Vaughn Gittin Jr.

Last updated
Vaughn Gittin Jr.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. 2013.jpg
Gittin in 2013
NationalityFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Born (1980-09-20) September 20, 1980 (age 45)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Formula D career
Debut season2004
Current teamRTR Motorsports
Car number25
Former teamsFalken Tire
Wins13
Best finish1st in 2010, 2020
Championship titles
2010
2020 		Formula D
Formula D

Vaughn Gittin Jr. is an American drifter, racing driver, and founder of RTR Vehicles. He has competed in the Formula D series, winning the championship in 2010 and 2020, as well as in the D1 Grand Prix, Ultra4 USA, and NASCAR Canada racing series. Gittin is the owner and founder of the RTR Vehicles company and RTR Motorsports team, which has often collaborated with and been sponsored by Ford and Monster Energy. [1]

Contents

He is credited with popularizing the use of American cars, specifically the Ford Mustang, in drifting competition where the field formerly only consisted of turbocharged Japanese import vehicles. [2] [3] [4]

Career

Formula Drift

Gittin began racing in Formula D in the inaugural 2004 season, driving a self-built Nissan 240SX (S13), with sponsor Falken Tire. [5] [6] He quit his job in information technology, and began pursuing drifting full-time. [7] In 2005, he began driving for Team Falken in a Ford Mustang GT (S197). [8] He finished in 4th place for the 2006 season. [9]

In 2010, Gittin announced he would be partnering with Monster Energy as his title sponsor. [10] Gittin won his first Formula Drift title in 2010, with 2 event wins.

Gittin drifting in 2013 City-Race-Rdam-2013-DSC 0207.jpg
Gittin drifting in 2013

For 2013, Gittin formally announced the launch of his own RTR Drift Team. [11] [12] He retained Monster Energy as his title sponsor, but this marked his departure from longtime tire sponsor and team partner Falken Tire to new sponsor Nitto Tire. [13] Gittin was awarded the Ace Driver of the Decade title in 2013 to recognize an impressive competition record that saw him take more tandem battle victories than any other driver in 10 years of Formula Drift history. [14] [15]

Gittin finished third in the Formula Drift Championship for the 2016 season, after securing two victories in the season. [16] He also finished fourth in the 2017 season after campaigning a brand-new engine program and two-car team. [17]

10 years after his first championship win, Gittin won the 2020 championship, with a season that included 2 wins and 2 podium finishes. [18] [19]

Gittin stepped back from Formula Drift after the 2021 season, with Adam LZ taking his place in the RTR Racing team lineup alongside Chelsea DeNofa. [20] He returned in 2023 in a part-time capacity, driving for half the season and sharing a car with LZ. He scored an event win at Round 2. [21]

D1 Grand Prix

Vaughn Gittin (1456651735).jpg
Vaughn Gittin (1457515864).jpg
Gittin after winning the 2007 D1GP All Star Duel

Gittin also competed in the D1 Grand Prix All Star exhibition matches from 2004 to 2007. He won the USA vs Japan event in 2005, and the All Star Duel event in 2007. [5]

Ultra4 Racing

In 2016, Gittin began competing in the Ultra4 USA racing series at the King of the Hammers. He went on to finish in the top 10 in his first appearance. In 2018, he won the East Coast Championship in the Ultra4 4500 Class. He finished in 7th place in the highest 4400 class in 2019, the highest finish of any crossover driver in series history. [22]

NASCAR Canada

For 2014 and 2015, Gittin competed in NASCAR Canada. [23] He finished 14th out of 32 drivers in Québec in 2014, and he also finished in 5th place during his first Trans AM race at Road America in 2015. [22]

Gymkhana Grid

Gittin appeared as a guest driver alongside event creator and fellow Monster Energy teammate Ken Block in his Gymkhana Grid event, from 2010 to 2012. [24] [25] The gymkhana exhibition event featured drift stunts, pyrotechnics, and obstacles such as barrels, tires, ship containers and tanks. [26]

