Gittin It Done

Vaughn Gittin Jr. celebrates after his ninth-career Formula Drift win in New Jersey in June. The victory ties him with Samuel Hubinette for the all-time record in the series.

Words By: Cam Benty

His website description calls him a “World Champion Drifter and professional fun-haver.” That’s not a poor portrayal to live by and certainly, after meeting Vaughn Gittin Jr., it seems plenty accurate. Energetic and accommodating, few racers are more excited about what they do than Gittin. And why not? His success ratio is over the top, having delivered a huge audience for the sport of drifting and big wins for his sponsors.

Drifting has a hardcore audience of fans who love to watch skilled drivers take high-powered cars through tight corners as they nearly come in contact with each other and the barricades that scribe the course. It is hugely entertaining to watch.

Gittin slid onto the drifting stage in 2005 and since that time, has proven himself, becoming the first-ever American to win a D1 Grand Prix event in the USA vs. USA competition. He was to repeat that performance to earn the 2007 championship. Winner of his first Formula Drift title in 2010, he also collected the prestigious Ace Driver of the Decade title in 2013, along with World Drift Series Championships in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Today, Gittin is the owner/driver of his Mustang RTR race car, the place he has called home for five years, updating the vehicle with each model year. Sponsored once again by Monster and Nitto Tire, he continued his competitive ways with big wins in 2016 against a very tough field of professional drivers at Atlanta and New Jersey. He’s currently tied with Samuel Hubinette for the all-time record for Formula Drift wins, with nine.

In addition to his competition career, Gittin is an approachable media personality who hosted the NBC Sports program Octane Academy and appears regularly on Formula Drift TV.

We recently had a chance to speak with Gittin Jr. and ask a few questions about his racing life, his car, and how he prepares for competition.

Vaughn Gitten Jr. at home behind the wheel of the Mustang RTR he debuted in March 2016. He collected two wins this year in the eight race season.

Are there new race vehicles on the way? How long have you been running the current combination?

We just debuted our new car this year in April. We have been running this since our pre-season testing in March, and we could not be happier with them.

How heavily are you involved in the build of the car; the changes made to the vehicle before, during, and after competition?

I built my first car on my back in my garage when starting out. Fortunately, I now have an amazing team which focuses on the race cars, and I focus on the other fun to keep our machine rolling! I am very involved from a design and aesthetics standpoint. I give the feedback at the track, and my team takes care of the technical fun! I know enough to be dangerous, but find we all excel when we focus on what we are best at!

What special demands are required in this type of racing with regards to driveline and specifically clutch system?

Drifting is one of the most demanding sports with regards to driveline. We are constantly dumping the clutch at high RPM, on and off the handbrake, which requires the clutch to be let out aggressively while the throttle is stomped on. The massive amount of grip our drift car has these days is truly mind blowing, and with the speed we are going, you need response as soon as the clutch is disengaged to stay ahead of the car. I’m really amazed what these clutches can handle!

How did your connection with Quarter Master come along?

We needed a clutch to handle the serious demands of our 900-hp Ford Mustang RTR drift car. I had met Jeff Neal at a Trans Am race, and he seemed to have the magic we needed!

Any interesting stories in regards to driveline parts?

I come from motorcross, and I still sometimes use/slip the clutch to put the power down. I’m impressed to have found something that handles that abuse and has not let us down!

Anything else you’d like to mention about your time?

While I have your attention, assuming you like to have a good time!!! You should text FUN to 89800 for the chance to meet me i‑n Vegas during SEMA for an epic trip! Bring your party hat!