When spy photos first showed up on the Internet of Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s new 2011 drift Ford Mustang, many were curious on why it didn’t sport the atypical Falken Tire paint scheme. We knew he was out testing with the rest of the team, so it was clear that his “secret sponsor” would be huge and probably wanting priority on the colors campaigned on the car. So when Gittin finally debuted the car sporting an all out Monster Energy scheme, we applauded. It’s the perfect fit for the brand, throwing themselves into the mix of energy drinks that are already flying colors through Formula DRIFT competition.
Monster Energy Drink is famously known for sponsoring Ken Block, gymkhana-extraordinaire. His over-the-top videos have shocked the world and garnered the attention of millions with a simple click of an upload button to YouTube. Gittin Jr. has a similar personality as Block, driving the wheels and tires (literally!) off his Mustang in previous years of competition. Gittin has also become the poster child for the Ford Mustang Drifting-brand, having done much in his off-season to promote the Mustang chassis. He even showed off his own RTR-C Mustang at SEMA 2009.
The exterior styling of the 2011 Mustang has been changed to resemble Gittin’s RTR-C variation on the street. His relationship with HRE Wheels has always been outstanding, so it’s no surprise that he’s sporting some new ones. Falken Tires is now campaigning a new RT-615K tire for their drift team. Other than that, while the new 2011 Mustang sports a 5.0-liter V8, this drift ‘Stang still uses a 4.6L supercharged V8 from last season, laying down well-over 600-hp. The great news is, Justin Pawlak (who previously drove the Bergenholtz RX-8 we reported on earlier) will be driving Gittin’s 2010 Mustang in competition this year. Plenty of American muscle swinging sideways! We’re excited to be at Formula DRIFT Long Beach this weekend!
[Source: VaughnGittin.com]
Gallery: 2011 Falken Tire / Monster Energy Drink Ford Mustang
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