Formula DRIFT season is finally here! This weekend, April 10th to 11th, FD will kick off with its season opener on the street course of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, California. Michael Essa will be competing in his SLP-supercharged 2013 Chevrolet Camaro for the first time with hopes of taking home a win and setting a precedent for the 2015 season.
For the tenth consecutive year, Formula DRIFT will compete on the famous street course, providing two days of adrenaline-packed racing action, gliding around turns 9, 10, and 11. The course is one of only two actual street courses utilized for professional drifting, and features a high-speed entry and very little wiggle room between car and walls, minimizing the margin for error.
In the two months since the SLP Camaro was delivered to Essa Autosport in Anaheim, California, Essa and his team have pulled off the impossible, dismantling the Camaro and building it to compete this weekend.
“The car is quickly becoming the machine we set out to build with the support of some of the best companies in the automotive business,” Essa said. “First and foremost, we want to again thank SLP – Street Legal Performance – for the support of our 2015 Formula Drift program. Without the amazing SLP-supercharged 5th generation Camaro chassis they provided, our program and involvement with all the other companies who are supporting us, would simply not be so. This chassis continues to impress us as we build and fabricate the details to make it a competitive machine. The Essa Autosport team is excited to debut the Camaro in Long Beach!”
The 2013 Camaro employs an LS3 engine equipped with an SLP supercharger and SLP long-tube headers with high-flow catalytic converters.
If you plan on attending the Long Beach event, there is plenty to keep you busy! Along with the drifting action, attendees can check out the Offset Kings Car Show presented by Fatlace, shop at the vendor village, participate in giveaways from sponsors, meet their favorite drivers during an autograph session, and get up close and personal in the open pits.
Or If you can’t make it in person, you can watch all of the action streaming live here: http://www.formulad.com/live
Find out more about Essa’s SLP Camaro at www.essaautosport.com
