Vaughn Gittin
Vaughn Gittin Jr. (born September 20, 1980), commonly known as JR or Gittin, is an American, self-taught, professional drifter from Maryland who currently competes in Formula D behind the wheel of his 2018 Monster Energy Nitto Tire Ford Racing Mustang RTR. One of drifting's most iconic figures, Gittin has the second most wins in Formula Drift history (10) and 25 career podiums. Vaughn is the creator of Ford Mustang RTR 900 horsepower Mustang RTR / Ford RTR. He also makes the RTR Mustang, which is JR's vision of the Mustang, in addition to RTR Ford F-150s.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. | |||||||
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 Gittin in 2013 | |||||||
| Born | September 20, 1980 | ||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
| Formula Drift career | |||||||
| Debut season | 2004 | ||||||
| Current team | Mustang RTR | ||||||
| Car number | 25 | ||||||
| Championships | 2 | ||||||
| Wins | 10 | ||||||
| Podiums | 22 | ||||||
| NASCAR Pinty's Series career | |||||||
| 1 race | |||||||
| Best finish | 48th (2014) | ||||||
| First race | 2014 JuliaWine.com Le 50 Tours (Trois-Rivières) | ||||||
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| Website | www | ||||||
Racing career
Formula Drift
Gittin began his career as a professional driver in 2004 when he drove his personal Nissan S13 in Formula Drift. In 2005, he switched to a new Ford Mustang.
For the 2010 season, Gittin made the switch over to a 2011 Monster Energy Falken Tire Ford Mustang. When the season ended, Gittin had been on the podium for 6 out of 7 Formula Drift events. His consistency within the season earned him his first Formula Drift Championship, a goal that had eluded him the previous seven seasons.
Gittin's 2011 Formula Drift season was filled with ups and downs and saw just one podium.
In 2012, Gittin would finish 2nd overall in the Formula Drift championship with two wins and three podiums.
The 2013 season marked a turning point for Gittin as he joined up with Nitto tire, a partnership that would yield two podiums that year, but no wins.
It was back to form in 2014 for Gittin as he would secure two podiums, both wins, and a third-place overall finish in the Formula Drift championship.
Taking the ups and the downs of motorsports, 2015 was a less than a banner year for Gittin as he would finish without a podium for the first time in nearly five years.
Two wins in 2016 would land Gittin on the third place step in the championship at year's end.
In 2017, Gittin expanded RTR Motorsports to include a second Ford Mustang piloted by Chelsea DeNofa. An adjustment for both drivers, Gittin still managed to squeeze out a fourth-place finish in the championship despite being denied a podium all season.
His 2018 season saw Gittin play the spoiler to Fredric Aasbo's championship following a series of epic head-to-head battles between the two at Irwindale with Gittin ultimately taking first place at the event.
His 2020 season started in Saint Louis with no podium and in September 2020, he took back to back wins at Formula Drift Seattle, battling Aasbo in round 3 and Pawlak multiple times in round 4.Ended the Formula Drift season as the 2020 Champion with teammate Chelsea DeNofa fishing 2nd overall.
Ultra4 Racing
Gittin would find success off the drift track, and off-road, in 2018 taking home the Ultra4 East Coast Championship with three wins for Gittin behind the wheel of his custom Ford Bronco #Brocky. A fourth win would be notched out by Gittin's usual co-driver, Eric Davis, following a scheduling conflict for him leaving him unable to compete. Overall, Gittin would finish 6th in the 4500 class running a limited schedule
World Drift Series (WDS)
Gittin would compete in, and win, the WDS, China's premiere drift league in 2011.
D1 Grand Prix
In 2005, Gittin became the first non-Japanese winner of a D1GP event at the D1 USA vs Japan Allstar Exhibition in his Ford Mustang. In 2007 he would repeat as winner of a D1GP event, this time in the All Star Duel.
NASCAR
On August 4, 2014, Gittin announced he would make his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series debut at Circuit Trois-Rivières in the No. 9 for Micks Motorsports.[1] Qualifying 32nd and the only American in the field, Gittin spun in turn six on lap 7, but finished on the lead lap in 14th.[2]
Achievements
Gittin launched his brand for a new generation of Mustang in 2010 with the creation of the Mustang RTR. The latest collaboration between Mustang RTR and Ford Performance, the Series 1 Mustang RTR Powered by Ford Performance, is limited to 500 cars and will be hitting Ford showrooms early 2019.
In 2018, Gittin would become the first person to drift the entirety of the Nurburgring in the viral sensation, "Drift King of the Ring."