Other ventures

RTR Vehicles

Gittin started RTR Vehicles in 2009, with RTR being an acronym for "Ready To Rock". RTR first announced the launch of a collaborative special edition of the Ford Mustang entitled the Mustang RTR-C to be revealed at 2009 SEMA Show, and limited in production to 10 vehicles. [27] [28] Throughout the years, RTR has created aftermarket accessories, customization packages, and third-party special models for the Ford Mustang. This continued until 2025, when an official Ford Mustang RTR production model was announced in partnership with Ford, and later in 2026, a Ford Bronco RTR production model. [29] [30]

Gittin stated the purpose of launching the RTR brand in 2009 was to reinvigorate interest in the Ford Mustang for the younger generation, whose primary clientele was an aging demographic. [31] [32] Noting the interest in low-displacement, high-boost imports, Gittin and Ford reasoned that the drifter's influence could help market the Mustang in a new way. [33] [34]

In 2023, Ford partnered with Gittin and RTR Vehicles to develop a "Drift Brake" feature for the seventh-generation Mustang. [35] In lieu of a traditional hand brake actuated by a physical cable, this electronic parking brake in the Mustang's Performance Package can override the stability-controlled controller to lock the rear brakes with hydraulic line pressure. [36] [37]

Gittin has appeared in multiple ad campaigns and viral video stunts for Ford and Monster Energy, such as the "Fire Drift" video [38] [39] , "Battle Drift" video with Daigo Saito [40] , and "Drift King of the Ring" video drifting on the Nürburgring race track. [41] [42] [43]

Gittin appears in the racing video game Shift 2: Unleashed , as a character which guides the player through their career and teaches the player how to drift. [44] [45] He is also one of the rivals the player have to beat in two career modes, "Drift" and "Muscle". [46]

He also appears, in a smaller capacity, in the 2015 reboot of Need For Speed alongside fellow Monster Energy driver Ken Block for the "Style" portion of its storyline. [47]

