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| Rhys Millen showed that he was the veteran against Kyle Mohan. Rhys went in deeper and with more angle than Mohan into the inner bank, but Mohan also hit the wall and straightened out. After calling 5 minutes for repairs by Mohan, they came back out with Mohan leading. Rhys Millen stayed right with Kyle, despite the smoke the Nexen Tires were pouring out of the RX-8. With Mohan having straightened out after hitting the wall, Rhys Millen would move on to the Great 8. |
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| What a strange turn of events. Coming into the first front clipping point, Vaughn Gittin, Jr. made a huge error and screwed up his line. Vaughn could have just relaxed as he had the advantage over Pat after a great lead run. The unforced error knocked out Vaughn Gittin, Jr. and Pat Mordaunt moved on to the Great 8. Unknown at the time, this error would cost JR the championship for 2012 as well. So much for stats, but as I said in my “Who will Take It All” article, this is drifting and nothing is guaranteed. |
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| The Championship hung on this next round, but it was also the 3rd time we've seen Daigo Saito and Conrad Gruenwald lock horns. First, it was Wall, where Daigo won. Then it was Seattle where Conrad won. This time, there were no games. No hip checks. Just a hard fight against two drifters. It was intense, but in the end, Daigo Saito would win this round. He would move on, inching closer to the 2012 Formula Drift Championship. |
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| Matt Field and Ken Gushi would run next. This time it would be Turbo 4 versus Nitrous V8. Matt stuck to the bumper of Ken Gushi's Scion FR-S and even brushed the inner bank wall without taking himself out, straightening his line, or even keeping him in line! This combined with the proximity Matt had against Ken put Matt Field over the top in his follow run. Matt's lead run held a nearly consistent 1.5-2 car length gap against Gushi, putting Matt Field into the Great 8 for the second time in his career. It would also mean that he would face Daigo Saito and many had written Matt off. Oh, if only they hadn't counted their chickens. |
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| Justin Pawlak and Tony Angelo would face each other for their spots in the Great 8. Tony had a great weekend until this run. On Tony's first run, his follow run, the wall got hungry again and devoured the Scion tC of Angelo. The damage was severe and Tony would not be able to continue. JTP would be in the Great 8. |
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| The wall was not done. The run of Tony Brakiohapa and Tyler McQuarrie would allow for another sacrifice to the wall. Tony would come in too hot and hit the wall with his right rear wheel. This would destroy that wheel and end Tony's night. Justin Pawlak would move on to the Great 8. Would his chances for a first Formula Drift Championship be in his grasp again? |
