BFGoodrich Tires Brings Drifting and Off-Road Talent Together for Baja 1000

 

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Off-Road racing and drifting will collide this year in Baja, as some new faces join the BFGoodrich Tires Baja Challenge team for the 41^st running of the Baja 1000.  Two-time Formula Drift champion, Samuel Hübinette, and Championship Off-Road Racing (CORR) phenom, Casey Currie, will team up with Baja veterans Tracy Jordan and Bill Weber for the grueling off-road endurance event, which starts and finishes in Ensenada, Mexico. The team of Hübinette, Weber, Currie, and Jordan will be competing in Baja Challenge Class buggies outfitted with BFGoodrich^® Mud-Terrain T/A^®KM2 tires and are among nearly 70 percent of the race teams in the SCORE Baja 1000 riding on BFGoodrich^® tires.

 

“BFGoodrich Tires is fortunate to have such a mix of driving talent on our side down in Baja yet again,” said Joe Mazur, light-truck category manager, BFGoodrich Tires.  “This contingent, combined with all the other teams competing in every other class, BFGoodrich Tires should be well represented at the award ceremony.”

 

Currie, a third generation off-road racer from Anaheim, Calif., began his racing career on motorcycles at the age of five and eventually transitioned into off-road trucks, earning a tenth place finish in the CORR Pro Lite division in 2006 and second place in 2007.  Weber, a retired Navy Seal turned off-road enthusiast now works as a consultant for several off-road motorsports related companies supporting vehicle development and training.  He is also a guide for Wide Open Baja Adventure Tours and has two Baja 1000 victories to his credit.  Jordan, a rock-crawling pioneer who holds numerous rock-crawling championship titles, is also an off-road racing veteran, having run the Baja 1000 in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

 

Hübinette, aka,“The Crazy Swede” from Newport Beach, Calif., earned his nickname due to his uncanny driving skills which he honed by sliding cars around on arctic frozen lakes, has gained a reputation as one of the best drifters in the world.  The two-time Formula Drift champion has been drifting competitively since 2003, but has never competed in a sanctioned off-road race before.  Hübinette, who recently earned his second runner-up title in the 2008 Formula Drift series, is eager to experience the challenges of Baja for the first time.

 

“I’ve done some cool stuff and wild drifting maneuvers in competitions and movie stunts, but nothing is going to compare to the Baja 1000,” said Hübinette.  “We’re going to be racing through the desert in some of the toughest conditions known to man and machine, with only a map to lead us.  BFGoodrich Tires has been generous enough to give us this once-in-a-lifetime experience, so we hope to make them proud.”

 

This year, BFGoodrich Tires will be looking for its 22^nd victory at the Baja 1000, an unprecedented winning record for off-road racing’s most famous and prestigious race.  The BFGoodrich Tires BC Challenge team will be among many teams in Baja riding on BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A^KM2 tires, which brought home the entire 18-car Baja Challenge Class field at its Baja 1000 debut in 2007.

 

 

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More than 350 entries from over 35 states and 15 countries, competing in 28 Pro and 7 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs will take part in this year’s SCORE Baja 1000.  It is the oldest and most well known of all desert races, and it remains as the single most appealing accomplishment to a driver. Since 1967, the mother of all desert races has been run over the Baja California peninsula every year except 1974 when the international fuel crisis forced a cancellation.

 

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 30 years, BFGoodrich Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock-crawling.  BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle.  Visit BFGoodrich Tires online at www.bfgoodrichtires.com

I qualified 2nd of the 32 top Drifters in the world.
So I have to be pleased with that. The number one Qualifier was Rhys and being a Sponsored driver by Red Bull he should be up there.LOL!!
I had an entry speed of 103mph in to the first corner right at a big wall. Quite crazy I have to say.
There are a lot of great drivers from the whole world here over the weekend. It was great to see them all and check out their rides.
Tomorrow is the competition. We will be doing tandem runs from start to the end. No single runs this weekend. I like it this way. It is the most spectacular action when you are doing the tandem battle so I think we should start doing this in FormulaD too.
All right, wish me the best!!
Drift Ya Later
Samuel

Exiting week.

