Ford Take First Place Finish at 2023 Formula Drift

Ford, RTR, and driver Chelsea DeNofa swept in with a first place win at Formula Drift this year, with DeNofa finishing the 2023 season at the top of the podium after racing with RTR and Ford’s Spec 5-FD competition Mustang vehicle.

“Mustang was bred for racing, from drifting to road courses, and we’re excited to build on this first championship for the all-new Mustang,” said Joe Bellino, Mustang marketing manager. “We’re confident this is the first of many trophies, and it came from a dominant season.”

Working in parallel with Ford on the vehicles for the 2023 season, RTR developed three Mustang RTR Spec 5-FDs that share DNA with the all-new, seventh-generation 2024 Ford Mustang. These vehicles feature completely new exteriors based off the Mustang production car, and they all received serious enhancements before being dubbed track-ready, including an increase to over 1,300 horsepower and added enhanced suspension development.

This year’s RTR team drivers included some of the biggest names in drift driving, such as Vaughn Gittin Jr., Chelsea DeNofa, Adam LZ, and their newest team member, three-time champion James Deane.

“What an amazing accomplishment for our team along with Ford Performance support to earn the first championship with the all-new Mustang,” said Vaughn Gittin Jr. “I remember 20 years ago when I was first driving the Mustang people looked at me sideways, now the Mustang platform is an icon in the sport with more and more showing up at events and in the collective culture.”

The powerful developments of this year’s track Mustangs have affected the commercially available Mustangs as well, adding the vehicle’s first-ever and segment-first available electronic drift brake. Combining the rear-wheel-drive drifting capability of a Mustang with the visual appeal and functionality of a traditional mechanical hand brake, this addition was a collaboration between Ford and RTR to help bring track-quality performance to the road-going Mustang. The brake uses advanced electronics to mimic the response of a hydraulic drift brake like the one found in RTR’s Formula Drift Mustang, and provides more than three times the braking force of a conventional mechanical parking brake system. It’s included in the Mustang Performance Electronic Parking Brake, which is available on 2.3-liter EcoBoost and 5.0-liter V8 Mustangs with automatic or manual transmissions, and in the available Performance Pack.

With intense features like this, the 2024 Ford Mustang is something you’ll want to try for yourself. If you’re interested in learning more about it, you can check out our available inventory here for more information!