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Press Conference
After the event was done, Formula Drift held a press conference in the media center of Texas Motor Speedway. This gave all of the reporters there an opportunity to ask the Podium finishers and Top 6 in points questions after the event was done.
I got to ask a few of the drivers some questions and here are the highlights:
Now that the points are so tight, how do you approach Irwindale?
Mike Essa
“I don’t know, I’ve never been here before! I’m just going to go in there, you know, and keep doing what I’ve been doing. It’s been working so it’s my approach.”
Chris Forsberg
“Yeah, it’s hard to focus on the other drivers in the championship. You’ve got to not lose focus on yourself and your team to make sure that you’re moving on and it’s however the ladder falls, like we went through some pretty tough battles today and I was not trying to think too much about the outcome, but at some point it does cross your mind and you got to try and block that out and make sure you move on.”
With the time taken from all of the protests, did that weigh in on you as you sat in your cars?
Matt Field
“For me, definitely. I was lined up, ready to go, tires warmed up and I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting. I’m getting sweatier, and sweatier, and sweatier. So, I had to wait and… when they were good and ready, then I was able to go up. So, yeah, I was definitely affected by it. It is definitely a weird scenario I got put in.”
Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s Reaction to Pat Mordaunt’s protest and it being upheld
“I was on the line, ready to go in the Top 4 against Matt. I was really pumped to run him and then, to learn that Pat protested us I was pretty blown away. Frankly, Pat shouldn’t have been on the track tonight. When I ran him and led him, he found some magical speed and he was right there with us. So, when you’re in the Top 8 and you’re battling a guy and he runs what he did against us.”
“Then you go and chase him, the first turn is everything and you anticipate it. In the whole run, I’m just waiting for him to pick up the throttle and he’s just either sandbagging or just couldn’t pull it together as well as his chase run. You know, it’s just really frustrating and I don’t remember a time where a judge’s ruling has been overturned in the middle of a competition, so I’m looking forward to our series having some consistency and, I understand that we are in a young sport that is still progressing, but this needs to stop.”