 

Today I am heading up to take part of Tony Hawk’s fundraising event in Beverly Hills.
It is called Stand up for skate parks. We are auctioning of a ride along with me in the 2009 drift car at one of the FormulaD event’s next year.

And then tomorrow I am heading down to start doing my Pre run for the BAJA 1000 with BFgoodrich. I am so excited about that. It’s going to be crazy.

We will be down there from Monday till Wednesday night.

I will get out of there in a small air plane on Wednesday night to make it in time for the World Championship Red bull Drift event. We will be doing some extra filming from camera cars on Thursday so I need to be back in town for that.    

After the World Championship weekend I will be heading down again for the Baja 1000 to get ready for the race weekend.

Fun times.

Drift Ya Later

Here is a video of the 2009 Dodge Mopar Drift Challenger.
Let me know what you guys think. And if you have any questions shoot it over to me.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Mopar-Unveils-Challenger_196907.htm?Ref=Blog

Check it out on www.streetfire.net

Mopar® to Debut 2009 Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger for Media and SEMA Show Attendees on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 4:30 P.M.

Mopar®, Chrysler LLC’s Global Service & Parts division, will unveil Team Mopar driver Samuel Hübinette’s much anticipated 2009 Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger during the 2008 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, scheduled for Nov. 4–7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

·          When:

·          Tuesday, Nov. 4

·          4:30 p.m. – Brief remarks, reveal of 2009 Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger

·          4:45 p.m. – “M” Bar is open

·          Where:

·          SEMA Show — Las Vegas Convention Center
Mopar Booth # 43129

·          Who:

·          Samuel Hübinette, Team Mopar driver and two-time Formula Drift champion

·          Shaun Carlson, NuFormz Racing team owner

·          SpeedFreaks host Kenny Sargent, emcee

·          Steve Shugg, Director of Sales and Marketing, Mopar

·          Why:

·          Mopar is reaching out to a new generation of enthusiasts and continuing a commitment to the growing motorsport of drifting. Vehicles such as the 2009 Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger back up the Mopar theme — if you can dream it, you can build it with Mopar.

·          Visuals:

·          Reveal of 2009 Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger

·          Samuel Hübinette and Shaun Carlson available for photo-ops with Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger

·          Mopar Underground, SRT Engineering and other vehicles also on display in Mopar exhibit   

·          More Mopar
at SEMA:

·          Mopar Alley, located between the North and South halls, will feature the 2008 Mopar Top Eliminator vehicles, showcasing the most skilled Mopar enthusiasts and their restyled or customized Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge vehicles. Also, the Mopar Alley will spotlight the “Evolution of the Dodge Ram” and “Evolution of the Dodge Challenger” with vehicles from the past and present representing the progression of both models.

·          A Team Mopar autograph session will take place in the Mopar Booth at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Show attendees will have the chance to meet Team Mopar drivers Gary Scelzi, Allen Johnson, Samuel Hübinette, Brian Collins, Chuck Hovey, Brad Sweet, Brady Bacon and Cindi Lux.

·          Blues-rock star guitarist and noted Mopar enthusiast Kenny Wayne Shepherd will also sign autographs in the Mopar Booth on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m.

Additional information and news from Mopar is available at http://www.mopar.com

Check out the trailer for the 2008 FLIP A BITCH contest.

http://www.gtchannel.com/content.php?cid=40869

If you live or happen to be in Sweden make sure to pick up Aftonbladet Sport Bilagan.
They got a 3 page article about me and Drifting.

Drift Ya Later

Not really. But I tried out Ron Bermudez GSX-R 600 the other day when I was out testing at Irwindale. It is the new model 2008, and what a bike. Ron is the photographer for the Mopar Magazine and the Viper Magazine. He is also part of THE BIG DOG GARAGE race team. This is the team that Jay Leno is supporting.

Man they got them so fast now with only a 600CC engine.
It was revving like an F1 car and got over 100hp with an amazing power to weight ratio.

I use to have a Honda CBR600 and a 900RR back in the days. They way they got the handling on this bike is amazing. It was so easy to ride. Great power and the brakes was so easy to handle.  Anyone could look like a pro on this bike.