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". RTR Vehicles. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  2. ↑ "Under the Hood of Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s 900HP Drift Machine Mustang". MotorTrend. 2018-12-28. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  3. ↑ "Drifting Icon Vaughn Gittin Jr. Celebrates Ford Mustang's 50th Birthday". K&N Engineering. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  4. ↑ "The Year of Vaughn Gittin Jr". DrivingLine. 2016-11-30. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  5. 1 2 "VAUGHN GITTIN JR. ON FUTURE, FUN, AND FOCUS". Drift Enthusiast Magazine. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  6. ↑ "Vaughn Gittin Jr - Summary - DriftStats". driftstats.com. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  7. ↑ "RECARO - Vaughn Gittin Jr". www.recaro-automotive.com. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  8. ↑ "2005 Ford Mustang Drift Car - Swift Alliance". MotorTrend. 2006-01-22. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  9. ↑ Siu, Jason (2009-04-04). "2006 Formula D Final". MotorTrend. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  10. ↑ FormulaD (2010-04-08). "Monster Energy, Vaughn Gittin Jr, and Falken Tire form an epic partnership". Formula DRIFT BLOG. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  11. ↑ FormulaD (2013-03-26). "Vaughn Gittin Jr. reveals the livery of the all new Monster Energy Nitto Tire 2014 Ford Mustang RTR". Formula DRIFT BLOG. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  12. ↑ "Formula DRIFT - Drivers - Vaughn Gittin Jr". formulad.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  13. ↑ "Wild Horses – Vaughn Gittin Jr's Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Formula Drift Mustang RTR – StanceWorks" . Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  14. ↑ "K&N's Vaughn Gittin Jr. Awarded Formula Drift Ace Driver of the Decade". K&N Engineering. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  15. ↑ FormulaD (2014-05-01). "MEET WORLD CHAMPION DRIFTER AND FOUNDER OF MUSTANG RTR VAUGHN GITTIN JR.!". Formula DRIFT BLOG. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  16. ↑ FormulaD (2016-10-09). "The O'Reilly Auto Parts "Title Fight" sponsored by Gumout at the Formula DRIFT Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras Round 8 Results". Formula DRIFT BLOG. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  17. ↑ FormulaD (2017-10-15). "Formula DRIFT Round 8: O'Reilly Auto Parts "Title Fight" Results". Formula DRIFT BLOG. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  18. ↑ FormulaD (2020-11-23). "RESULTS FROM THE FINAL ROUND OF THE 2020 FORMULA DRIFT PRO CHAMPIONSHIP". Formula DRIFT BLOG. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  19. ↑ "Like Other Sports, Formula Drift Made It Through 2020, Here's What's Next". Autoweek. 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  20. ↑ "INTERVIEW: Vaughn Gittin Jr. on stepping back from drifting". RACER. 2021-10-23. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  21. ↑ FormulaD (2023-05-15). "VAUGHN GITTIN JR WINS ROUND 2 OF 2023 FORMULA DRIFT PRO CHAMPIONSHIP IN ATLANTA, HANSEN WINS PROSPEC ROUND 1". Formula DRIFT BLOG. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  22. 1 2 "Vaughn Gittin jr". Center Line Wheels. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  23. ↑ Creason, Don (2014-08-07). "Vaughn Gittin Jr To Try His Hand At NASCAR This Weekend". FordMuscle. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  24. ↑ Moore, Jonathan (2012-11-05). "Anarchy In The Uk: Gittin Ready For Gymkhana". Speedhunters. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  25. ↑ Siu, Jason (2010-12-02). "Vaughn Gittin Jr. to Pilot 1978 Ford Escort Mk2 at Gymkhana Grid". Autoguide.com. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  26. ↑ Hernandez, Bob (2020-08-10). "When The Rodeo Came To Town - Remembering The Gymkhana Grid Ken Block Invitational". MotorTrend. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  27. ↑ TheSpeedhunters (2009-11-13). "Car Spotlight>> Sema 09: The Mustang Rtr-c". Speedhunters. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  28. ↑ "Vaughn Gittin's One Off All-Carbon Mustang RTR Heads to Auction". MotorTrend. 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  29. ↑ "Ford and RTR Announce the First-Ever Ford Mustang RTR". RTR Vehicles. 2025-10-15. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  30. ↑ "Born in the Desert, the Bronco RTR Is the Fun High-Speed Racer That Won't Break the Bank". Ford From the Road. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  31. ↑ "Drift-Ready from the Factory: Inside the Development of the 2026 Mustang RTR". Ford From the Road. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  32. ↑ Murphy, Tom (Jan 13, 2026). "New Raptor-Infused Ford Bronco RTR Is 'Not For Everyone,' But Priced Like It Could Be".
  33. ↑ "Drift away: Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chris Cobetto face off". Autoweek. 2012-08-23. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  34. ↑ "Ford and Vaughn Gittin Jr. Team Up for the 2026 Mustang RTR". Autoweek. 2025-10-16. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  35. ↑ "Vaughn Gittin Jr Teaches Us How To Use Ford Mustang Drift Brake". 2025-05-18. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  36. ↑ "Tail-Out Action Is in Your Future with 2024 Ford Mustang's Available Drift Brake". Car and Driver. 2023-04-03. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  37. ↑ "Mustang How-To: Drift Brake". RTR Vehicles. 2025-05-08. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  38. ↑ Demorro, Chris (2013-06-14). "Video: Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s "Fire Drift"". FordMuscle. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  39. ↑ Siu, Jason (2013-06-11). "Is 'Fire Drift' the New Gymkhana? – Video". Autoguide.com. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  40. ↑ Demorro, Chris (2015-12-17). "Video: Gittin Goes To Japan For Mustang v. Lamborghini Drift Battle". FordMuscle. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  41. ↑ "Watch High-Powered 900 Horsepower Mustang RTR Become First Car Ever to Drift Legendary Nürburgring | Portugal | Português | Ford Media Centre". media.ford.com. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  42. ↑ Korecki, Danny (2018-09-25). "Watch Vaughn Gittin Jr. Drift His Ford Mustang Around the Entire Nurburgring". The Drive. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  43. ↑ Rus, Tudor (2015-03-23). "Vaughn Gittin Jr Goes Sideways On Ice In His 2015 Mustang RTR". autoevolution. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  44. ↑ "Vaughn Gittin Jr. main character in Need for Speed SHIFT 2 Unleashed". MotorTrend. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  45. ↑ Gallagher, Rob (2011-04-09). "Shift 2: Unleashed – review". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  46. ↑ FormulaD (2011-02-23). "Vaughn Gittin Jr. Main Character in NFS SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED". Formula DRIFT BLOG. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  47. ↑ "Need For Speed 2015". DrivingLine. 2015-06-16. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
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