Red Bull Drifting World Championship - List of Invited Drivers

List of Invited Drivers

Driver Team/Principal sponsor Car/Engine Series Season Position Number
Tanner Foust Rockstar/ AEM Nissan 350Z Formula D 2007 & 2008 Champion 34
Samuel Hübinette Nuformz Mopar/BFG Dodge Viper SRT-10 2004 & 2006 Champion 77
Rhys Millen RMR Red Bull Pontiac Pontiac Solstice GXP 2005 Champion 6
Daijiro Yoshihara RMR Pontiac GTO 4th 9
Chris Forsberg NOS Energy Drink Drift Team Nissan 350Z-VK56DE V8 5th 64
Michihiro Takatori Super Autobacs Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 7th 23
Conrad Grunewald Tanaka Racing/Nitto Tires Chevrolet Corvette C5 8th 79
Robbie Nishida Hankook Nissan 350Z 9th 31
Vaughn Gittin, Jr. Team Falken Tires-Drift Alliance Ford Mustang GT "5th Gen" 10th
Ryuji Miki A'PEXi-Bergenholtz Racing Mazda RX-7 FD3S 11th
2004 D1GP Champion
Darren McNamara Sears/Falken Tires Saturn Sky V8 12th
2008 Prodrift Runner-up
Stephan Verdier Crawford Motorsports Subaru Impreza WRX STI GD 13th
Ken Gushi RS*R Scion Scion tC 14th
Bill Sherman Retaks/Bridgestone Nissan 240SX S13 15th
Justin Pawlak Drift Alliance Mazda RX-7 FC3S 16th
Kyle Mohan Mazda RX-7 FC3S 17th
Garry Whiter Toyo Tires Nissan Silvia S14.5 D1NZ Champion
Carl Ruiterman E&H Motors Nissan Silvia S14 NZ Drift Champion 16
Freddy Girrard Hankook Tires Nissan Skyline R32 DMCC Champion
Marcos Santos Runners-up
Leighton Fine Toyo Tires Nissan 240SXS14 Drift Australia 2008 Champion
Luke Fink Holford Motors Nissan 180SX 2008 Runners-up
Robbie Bolger Nissan 180SX 2007 Champion
Ben Broke-Smith Driftworks Toyota Chaser EDC Champion 24
Tim Marshall Apex Performance Nissan Skyline R33/SB Chevy V8 2nd 118
Tengku Djan Ley Bridgestone Nissan 180SXS13.5 FD Singapore Champion
Mike Whiddet Red Bull Mazda RX-7 FD3S 4Rotor 2nd 15
James Deane Nexen Nissan 200SX S14.5 RB26 ProDrift Champion
Eric O’Sullivan Rockstar Toyota Corolla Coupe AE86 F20 2nd
Fredric Aasbø Japan Auto Toyota Supra NDC Champion
Remmo Niezen BMW M3 E30 V8 IDS Champion
Paul Vlasblom Driftking.NL BMW M3 E36 Touring
Katsuhiro Ueo Drift Speed Nissan Silvia S15 D1GP 2002 Champion 86
drivers who been invited but declined entries
Ryan Tuerck Gardella Racing Pontiac Solstice GXP Formula D 6th
Nobuteru Taniguchi HKS Toyota Altezza D1GP 2001 Champion
Youichi Imamura Auto Produce Boss Nissan Silvia S15 2003 Champion
Yasuyuki Kazama 2005 Champion
Nobushige Kumakubo Team Orange Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 2006 Champion
Masato Kawabata Team Toyo Nissan 180SX 2007 Champion
Daigo Saito Team 22 Toyota Mark II JZX 100 2008 Champion
Manabu Orido MSC Challenge Series judge

With the exception of Formula D, each series are allocated two entries, including D1GP, who following negotiation, were given six invites

When negotiation broke down, D1 drivers were discouraged from taking invites, therefore they were approached directly by the FD management to find out that they invited entrants, the former D1GP champions in particular, had to decline their entries for the reason of scheduling conflicts. Kumakubo declined his as he was due to take part in a drift demo in Dubai, Kazama, despite no longer involved in the series, declined because of schedule clash.

Former D1GP judge, competitor and Super GT driver, Orido was forced to declined his invitation as he was competing in the WTCC Guia Race at Macau on the same weekend, as was fellow judge and returning competitor Taniguchi, was taking part in a Super Taikyu race in Japan.

Other than that, and 2003 champion, Imamura declined his as he was unable to attend, the 2007 champion Kawabata declined his entry, bit it was revealed that "conflict of interest" led them to decline. Saito, who originally accepted his entry, was forced to decline his entry for the same reason, although it was rumored that he placed two cars in a container to make its way to the event. Millen backed this claim of the organisation's bullying tactic during an interview

Only one FD driver, Tuerck, declined for budgetary reason as he is lacking a title sponsor, funding could not stretch for the event, therefore Mohan took his place. Santos, Bolger and Ruiterman made up the rest of the available slot.

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