NEXEN TIRE MOTORSPORTS DRIVER RYAN TUERCK CELEBRATES FIRST PODIUM FINISH OF THE SEASON AT FORMULA DRIFT ROUND 5: ‘THROWDOWN’ IN MONROE, WASH.; NEXEN RETAINS SECOND PLACE POSITION IN BOTH DRIVER AND TIRE CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

-- Nexen Tire Motorsports Driver Fredric Aasbo Remains in Championship Contention --        

DIAMOND BAR, Calif. July 22, 2018, -- Motorsports powerhouse and global tire manufacturer of Formula DRIFT Pro 1 Series co-sponsored tire N’Fera SUR4G Nexen Tire Motorsports proudly congratulates driver Ryan Tuerck on second-place finish at this weekend’s Formula Drift Round 5: “Throwdown” in Monroe, Wash. Tuerck, driver of the GUMOUT / Nexen Tire Toyota 86, celebrates his first podium finish of the season after qualifying for this event in seventh position. Many fans and others at the event thought Tuerck did well enough to win the final battle, but judges decided differently. Nexen Tire Motorsports has had drivers on the podium for four of five events this season with just three rounds remaining.

Nexen Tire Motorsports driver Fredric Aasbo, driver of the Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla hatchback, had a hard-fought battle but suffered a controversial loss in the second round of competition. Aasbo still sits comfortably in second position for the championship, just 85 points out of first place.  With multiple wins and podium finishes this season, Nexen Tire Motorsports now sits in second position in the Tire Cup championship, trailing the first by only 76 points.

“Nexen is extremely proud of Ryan’s effort this weekend in Monroe. He had a great qualifying run and backed it up with several rounds of incredible driving to walk away with a solid, second-place podium finish,” said Paul Jho, motorsport senior manager at Nexen Tire Motorsports. “Many thought he did well enough for the win but that just shows the level of competition in this year’s Formula Drift series. We also want to congratulate Frederic Aasbo and all of our drivers for their solid performances this weekend. Their driving this season shows how well the N’Fera SUR4G tires perform on the track, and we are excited to see what everyone can do at round 6 in St. Louis.”

The 2018 Nexen Tire team roster highlights include:

• 2015 champion and 2017 second overall driver Fredric Aasbo (Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla hatchback)
• Three-time champion and recent Nexen addition Chris Forsberg (NOS Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Nissan 370Z)
• Nexen driver Ryan Tuerck (GUMOUT / Nexen Tire Toyota 86)
• Alec Hohnadell (Rain-X / Nexen Tire Nissan S14)
• Jhonnattan Castro (Gerdau Metaldom / Nexen Tire Toyota 86)
• 15-year Formula DRIFT veteran Kyle Mohan (Mazdtrix / Nexen Tire Mazda MX-5)
• Kevin Lawrence (2017 Pro 2 Champion) (Enjuku Racing / Nexen Tire Nissan S14)
• Dan Burkett (RAD Industries / Nexen Tire Toyota Supra)

N’FERA SUR4G: PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY. EXTREME PERFORMANCE. ENGINEERED FOR CHAMPIONS.

Nexen launched the Extreme UHP N’Fera SUR4G tire in 2017, and the street-legal racing tire immediately took the motorsports industry by storm. Meticulously engineered for superior performance in Formula DRIFT, SCCA and time trials, the SUR4G delivers optimal grip and response, with minimal performance drop under extreme conditions. Several Formula DRIFT Pro 1 series drivers are sporting the SUR4G tires this season as part of a co-sponsorship with the series. The SUR4G is also serving as the semi-exclusive, preferred tire for the Formula DRIFT Pro 2 Series.

The Formula DRIFT season continues on August 10 in St. Louis, Mo.