entire upcoming Formula Drift Championship series.

 

"Now more enthusiasts and drift fans nationwide can watch this exciting
and fast-growing form of motorsport throughout the entire racing
season," says Bill Bainbridge, Director of Brand Communication for
Hankook Tire America Corp. "The debut of our Hankook drifting Porsche
certainly will be one of the highlights of each telecast. We look
forward to a successful racing season and plenty of air time." 

 

Driven by Tyler McQuarrie of Walnut Creek, Calif., the Hankook-sponsored
Porsche will make history when it takes to the track in the Formula D
event at the Long Beach Grand Prix, April 8, 2007. North America's first
Porsche purpose-built for drifting competition is powered by a
3.8-liter, 6-cylinder fully race-built engine rated at an awesome 600+
hp. Equipped with twin IHI turbos, six individual throttle bodies, and
custom manifolds and exhaust courtesy of JIC Magic USA, the car is
expected to be one of the favored title contenders. 

 

The 2007 Formula Drift Series begins in Long Beach on April 8th with a
Formula Drift competition. Each successive event will be telecast on the
ESPN2 cable network, with the remainder of the official series schedule
as follows:

 

FORMULA DRIFT COMPETITION EVENTS:

May 15             Atlanta, GA                               September 8
Wall, NJ            

June 2               Summit Point, WV                    October 13
Irwindale, CA

July 14              Infineon, CA                 

August 11          Seattle, WA                   

 

 

TEAM DRIFT EXHIBITION EVENTS:

April 15            Long Beach, CA                         July 29
San Jose, CA

June 10             Portland, OR                             August 19
Denver, CO

June 24             Cleveland, OH               

 

 

 

American driver Tyler McQuarrie has eight years experience as a driving
instructor at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., during which time he's
coached a number of top NASCAR racers like Bill Elliott, Scott Riggs,
and Scott Wimmer in the art of road racing. Tyler is only the third
American to win the prestigious World Scholarship, an honor bestowed on
former Indy 500 winner Danny Sullivan and sports car veteran Jon Beekus.
Before focusing his racing efforts on Formula Drift, Tyler competed in
USF2000, and the American LeMans Series.

 

Also making its ESPN2 debut will be the Hankook Tires/JIC Magic 2000
Nissan Silvia S15. Last season, Kenji Yamanaka of Yokohama, Japan drove
the Hankook Team Silvia to it's first podium win and a 9th place overall
ranking in the U.S.  With the Silvia newly redone and more powerful,
Kenji is planning on even greater success and more podiums this year.

 

About Hankook Tire America Corp.

Headquartered in Wayne, N.J., Hankook Tire America Corp. is a
technology-focused, market-driven company that supports motorsports
enthusiasts and racers at all levels. Hankook is known and respected
around the world for its superior competition tires that outlast the
toughest opposition. Hankook remains at the forefront of performance
tire development to achieve cutting-edge results. As Hankook expands its
motorsports activities, the focus will remain on technology that will
keep Hankook-equipped vehicles in the winners circle. Hankook is one of
the largest tire manufacturers in the world, manufacturing a wide range
of tires for almost any vehicle.  For more information please visit
Hankook Tires on the web at www.hankooktireusa.com
<http://www.hankooktireusa.com/> .

 

About JIC USA /Ziel Motorsports

JIC USA was known in Japan as Ziel Motorsports, where it competed in
high-profile racing series including the All Japan Grand Touring Series,
N1 Endurance races, LeMans  races and the BPR International Endurance
Championships. In 1997, Ziel Motorsports made its way stateside,
competing in prestigious events like the Daytona 24 Hours and the
American LeMans Series. In 1999, Ziel Motorsports teamed with JIC Magic,
a highly respected Japanese tuner to further strengthen the US
motorsports industry. Currently headquartered in Downey, California, and
competing wide range of racing series, JIC USA /Ziel Motorsports fields
a fleet of racing vehicles for all types of motorsports, from drag
racing, to drifting and time attacks.

 

 

 

 

 

Media Contacts: 

Kim Milman
Tyler Horton

Account Director
Account Executive

Phone : 818-992-4353
Phone : 818-992-43530

Fax :818-992-0543
Fax : 818-992-0543

Email: kmilman@jmprpublicrelations.com                 Email:
thorton@jmprpublicrelations.com