2009 Formula DRIFT Champion Crowned

Formula DRIFT 2009 Champion Crowned

Ryan Tuerck takes the event victory and Chris Forsberg wins the championship title

Long Beach, Calif. – October 17, 2009 – Formula DRIFT entered the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale for the final event of the season.

The sold out crowd was not disappointed as the drivers provided non-stop action throughout the event weekend. The event also provided plenty of additional entertainment for the fans including the Jtuned Auto Gallery, Famous Stars and Straps stunt bike demo, and a performance by the “Far East Movement.”

The final event of the season lived up to all the high expectations with the drivers putting it all on the line to win the coveted championship. 2-time Formula DRIFT champion Tanner Foust met rookie and privateer Matt Powers with his Nissan 240 in the consolation round for third place. Foust outmatched the rookie and secured his third place finish. The finals came down to and Ryan Tuerck in the Gardella Racing / Mobil 1Pontiac Solstice and Tyler McQuarrie in the Falken Tire Nissan 350Z. McQuarrie tapped the wall and spun on the 2nd run giving Tuerck the victory and 2nd place overall in the final championship standings. McQuarrie finished the season overall in 3rd place for the highest finish of his career.

Top Ten Formula DRIFT Professional Championship 2009 Point Standings
1. Forsberg, Chris	NOS Energy Drink / Maxxis Nissan 350Z	527 Points
2. Tuerck, Ryan	Gardella Racing / Mobil 1 Pontiac Solstice	521 Points
3. McQuarrie, Tyler	Falken Nissan 350Z	485 Points
4. Hubinette, Samuel	NuFormz Dodge Viper	462.25 Points
5. Gittin, Vaughn	Falken Tire Ford Racing Mustang GT	451.50 Points
6. Foust, Tanner	Rockstar / Hankook Scion Racing tC	447.50 Points
7. McNamara, Darren	Falken / Sears Auto Center Saturn Sky	426.50 Points
8. Nishida, Robbie	Hankook Tires / Dynamic Autosports Nissan 350Z	425.25 Points
9. Pawlak, Justin	Bergenholtz Racing / Nitto Mazda RX-8	416 Points
10. Gushi, Ken	RS*R Scion Racing TC	388.50 Points

Orange County Auto Show Packs Excitement and Entertainment

Randi O'Mara and Joy Loo previewing the Exotics, Concept Cars, Alternative Fuel Vehicles, Ride & Drives, Miss Hawaiian Tropic Model Search and More

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Randi O'Mari and I hit the OC Auto Show for preview media day. There were hundreds of new cars, trucks, sport/utility vehicles and crossovers that will pack the Anaheim Convention Center Thursday, October 15 through Sunday, October 18, for the 2010-Model OC Auto Show. This exciting event is more than an auto show and will offer ultra high-end exotics, concept cars, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Miss Hawaiian Tropic^® Model Search and more. There is something for everyone at the OC Auto Show!



We peeked the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray concept car, recently featured in the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The Stingray combines styling cues from current Corvettes, the 1959. Stingray racecar and the 1963 Stingray split-window coupe. We also saw a collection of dazzling exotic vehicles from Ferrari and Maserati of Newport Beach. Vehicles including the Maserati Quattroporte, GranTurismo and GranTurismo S, and the Ferrari California, F430, 599 GTB Fiorano and 612 Scaglietti.

Further down the isle, we ran into the black/gray $1.2 million Bugatti Veyron presented by The RPM Lounge^™. The RPM Lounge features a red carpet, RPM Lounge promo girls, The Millionaires Lounge, live Web feed, live radio station feed and even a chance to win an invitation to an exclusive event at the legendary Playboy Mansion.

And you can't miss the huge DUB^® Magazine Celebrity Car display. This is where attendees can check out the customized cars owned by music and sports celebrities.

October is Think Pink Month!!!!

October is breast cancer awareness month. So feel your boobies women... and all you fathers, brothers, husbands, boyfriends, etc. get your loved ones to get their boobies checked (or give them a hand, tell 'em you're glad to help).

I didn't get a chance to do the 40 mile breast cancer walk this year but some of my friends did it for the 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th year in a row. It was one of the most rewarding things I've ever accomplished... 40 miles within two days gives you whole lot of time to think about what it important... family, friends, and enjoying life...


I dedicate my walk to my friend Sandy Chang survived by her mother, father, and sister.

Rare, Exotic ’Super Cars’ Headline Concours d’Elegance

October 4th, 2009, 4:56 pm · written by Matt Degen

Millions of dollars’ worth of world-class cars sat in an equally breathtaking setting today during the annual Concours d’Elegance at the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point.

The car show, now in its 27th year and second at the Monarch Beach location, drew an estimated 330 cars and 3,000 attendees, said Bruce Junor, president of the volunteer-run event.

“It’s just fabulous,” he said while overlooking a sea of pristine metal that in turn overlooked the Pacific. “The turnout is more than we expected.”

The nonprofit show benefited the Assessment and Treatment Services Center and the Mary and Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag Hospital.