So hands down for the 2008 GSX-R. Take a look at the photos via the link below.

Check out when I am testing the new NuFormz Challenger against the Mustang super snake at the latest Head2Head show on Tourqe TV.
http://www.torque.tv/?player=TorqueTV_27_copy&ct=1&ids=238921

Also the 2008 COBB GTR against the Porsche Techart 997.
http://www.torque.tv/?player=TorqueTV_27_copy&ct=1&ids=243453

The FormulaD season is now over and we finished 2nd over all and we have to be stoked for that.
Team NuFormz have been flawless the whole season and I am very proud to be part of such an amazing team.
We started up the season with a second place at Long Beach and stayed on the top thru out the whole season switching between 1st and 2nd. So we definitely stayed consistent.
But I am definitely disappointed that I could not finish the season better on the final round at the House of Drift here in LA.
I was going up against Takatori in the top 8 and had a great lead of him coming down in to the infield. It all felt perfect when the rear end just came around me and I half spun. We had added some toe out to allow more over steer in the oval where I was struggling with too much traction out of the BFG's. So when I came in to the infield it came as a big surprise when the rear just popped out.
It is my bad and I just have to learn from my mistake and move on.
Over all we had an amazing season with a great comeback up in the top.
We are now building the new Drift machine for next year and will have it unveiled at SEMA on November 4th at the MOPAR booth.
And then I will go down to the Baja 1000 pre run, to get ready for that race in late November. YES I am doing that crazy dessert race with BfGoodrich. I can't wait get down there and see how that will be. Very exiting.
Thank you all sponsors like MOPAR, BFGoodrich,Oakley,Sparco,Kicker,NC Forged,Vitamin Water and AURI shoes.
And last all you amazing fans and supporters you guys ROCK.
I will be back with more up dates and pictures shortly.
Drift Ya later

So after a great experience at the Ante up for Autism TACA event on Friday I am getting ready for the BIG week. The event at the St Regis Hotel went well. We sold a ride a long in the Viper and a pit pass for a total sum of $2500.



We will be out doing some testing this week to get ready for the BIG day on Saturday for the Final of the 2008 season.
NuFormz got a few different rear ends that I am going to test out to make sure we have the right ration for the Irwindale track.
On Wednesday night I will head out for the Dromo ONE go cart event. On Thursday after practice we will be doing some Sumo wrestling amongst the drivers. Pretty funny. Friday regular testing and qualification for the none seeded drivers. Saturday the main event and then Sunday night Banquet for the FormulaD Champion.
Tonight I am heading over to experience the Magic Castle in Hollywood. That should be pretty cool. I am excited about that.



Oh. I forgot to say that on Saturday I went out to the Off-road expo in Pomona. I met up with BFG and talked about Baja 1000. I will let you know more about that when I know more. I say no more. HE HE!!!



Drift Ya Later

Team Mopar®’s Samuel Hübinette to Participate in Ante up for Autism Charity Event

• Ante up for Autism will be co-hosted by Lance Armstrong and Jenny McCarthy – proceeds will benefit Talk about Curing Autism (TACA)
• Hübinette provided two items for the auction – a drift ride-along in the Mopar® Dodge Viper SRT10® and an opportunity to be an honorary pit crew member on his Mopar NuFormz Racing Dodge Viper SRT10 team

Center Line, Mich. — Team Mopar®’s two-time Formula Drift champion Samuel Hübinette will join forces with event co-hosts Lance Armstrong and Jenny McCarthy to help raise funds in the fight against autism at the 2nd Annual Ante up for Autism charity event. Featuring a charity poker tournament as well as live and silent auctions, the event is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 3 at the St. Regis Hotel in Monarch Beach, Calif.

Hübinette is one of the celebrity contestants in the poker tournament. He also provided two valuable auction items — a spot as an honorary pit crew member on his Mopar NuFormz Racing Dodge Viper SRT10® team and a live drift ride-along in his Mopar-powered machine at the Red Bull Drifting World Championships in Long Beach, Calif. on Nov. 15–16.

“If I can use any celebrity I may have gained as a Formula D driver to aid other people through my involvement in an extreme motorsport like drifting, then I’m all for it,” said Hübinette, who is second in the Formula D standings heading into the final event.

