Vaughn Gittin Jr. is by all means one of the biggest and most famous Ford Mustang aficionados out there. But the self-taught professional drifter wasn't a big Stang fan when he started his racing career.
That's because in the world of professional drifting competitions, Japanese imports are king. However, after he first set his eyes upon the S91 Mustang in 2005, the iconic pony won him over.
The impact that Stang had on Vaughn came to fruition soon after the faithful encounter, with the immediate purchase of a showroom fresh car for which he paid a $5,000 premium over the sticker price.
Considering it was the perfect time to introduce American muscle to the world of drifting, the relationship between Vaughn and the Mustang was certainly a match made in Heaven. He first experienced the sweet taste of success at the 2005 D1 Grand Prix America vs. Japan Competition.
The following years, JR also managed to win the D1 Grand Prix USA All-Star World Championship in 2007, the seventh round of the Formula Drift Championship in 2008, climaxing with the overall win of the 2010 Formula D Championship. All of them at the wheel of the Ford Mustang.
His passion for the iconic American pony car eventually convinced Vaughn to launch RTR, his own brand for a new breed of Mustang. The 2013 Monster Energy Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR is a prime example of the RTR breed, with 845 horsepower and 623 lb-ft (844 Nm) of torque sourced from a Ford Racing/Roush Yates 6.7-liter V8.
If you want to find out more about the personal connection between the legendary pony car and Vaughn Gittin Jr., scroll down and hear the Formula Drift driver's side of the story. Sideways hooning footage is also on the menu.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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