North America’s first drifting Porsche debuted this weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., to much fanfare.  The near sell-out crowd waited in anticipation as Hankook Tire/JIC USA Drift Team’s Porsche made its debut.  Driver Tyler McQuarrie finally got valuable seat time in the practice sessions before his unfortunate encounter with the wall in his first competitive run in the new car. The damage was not too severe but just enough to keep the Porsche out of contention for the rest of the day.

The only rear-engined sports car on the North American drifting circuit, the Porsche has great potential as a drift machine but is also a totally new platform in a sport focused on extreme power, performance, and style.  The Hankook Tire/JIC USA Drift Team is now focused on getting the Porsche ready for the next Formula Drift competition in Wall, N.J. on Sept. 8.

“We’ve had a few issues with the debut of this car, so it felt really good to get out there and get a little competition under my belt,” said McQuarrie, who is currently ranked 11th in the overall Formula Drift standings.  “We’ve got some work to do before Wall, N.J., but we’ve learned some things today and we’re all looking forward to taking the next step and being that much better next time.”

Hankook Tire/JIC USA Drift Team’s Nissan S15, driven by Kenji Yamanaka, came up short in his hotly-contested competition in the opening round. Optimistic heading into the day, Yamanaka dropped a close judges’ decision to Rhys Millen but is still ranked 6th overall in the Formula Drift standings.

“That was a tough draw in the 16, my hat goes off to Rhys Millen; he ran a great race,” Yamanaka said.  “I was running well yesterday and today in practice and qualifying and really thought I’d place higher - but that wasn’t in the cards.”

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 http://www.hankooktireusa.com.