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DRIFT AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES 2008 CALENDAR

Drift Australia has announced a five-round calendar for the 2008 Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series. The fourth year of the national championship will see the series visit four states between March and September, as drivers battle to become the Australian Drift Champion.

After a successful event at the circuit in 2006, the championship returns to Tasmania's Symmons Plains Raceway, which will host the season opener on 1-2 March. It will be followed by visits to Queensland Raceway, Mallala Motorsport Park and Eastern Creek Raceway, before Sydney's Oran Park Raceway again hosts the season finale in September.

A partnership entering its third season, Toyo Tires will remain as naming rights sponsor of the championship and extends its support to the Super Drift feeder class in 2008. "Toyo is proud to be part of the continued development of Drifting in Australia, and we are committed to seeing the Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series grow even more," Toyo National Marketing Coordinator Clinton Joyce said.

As part of the sport's growth, a bolstered commercial line-up for the series has been secured. Famous Car Insurance and Drift Performance Products have come onboard as new commercial partners, while competitors will do battle for a $27,500 in contingency prize money with thanks to CI Performance, TurboXS, Iron Chef Imports and Racing Logic.

"We're really excited about the 2008 Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series," Drift Australia director Wayne Boatwright said. "The championship and profile of Drifting is getting bigger every year, and we're delighted to continue our association with Toyo and welcome our new partners." Competition is set to step up another notch in 2008, with a range of moves and changes at the pointy end of the field.

2007 Australian Drift Champion Robbie Bolger is building a Holden VE Ute to replace his title-winning V8 Monaro, while 2006 champion Beau Yates enters the new season with backing from Toyota Racing Developments and significant improvements to his Toyota Sprinter. Yates will field his own entry while his former team-mate Leighton Fine also on the move; inking a deal to drive the Commercial Truck Sales entry. He will replace Christian Pickering, who will run his own car in 2008 after finishing second with Team CTS in 2007. "The '08 season is going to be a fantastic opportunity for me, working with some great people within, and supporting the team," Fine, who finished second in the 2006 championship, said. "The Team CTS car is an acknowledged performer and a fantastic piece of machinery, and I hope to get the best out of it throughout the year." South Australian brothers Jack and Tom Monkhouse will form a two-car entry from Adelaide, while the experienced Danny Vahoumis joins Slide-FX as their fourth driver.

A number of new drivers will join the series in 2008, including Trav Dunstan, Paul Austin, Chris Nutley, Jason Greenwood and Trent Whyte, who will all graduate from the Super Drift feeder class.

The championship will again be broadcast around the country on a comprehensive TV package, including airtime on Channel 9, SBS, Fox Sports and the series' own YouTube channel, DriftAustraliaTV.

For more information about the Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series, head to http://www.driftaustralia.com.au/

2008 Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series;
Rd1 - Symmons Plains (Tasmania), March 1-2
Rd2 - Queensland Raceway (Queensland), April 12-13
Rd3 - Mallala Raceway (South Australia), May 24-25
Rd4 - Eastern Creek Raceway (New South Wales), June 28-29
Rd5 - Oran Park Raceway (New South Wales), September 20-21




ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Entering its fifth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship series. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has involved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each racer's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for North American professionals to demonstrate their skills against the world's top drifters. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com