2016 Formula DRIFT Series and Exciting Drivers Sponsored by AEM

Chris Forsberg will be piloting his VK56-powered Nissan 370Z to try to best his 3rd place finish in the 2015 season

In just a few short weeks, the 2016 Formula DRIFT season will commence with massive tire smoke and door-to-door action on the venerable Streets of Long Beach, CA. AEM Induction Systems is proud to sponsor the 2016 Formula DRIFT season as well as fan-favorite drivers Chris Forsberg, Matt Field, and Kristaps Bluss.

AEM performance filtration products are capable of feeding these 1000+ Horsepower engines the clean air they need

The Streets of Long Beach Formula DRIFT course utilizes corners 9, 10 and 11 of the Long Beach Grand Prix street circuit. Drivers toss their cars into corner 9, a sharp right-hand turn with a tire wall being the only thing standing between them and a K-rail potentially ending their season before it starts. Moving from an outside clip in corner 9, drivers transition to the left and drag their bumpers through an outer zone in corner 10 before dropping a few gears and closing in around the tight inner clip in corner 11.

Long Beach is a course that demands respect and every driver knows what’s at stake. It’s checkers or wreckers. One small miscalculation and the walls will suck you in, spit you out, and put a huge mountain in front of any driver unfortunate enough to tango with them. Put another car in the mix with horsepower numbers pushing 4 digits, rear-wheel speeds well over 100 mph and enough tire smoke to shroud the beach landings at Normandy and you have the perfect recipe for a dramatic start to the 2016 Formula DRIFT season. 2015 started with a bang at Long Beach and 2016 is looking to be just as exciting.

Kristaps Bluss of the HGK Race team is the newest member of the AEM drift team in his sophomore season in 2016

It’s been about 6 months since the conclusion of the 2015 season and drivers Chris Forsberg and Matt Field are staged to make a big impression at Long Beach. They’ve been working feverishly, improving their cars, building new sponsor relationships, and developing strategies to tackle the ever-increasing competition of Formula DRIFT.

Chris “The Force” Forsberg is quite possibly the most consistent driver in the field and one of FD’s veterans, competing in every season since the series began in 2004. Chris will be piloting his VK56-powered Nissan 370Z, the platform he and the guys at MA Motorsports and Chris Forsberg Racing have near perfected in recent years. At the conclusion of every season, they tear the car down and build it fresh, inspecting every component as they go. Chris hardly ever has a mechanical failure and for good reason- he uses and relies on quality parts like AEM air filters. When asked why Chris and his team choose AEM air filters, he replied, “We trust our 370Z to AEM air because their filters have proven to keep our engine clean and producing power.”

Forsberg is a two-time Formula DRIFT champion and finished 3rd overall in the 2015 season. He’s a driver’s driver and definitely a ‘force’ to be reckoned with. Look for Chris Forsberg to be his consistent, powerful self on the Streets of Long Beach. “I am very excited for 2016 to kick off as we have even more upgrades on the car and I am looking forward to another run at the Formula Drift championship. Long Beach is one of my favorite places in the country so it will be great to get back to the city and kick off another great year. See you there!”

Matt Field epitomizes the grass roots/privateer story of drifting. He got his drifting license in 2009 and started climbing the ranks, making his mark with his supercharged, LSX-powered S14. Finishing 9th overall in points in the 2015 season with two 2nd place qualifiers, Matt is staged for success in 2016. He and the boys at Drift Cave Motorsports have built an extremely competitive car on a budget far smaller than factory-sponsored teams. When asked why he trusts his 1000-horsepower beast to an AEM air filter, Matt replied, “With 1000-horsepower motors, reliability is essential. That’s why we depend on AEM air filters to keep the air clean.” Field is a fan favorite and a true ambassador to the sport, supporting the grass roots drift scene and building relationships outside the industry.

The newest member of the AEM drift team is Kristaps Bluss of the HGK Racing Team. Driving the HGK Motorsports E46 M3, powered by a MAST Motorsports GM LSX, Kristaps will be one to watch in his sophomore Formula D season. He finished 28th in his rookie season last year and comes with a number of impressive wins in his resume, including being a 2-time EEDC champion (2010, 2014), winner of the FX Open Challenge (2011), and winner of the Drift Allstars Riga GP (2014).

The Formula DRIFT World Championship, Pro and Pro2 series are the premier platforms for today and tomorrow’s best drifters. 2015 was an intense season with high energy, high horsepower, lots of rain, stiff competition, and huge excitement. AEM-sponsored drivers Chris Forsberg, Matt Field, and Kristaps Bluss are ramping up their operations to make a big impact with V8-fueled smoke and big angle on their road to the podium. Don’t miss the kickoff of the 2016 Formula DRIFT season in just 3 weeks on the Streets of Long Beach, CA.