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| Rhys Millen and Daigo Saito, two men who would duke it out for the championship. This round would determine who would win the 2012 Formula Drift Championship as it would be too far for Pawlak or Tuerck to try and reach for it. Rhys would lead first and what a Champions's run he put on. He actually gapped Daigo Saito, again! This Hyundai Genesis is able to do such amazing things. He had enough of an advantage that all he had to do was pull off an easy run just as he did with Pat Mordaunt. However, something happened. He approached the inner bank as he always did, using three quick pulls of his hand brake. Instead of gripping in the rear where it had always done, it continued to slide out. Rhys made contact with the wall, hard. |
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| While he was unhurt, he did look a little sore. I don't know if it was from the impact or if it was the fact that he just lost the Championship in one corner. Either way, Rhys Millen will not be your 2012 Champion. |
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| While they were both mathematically out of the hunt for the 2012 Formula Drift Championship, Ryan Tuerck and Justin Pawlak still wanted to win the whole event here at Irwindale. However, they would have to take the other out and have to try it twice. On this day, on this One More Time battle, it would be Pawlak who would move on to face Daigo Saito and try to make sure that Saito wouldn't just take the Championship away, but the event win as well. With Rhys Millen crashed out beyond what could be reasonably be repaired, Ryan Tuerck would take home Third Place! This would be his second podium this year. |
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| The finals of Daigo Saito and Justin Pawlak would start with Pawlak doing his lead run. The power of the Achilles Radial Lexus SC430 was put on full display as Daigo would pull right against JTP's early gap. This would help give the advantage to Daigo and Justin knew it. So, JTP would pour it all out, but it would be too much and he would be the final victim to the inner bank's wall. |
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| The damage, while not severe enough to say the car is a total loss, was enough for him to lose the event win. Daigo Saito in the Achilles Radial Lexus SC430 would not only become your Irwindale winner, but the Formula Drift 2012 Champion. |
