Shropshire Star

Ford becomes first ever to lap the Nurburgring purely by drifting

Formula D champion Vaugh Gittin Jr. completed a lap of the ‘Green Hell’ entirely sideways with a 900bhp Ford Mustang

Published
Supporting image for story

It’s no new thing for manufacturers to chase Nurburgring records — but Ford claims its latest achievement there is a unique one.

The American firm sent professional drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. to the 12.9-mile circuit in Germany, armed with a specially-prepped Mustang, to be the first man to complete a lap of the ‘Green Hell’ entirely sideways.

Gittin Jr., who won the 2010 Formula D championship, competes with this particular Mustang ‘RTR’ regularly — and made drifting the gruelling racetrack look like a walk in the park.

Admittedly, it wasn’t all done in one swift lap. So much rubber was shredded that the ‘Stang had to stop twice for fresh sets of Nitto tyres designed especially for drifting.

(PA)

The final time wasn’t recorded, with Gittin Jr. stating he was there for a “good time, not a lap time”, but the 38-year-old hit speeds ‘in excess of 240km/h (149mph)’ during the course of the lap.

Gittin Jr. said: “Drifting the Nürburgring represents the ultimate challenge to me: it is something that many question whether it would be possible and whether the car and driver could do it and come out in one piece. Something inside of me had to take this on to find out.”

“When people watch this video I hope it offers an intense and fun experience. I hope they see a guy and his Ford Mustang sidekick pushing outside of his comfort zone and the limits of what should be possible with a car. I hope they are inspired to push themselves beyond there comfort zones and enjoy the ride!”