‘Fun is my compass’ for Gittin Jr. as he shifts to Formula Drift team ownership

“All I’ve done is make decisions with my heart and fun is my compass,” said 2010 and 2020 Formula Drift champion and RTR Vehicles Drift team owner Vaughn Gittin Jr. in Long Beach ahead of the opening round of the 2025 Formula Drift Pro Championship.

The world champion drifter is renowned for his foot-through-the floor, big-smoke driving style he portrays when behind the when of the tire-destroying Monster Energy RTR Spec 5 FD he’s made globally famous. But this season marks his debut as a team owner, launching his two drivers Ben Hobson and James Deane in their pursuit of their Formula Drift title. Ahead of that debut on the streets of Long Beach last weekend, Gitten — who will compete in two rounds of the season himself — offered his take on Formula Drift in 2025.

“A lot has changed,” said the 44-year-old. “We’ve been doing this together since 2010. Obviously, for me now it is like a balance of my passions of driving and creating. I am at a place where I’m trying to balance all of that and then I’m trying to add in being a badass father and husband I can be, right?

“On the motorsports side it’s all about the Formula Drift program and the off-road racing programs with the Bronco and all of our awesome partners. Here at Long Beach we have got James Deane, the returning champ. He won his fourth championship and first with us last year. Ben Hobson had his rookie year with us last year. Ben has gone from a horrible learning year to showing up this year and everybody is just like, ‘Who is that guy?’ He is exactly the guy we knew we were bringing on the team.

“So I’m playing that team owner role, but I’m also doing a couple rounds of Formula Drift. I’m doing Atlanta and the finals at Long Beach, which they just announced. They are building another street course. It’s going to go down Oct. 17 and 18.

“We’ve got these Mustangs super-dialed in. We made some changes in the off-season. And then on the Drift side there is going to the fun enthusiast events like Gridlife and the HyperFest events where we can be with the people and give the experiences and put them in the car and just inspire that next generation. That’s a really important element to me. We want to be a part of car culture because it’s been such a big part of my life.”

Although he’s now focusing on team ownership as well as continuing to grow his RTR Vehicles brand, Gittin emphasized that it his to decision to step back from competition wasn’t for lack of desire.

“The reason why I stepped back from Formula D was not because I don’t have it anymore,” said one of the full-on legends of drifting. “It was because I just have to find the time. My company, RTR Vehicles, that’s where I am creative. I am able to create the vehicles that I want. I work with Ford and my engineering team and we are able to create these vehicles that I would want to buy and I know like-minded enthusiasts would want.

“This year, the biggest thig ever, my dream, Ford announced that Ford and RTR Vehicles were in production out of the plant in Flat Rock that they were producing an RTR that I helped Ford engineer and develop with our team. We are only the second company in the world to ever do this besides Shelby. When I started RTR that was my ultimate dream and so this year that is being realized. That passion all stems from what’s in me as far as the motorsport and the competitive side and the dream of inspiring and keeping people excited about car culture.

“Fun is my compass. I just want to inspire people to live a fun life and do the things that they want to do. The vehicles that we create and they way that we compete and perform is all part of that ecosystem to inspire that connection. There is also the undertone of just living your passion. I believe when you live that passion, the universe rewards that and the abundance comes and all the things you need come. I just want people to feel that: Do what you love. I know that is such a cliché, but people are afraid to do that for some reason and that’s what I’m trying to get out through the things that we do.”

The steady commitment of Ford Performance to Gittin and the RTR Vehicles program is a big part of what has made all that possible.

“Ford has been the standing manufacturer supporting drifting,” noted Gittin of his relationship with the iconic automotive brand. “They’ve been in it since 2005. That’s 20 years. And it has become a staple of Mustang. I mean, the new Mustang has an electronic drift brake in it that me and Chelsea DeNofa, two former champs, and they are here right now.”

With 2025 marking the 22nd season of the Formula Drift Pro Championship, Gittin was delighted by what he saw on the streets of Long Beach last weekend.

Everything on the table. Nothing left to give. @JamesDeane130 chasing @FredricAasbo in a OMT Finals in Long Beach.

Presented by @TypeSAuto#FormulaD #FormulaDRIFT #FDLB pic.twitter.com/fwmQw1TU43

— Formula DRIFT (@FormulaDrift) April 6, 2025

“This vibe, it’s unbelievable. The sport is just in a golden age,” he said. “The majority of traditional motorsport is dreaming of having this fan engagement and this young and diverse audience. Aside from Supercross, this is where they are at. Ford is engaged and supporting their customers out here and the things that they love and building the products that we want. They have an unbelievable enthusiast focus. Jim Farley (CEO) at Ford said it: ‘We’re not building any more boring cars.’ It’s just amazing. I pinch myself every day with what we have been able to do. I started this dream just chasing it and spending all my money chasing my passion. Now we’ve got these massive motorsports programs with on-road and off-road. We’ve got two big facilities. It’s unreal.”

So where does the two-time Formula Drift champion see his asphalt- wrinkling sport going?

“I think drifting is so much on the rise globally,” Gittin declared. “Formula Drift is, without a doubt, the leader when it comes to what is here and what goes down. I think my challenge for Formula Drift is let’s get some new tracks. Let’s build some really unique circuits. If you look at what Feld Entertainment does with Supercross, I’m really inspired by that. I think we are going to see some custom stuff at the final round here at Long Beach. They’re building a fully custom course.

“I think the fans want to see these things. The setting is very important for the sport because of the visuals and content that comes out of it. I think that’s the game. When it comes to the technical side to the sport, it is really just a constant progression. It’s no different for Supercross or the X Games. Five years ago, it was like, ‘Wow, that dude did a backflip.’ Now there are triple backflips. The cars are continuing to progress. The tires are there to handle this and keep the cars where they can be driven inches from the wall. The drivers continue to level up. So, how do we create more challenging courses that are visually impactful and set up the ability for the best drifting versus just using sections of road courses?

“I also think getting some more data in the game. Formula Drift has done a really good job with their app. They’ve got these boxes in the cars now that can show throttle and brake and things like that giving the fans a more immersive experience. I think that is really on the horizon. I see fans being able to hop in and out of cars as they want in the future and ride along in the battle. I really am excited where we are going and Formula Drift is really leading the charge in creating these types of avenues.

“Yeah, it’s sick. It’s beyond where I ever saw it being. But I also had to step out a little bit to see it because when you are in it, it’s really hard to acknowledge what’s going on. Now that I’ve kind of taken a step back to assess it and make bigger decisions for our team and looking at the trajectory of the sport, it is something that all of us involved should be really proud of because I remember when I had to explain to everyone what drifting was and now everybody knows and Formula D is literally selling out everywhere.”

But, does he still feel he can win in it?

“Absolutely! Honestly, I haven’t missed a beat,” he insisted. “When I get in the car, I can still put I exactly where I want it and I still have the confidence and the commitment. I honestly believe that if I wanted to put the focus to it, I could come back and win another championship. Right now it’s not the focus and I don’t believe I’ll ever come back and do a full championship season, but I don’t want to say never!”