Among the highlights of the event were a 1907 Panhard & Levassor towncar, a 1915 Ford Model T Depot Hack and an ultra-rare 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt.

In addition to the vintage vehicles, dozens of exotic “super cars” also joined this year’s event, including two Bugatti Veyrons and a Lamborghini Reventon, one of only 20 made. The Concours also saw two Southern California debuts that attracted crowds throughout the day: 2010 versions of the four-door Porsche Panamera and the $455,000 Maybach 57 Zeppelin, which sat aside a pristine 1932 model.

See the pictures I took below... enjoy and see you all next year at the Concours d'Elegance St. Regis

5th Annual Japanese Classic Car Show

The 5th Japanese Classic Car Show was held on Saturday, October 3, 2009. This wasn't really an event I would normally attend but "HagertyLaura" was attending and had extra tickets for me... It was local so I ventured to the Hidden Valley Park in Irvine (by the Verizon Theater) where all rare Japanese classic vehicles were displayed - on a large, green, beautiful park.

The exhibit was open to all Japanese brand manufactured pre-1985 Toyota, Datsun/Nissan, Mazda, Honda, Mitsubishi and etc. The show started at 9AM and ended at 3PM.

I would say that they had about 400 cars and dozens of different vendors and special displays. I got there around noon just in time for lunch I thought... wrong! They food vendor ran out of food and were only serving baked potatoes and popcorn. Yuck! For more photos of the event, please visit http://joyloo.blogspot.com

***VIDEO*** OC Lamborghini Cruise & Chat

Video from Streetfire.net


OC+Lamborghini+Cruise+%26+Chat

by Matt Degen - full story

Lamborghini owners from around the country descended on Orange County this weekend for a ride and Q&A session with executives of the Italian super-car company. Event was hosted by Tom Nault and Joy Loo, SnapBuzz Media.

Owners came from as far as Chicago — many of them trailering their cars vs. driving them. Rapper Sir-Mix-a-Lot was among the attendees, and Lamborghini showed off some exceptional vehicles, including a bright yellow, 2010 Murcielago LP 670-4 SV, which packs V12 engine that makes 670 horsepower.

Another company car that got just as much attention was a Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo racer.

Most owners brought new models — primarily Murcs and Gallardos — but there was at least one Countach in the crowd, along with a Ferrari and an Aston Martin.

The half-day event began for several dozen Lamborghini owners with a drive from Crystal Cove Promenade, up through Silverado Canyon and finishing at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach, where the Q&A session took place. The drive was led by professional drifter and Newport Coast resident Samuel Hubinette.

Tom Nault said he first thought up the event while visiting Lamborghini’s headquarters in Italy.

“I thought it’d be neat, and that it would be cool if this discussion could happen,” said Nault, who lives in Seattle but bought his bright-green Murc at Lamborghini OC.

One of the biggest questions on the minds of owners and enthusiasts was, “When will Orange County get another Lamborghini dealership?”(Lamborghini OC closed abruptly last year and its owner, Vik Keuylian pleaded guilty to a wire-fraud scheme.

Supercars Make Their Debut at the Concours d'Elegance St. Regis

Dana Point, Calif – October 1, 2009 – The Concours d’ Elegance at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point
(www.NBConcours.com) will feature a Supercar class this year to attract spectators who wanted to see the cars that they had dreamed of owning when they were kids – and adults. Some of the the display’s highlights are an a 1990 Ferrari F40, a 1995 Ferrari F50, a 2003 Enzo Ferrari, a Lamborghini Reventón, a Bugatti Veyron, a 1980 BMW M1, a 1984 Lamborghini Diablo SE30, a 2008 Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR Roadster Saks Fifth Avenue Edition, and a 1965 Shelby Cobra.

Tony Salerno, who organized the Supercar display, explained “While most enthusiasts appreciate the heritage, pedigree and sheer beauty of the pre-1948 cars, the Concours d’Elegance directors wanted to also make a place for ultra-high-end exotics of the 1970’s through current day, which appeal to a slightly different demographic than the other classes.” The 27th Annual Concours d' Elegance will take place the weekend of October 3 - 4, at the prestigious St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, California. The Concours is operated as a Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Concours, primarily showcasing automobiles produced prior to 1948, with additional sports car, and elegant touring, classes to 1975.

The Concours is a volunteer run, not-for-profit organization, with all excess proceeds supporting Assessment & Treatment Services Center (ATSC) and the Mary and Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag Hospital. Southern California is the automotive culture capital of the world with a deep history in design, customization and motorsports. The Concours organizing committee aspires to create a premier celebration of the automobile event that showcases this rich heritage.

Event Schedule:

Saturday, October 3rd: 8am - Private Collection Tour
Saturday, October 3rd: Evening - Exhibitor Reception
Sunday, October 4th: 10am - 4pm - Concours at St. Regis Monarch Beach, Dana Point

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the event. Children 12 and under have free
admission. For a complete list of all exhibitor classes, event entry forms, and ticket information please visit www.NBConcours.com.