JAMES DEANE JOINS TEAM RTR

If you haven’t heard the news by now, we announced earlier this week that James Deane will be getting behind the wheel of a Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD. James makes his Formula Drift return, after a three-year hiatus, from the series which saw him take home the Championship in three consecutive seasons (2017, 2018, 2019). For the 2023 Formula Drift season, he will be accompanied by Chelsea DeNofa and Adam LZ on the RTR Motorsports Team.

Follow along with us as we have a final send off with the 2022 RTR Spec 5-FD Mustangs. We brought them out for a day of testing with James Deane before they get prepped for the 2023 Formula Drift Season.

Check Out The Limited James Deane RTR Tee

This limited tee marks James Deane's re-entry to Formula Drift with RTR Motorsports. This shirt features the RTR logo and the new James Deane monogram

It’s been a long time since Vaughn has been behind the wheel of the Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD that competes in Formula Drift. He joined James and Chelsea in a day of testing to see how far the cars have evolved since the last time he competed back in 2020.

The day starts out with some minor adjustments on one of the Mustangs that James will be driving. The team brought out a couple of subframe setups to let James test and get acquainted with.

Vaughn and James hit the track for some tandem runs and solo runs. After a few passes, Vaughn gets back to the pits and expresses how much he has missed that feeling behind the wheel of the Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD.

James shares his feedback with Vaughn and Chelsea and how he’s having to adjust to the left-hand drive Mustang compared to the right-hand drift cars he’s used to driving. Although he’s used to driving a completely different setup, James adapted very quickly and became really comfortable with the Mustang RTR.

"I have watched James take the drifting world by storm since he was a teenager. His passion, commitment, and love for the sport is inspiring. His results around the world and the fact he is a 3-time Formula Drift champion are a true result of that collective effort. When James expressed his dream to be a part of the RTR team we were all humbled and I am pumped we along with our great partners were able to make it happen. This is going to be a wild year and I cannot wait for it all to unfold!" - Vaughn Gittin Jr.

The entire RTR Team is excited to kick off the 2023 Formula Drift season! We have released a LIMITED edition James Deane RTR Shirt that will ship next week on Febuary 27th. Feel free to grab one and show your support before they are gone. See you all at FD Long Beach!