Document Actions
Four podiums out of five events for Team RMR
Team RMR has now stood on the Formula Drift podium with team mates Dai Yosihara and Rhys Millen at four of the past five events, making team RMR the most winning team in Formula Drift history.
Hot off the win at the world famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Rhys Millen headed to Evergreen Speedway round five of the Formula Drift championship with only one goal in mind - win. With team mate Dai Yoshihara sitting in third place and Millen tied for sixth with fellow Pontiac Solstice GXP driver Ryan Turk, GM Racing and Pontiac were making a statement that Pontiac equals performance!
For the first time in five years of the Formula Drift series the teams would be faced with the toughest conditions as rain and standing water would prove to test the teams and top drivers like never before. Qualifying would prove to be the first challenge of the weekend as Millen produced no points for round one and team mate Dai Yoshihara lead the way with the top score of round one. "Vaughen Gitten" hit the wall right in front of me before my first run, this lead me to think the track was slippery so I took it easy. A little to easy and the car "pushed" to understeer producing a zero run" - said Millen.
Run two would see Millen with the pressure of having to get into the game with only one clean lap to do so. Adding to the pressure the rain came minutes before Millen lined up, with the track soaked and the previous 3 cars on track all spinning and not qualifying Millen looked to his spotter and team manager Eric Cantore for insight on track conditions. "Eric informed me that the in field was supper slippery and to be off power real early, oh and stay high on the bank to get a high score....... HA !" - said Millen.
With qualifying over Millen would end up 14th, scraping into the competition by just two spots. Yosihara displayed perfect car control as he has done all year long in the Bridgestone GTO to finish up fourth after run two.
The rain never stopped. The competition started with both drivers poised to gain valuable points towards the championship. Yosihara's day would unfortunately end early with a perfect drive in the wet but the judges handing the close finish to Ryan Turk in the Solstice GXP." I am very happy with my performance and the Bridgestone GTO. "I am currently third and I want to do better in the last two rounds of the Formula Drift Championship". - said Yoshihara.
Millen however would produce the goods when it counted. Besting last years champion Tanner Foust in the semi finals and two time Champion Samuel Hubinette in the finals with some of the best driving of the day. With two perfect "10" scores for the day, only three given out all year long, a rain soaked Millen would stand tall on the top of the Podium moving him up from 6th place to 4th in the Championship fight only 11 points behind team mate Yoshihara.
Both drivers give credit to the amazing grip and traction in the wet conditions to the Bridgestone RE01R tires, providing the control and confidence in this weekends extreme conditions. Team RMR would like to thank GM racing and Steve Moore for the perfect "engine tune" on the engines that provided the drivers the wet weather drivability they needed. Special thanks to Red Bull for the sustained energy in one of the most focused conditions of the season and to supporting sponsors HKS,Sparco, Exedy and Rotora for making the team run like clock work.
Photo of the Week
Rhys Millen's Red Bull World Championship Pontiac Solstice GXP
