Vaughn Gittin Jr. has become one of drifting’s most iconic figures and his machine, the Monster Energy/Falken Tire Ford Racing Mustang, one of the sport’s most identifiable cars. Vaughn is known best by his aggressive, foot to the floor, big smoke driving style. Being such a fierce competitor, Vaughn is known as the only American to win a D1 Grand Prix event, not once - but twice. In 2005 Vaughn stunned the world when he won the D1GP USA vs. Japan. In 2007, he brought America home the gold once more by winning the D1GP World Championship. He has achieved three wins and multiple podiums throughout his Formula Drift career. Now in 2010, Vaughn earned his first Formula Drift Championship, becoming the second-ever Champion with a strictly-drifting background.
For the 2010 season, Vaughn made the switch over to a 2011 Monster Energy/Falken Tire Ford Mustang. When the season ended, Vaughn had podiumed an incredible 6 out of 7 Formula Drift events. He started the season off great with a win at Round 1 in Long Beach, and then took second place at both Round 2 in Atlanta and Round 3 in New Jersey. At Round 5 in Las Vegas, he took third place atop the Falken Tire podium sweep and at Round 6 in Sonoma, he once again took the win. At the final event of the season at Irwindale Speedway, Vaughn podiumed one last time when he took the second place spot. Vaughn’s consistency and incredible season earned him his first Formula Drift Championship, a goal Vaughn has chased after for the past seven years. In 2010, Vaughn also continued to tour the country to spread word about the motorsport phenomenon of drifting and the incredible Ford Mustang to the masses.
In 2010 Vaughn launched his brand for a new generation of Mustang with the RTR. The Mustang RTR is Vaughn’s vision his has dreamt for years that has finally come to reality. It is a dealer-installed package for the 2011 Ford Mustang GT V8 available at select Ford dealerships. For more info on the Mustang RTR, please visit MustangRTR.com.
Blame it on the go-carts he toyed with when he was only four years old, or maybe the dirt bikes he raced for most of his young adult life; there is no question that Vaughn has always had a passion for motorsports. In 2009, Vaughn retired his 2005 Ford Mustang for the new 2010 version, a car that gave him much success. After an incredible year, Vaughn came close to the Championship in 2009 with a 5th place finish.
Vaughn has become a face of the Ford Mustang, as he introduced the 2010 version to the world by drifting it onstage during its live reveal on Speed TV. He also had the amazing opportunity to tour Japan in March of 2009 with a 2010 Mustang while stopping to drift at legendary tracks. Vaughn puts on quite a show performing drifting exhibitions nationwide at huge events such as Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale, Las Vegas and Orange County, the Kohler International Challenge at Road America, and the Mustang 45th Anniversary at Barber Motorsports Park.
Vaughn began his career as a professional driver in 2004 when he drove his personal Nissan S13 painted the Falken colors. In 2005, Falken decided to build him a new Ford Mustang which has brought him many victories. In 2008, Vaughn got the attention of Ford Racing who decided to back this American Mustang driver.
He’s come a long way from those early days of drifting, but Vaughn Gittin Jr. still feels the same rush of adrenaline as he did then - the same sense of adventure and challenge every time he enters a turn and throws his Mustang sideways.
Career Results
2010
1st place overall in Formula Drift Series, Formula Drift Champion
1st place winner at Formula D Round 1, Streets of Long Beach
1st place winner at Formula D Round 6, Infineon Raceway
Placed 2nd at Formula D Round 2, Road Atlanta
Placed 2nd at Formula D Round 3, Wall Stadium
Placed 2nd at Formula D Round 7, Irwindale Speedway
Placed 3rd at Formula D Round 5, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
2009
Placed 2nd at Formula D Round 3, Wall Stadium
Finished 5th overall in Formula Drift Series
2008
1st place winner at Formula D Round 7, Irwindale Speedway
Placed 6th at Red Bull Drifting World Championship
Finished 8th overall in Formula Drift Series
2007
1st place winner at D1 Grand Prix USA All-Star World Championship, Irwindale Speedway
Placed 2nd at Formula D Round 5, Sonoma Speedway
Placed 2nd at Formula D Round 4, Evergreen Speedway
Finished 7th overall in Formula Drift Series
2006
Finished 4th place overall in the Formula Drift series
Winner of the Formula Drift Hardest Charger Award for 2006
2005
1st place winner in the D1 Grand Prix America vs. Japan Competition
Placed 3rd at Formula D Round 5, Infineon Speedway
Finished 4th place overall in the Formula Drift series
Winner of the Formula Drift Hardest Charger award for 2005
2004
Finished 10th place overall in the Formula D series