Event proceeds will benefit Talk about Curing Autism (TACA), a non-profit organization that provides information, resources and support to families affected by autism. TACA works to strengthen the U.S. autism community by connecting families and the professionals who help them. TACA currently serves almost 10,000 families with much needed programs, educational services and support.

Hübinette is thrilled to be able to participate in the event and help contribute to a worthwhile organization like TACA.

“We can really do some good,” observed Hübinette. “Autism affects many, many families and an estimated one million people in the U.S. have autism. This will be a good event to create awareness and bring in money to help support TACA. By auctioning off a ride-along with me in my Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10, we can hopefully bring in some funds for this worthwhile cause.”

For tickets or information on the 2nd Annual Ante up for Autism, visit http://www.anteupforautism.org. For information on TACA, visit http://www.tacanow.org.

What a rollercoaster.

The whole season I have been on the first or second place.

After Seattle I had a 12 points lead on Tanner and that felt good. I knew it was nothing to be comfortable of, but still a nice feeling.

So as we entered Sonoma we were very excited to try to gain some more points before the last round.

In the morning I had not got a perfect test run and felt pretty shaky.

The Infineon raceway is one of the most amazing racetracks in the country.

But the Drift Corse is my least favorite of all of them. It is just too short and too much of an E-brake layout.

Because I was seeded number one I was the last to qualify. So I really took my time to study the other 31 drivers and started to figure out what the judges were looking for.

I had seen that they were really putting a lot of emphasis on the speed and how deep you were going down in the corner. And after my first run I qualified number ONE!

It was such a great feeling to be on the top. After everybody had done their second qualifying run I was still number one so I had nothing to lose. I ended up running another top points run and felt that this could be the day. The NuFormz Mopar Viper ran flawless and I had perfect traction from the BFG’s.

But I was also thinking this does not mean that the tandem runs would go any easier.

In the first tandem run I was facing Ryuji Miki qualifier 16. He is a very talent D1 Champion.

After a ONE more time I manage to move on. So that was pretty tight I guess.

I know after that round that I had to get more angles and change my line. That was the words from the Judges.

So now when I was facing Ryan Tuerck I was going to change it up to outrun him without a one more time.

I was leading the first run and as I was coming down the straightway in to the first corner I pulled the E-brake just a little too much and the car over rotated too much and I lost the line.

So my success day changed quickly to a very Dark ending.

I really felt the support from all the fans up in northern Cal and I appreciate all your support. That includes all the 40 some Viper fans from the Northern California Viper Club that came out.

We are now 26 points behind the number ONE spot going in to the final. So that is going to be an exciting event for sure.

After the event me and Stina and her parents went out to San Francisco and stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for a night.     http://www.mandarinoriental.com/sanfrancisco/?cid=gl_mosfo

The view on the 44th floor was amazing. I highly recommend this hotel for sure.

Thank you so much Salvador Abaunza for your hospitality and the great service. I hope we can come back soon.

Drift Ya Later

Samuel

This week we shot 4 new episodes of the internet based car review show Head2head.
See the latest shows on. http://www.torque.tv/?player=TorqueTV_27_copy&ct=1&ids=222273

This week we had some really awesome cars out at the Big Track of willow Springs. The 2008 Dodge Challenger tuned by NuFormz with a Big NOVI Supercharger,700hp.It went up against the Ford Mustang GT500 Super Snake with a BIG supercharger. Then the 09 Subaru STI against the 09 Mitsubishi Evo10. Both tuned and redone quite a lot.

I also tested the CEC 997 Porsche Turbo against a fully tuned Nissan GT-R. And then the Porsche GT2 against the Streetfire Nissan GT-R stock. It was a packed day with so many great cars. Sorry guys for tearing up your tires.


Later today I am flying over to Arizona with Stina to get a test drive in the amazing Gumpert Apollo. The fastest street car on a race track I guess. Streetfire will be out there filming us ripping around with the car so I will post some videos in the near future. There are only two cars in the country, so we feel very privilege to get to test it out at the racetrack.

Drift Ya Later