He helped Ford launch their "Octane Academy" in 2011 alongside fellow featured drivers: Ken Block, Brian Deegan, and Tanner Foust. That same year he would also have the opportunity to travel to Saudi Arabia, to share drifting with the Middle East where he also created his video "Drifting in the K.S.A".
Gittin became the new face of the Ford Mustang in 2009, as he introduced the 2010 version to the world by drifting it onstage during its live reveal on Speed TV. That same year He had the opportunity to tour Japan with a 2010 Mustang while drifting legendary tracks.
Sponsors
- Monster Energy
- Nitto Tires
- Ford Performance
- Pennzoil
- XForce Exhaust
- K&N Filters
- Power Stop
- MAHLE
- Forza
- BC Racing
- HPI Racing
- Mustang RTR
- Alpinestars
- SCT Performance
- Type S
Other appearances
Gittin appears in the racing game Shift 2: Unleashed, as he is guiding the player through his career and teaching the player how to drift. He is also one of the rivals the player have to beat in two career modes, Drift and Muscle and if they beat him in the two story modes, they could earn his Monster Energy Falken Tire Ford Mustang in drift mode and his RTRX in muscle mode. In the game, the most important thing that Gittin wants is that the player reaches the FIA GT1 Championship. He also appeared alongside his Formula Drift teammate Chelsea DeNofa in Driving Line's Hangtime video.[3]
He also appears in 'Need for Speed: The Run with his team Need for Speed Ford Mustang RTR-X in 2011.
Motorsports career results
2018
- 1st-place winner at Formula D Rd. 8, Irwindale Speedway, CA
- Ultra4 East Coast Champion
2020 champion
2016
- 1st-place winner at Formula D Rd. 2, Midway Raceway Road Atlanta, GA
- 1st-place winner at Formula D Rd. 4, Wall Stadium Speedway, NJ
2014
- 1st-place winner at Formula D Rd. 2, Midway Raceway Road Atlanta, GA
- 1st-place winner at Formula D Rd. 3, Homestead-Miami Speedway, FL
2013
- 2nd-place at Formula D Rd. 1, Streets of Long Beach, CA
- 3rd-place at Formula D Rd. 3, Palm Beach International Raceway, FL
2012
- 1st-place winner at Formula D Rd. 4, Wall Stadium Speedway, NJ
- 1st-place winner at Formula D Rd. 5, Evergreen Speedway, WA
2011
- 2nd-place at Formula Drift Rd. 3, Palm Beach International Raceway, FL
- World Drift Series Champion, Tianjin, China
2010
- 1st-place winner at Formula Drift Rd. 1, Streets of Long Beach, CA
- 2nd-place at Formula Drift Rd. 2, Midway Raceway Road Atlanta, GA
- 2nd-place at Formula Drift Rd. 3, Wall Stadium Speedway, NJ
- 1st-place winner at Formula Drift Rd. 6, Las Vegas, NV
- 2nd-place at Formula Drift Rd. 7, Irwindale Speedway, CA
- Placed a podium finish in 6 of 7 events
- 2010 Formula D Champion
2009
- 2nd-place at Formula Drift Rd. 3, Wall Stadium Speedway, NJ
2008
- 1st-place winner at Formula Drift Rd. 7, Irwindale Speedway, CA
2007
- 1st-place winner at D1 Grand Prix USA All-Star World Championship, Irwindale Speedway, CA
- 2nd-place at Formula D Rd. 5, Infineon Raceway, CA
- 2nd-place at Formula D Rd. 4, Evergreen Speedway, WA
2005
- 1st-place winner in the D1 Grand Prix America vs. Japan Competition
- 3rd-place at Formula D Rd. 4, Infineon Raceway, CA
- Finished 4th place overall in the Formula D series
International
- 2005 D1GP Winner
- 2007 World Championship of Drifting
- 2011, 2012 and 2013 World Drift Series Champion
- 2014 King of Europe - Spain Winner
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
References
- Cunningham, Jason (August 4, 2014). "Canadian Tire Series News & Notes: GP3R". NASCAR Home Tracks. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
- "2014 JuliaWine.com Le 50 Tours". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
- "The Ultra4 Drift Jump You've Always Dreamed of: Hangtime! World Premiere". Driving Line. Nitto Tire. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
External links
- Official website
- Formula D profile
- Vaughn Gittin driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Wrecked Magazine - Drifting Publication's Section for Vaughn Gittin Jr.