2018 Konig Formula Drift Drivers

2018 Konig Formula Drift Drivers

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Getting to know 2018 Konig Supported Formula Drift Drivers

The 2018 Formula Drift Season is in full effect with the Streets of Long Beach just behind us and Orlando approaching this weekend. We thought we’d take a few minutes and give you a quick rundown of our 2018 FD drivers and telling you what wheels and fitment they’re running. Check them out, show them love, and remember to follow their journey this season here! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin Lawrence – Formula Drift (RB30DET powered Nissan S14.3)

Kevin Lawrence hails from Florida and has been drifting Nissan cars as long as we can remember. He took home the 2015 Three Palms Drift Championship and has never looked back in his drifting career. His reliable RB30DET powered Nissan 240sx helped him drift his way to the Pro 2 championship last season. An amazing victory at Texas Motor Speedway with all the pressure in the world on his shoulders allowed him to become Pro 2 championship by the thinnest margin in Formula Drift history of just two points.

Kevin Lawrence and the Enjuku Racing team are clear favorites for the 2018 Formula Drift Rookie of the Year award in the pro series. Kevin also is heavily involved in the drifting community in Florida and tours the country with his demo R32 Nissan Skyline to events like Hyperfest in Virginia.

Kevin is running Konig Dekagram in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Dekagram is Flow Formed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Vankirk (SR20DET powered Nissan 240sx)

Matt VanKirk comes to you from the Northwest where the drift scene is strong! He really has become known for his aggressive driving style and his 3rd place, podium finish in Formula Drift Pro 2 last year. This year he is now stepping it up a notch as he competes in Formula Drift Pro! We’re excited to watch MVK try and earn that FD Rookie of the Year award! 

Matt is running Konig Hypergrams in 18×9.5 et 25mm front and 18×10.5 et 25 rear in Race Bronze. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ryan Litteral – Formula Drift & Pro 2 (LS3 powered Nissan 350z)

Ryan Litteral is a driver famous for having a drift vehicle with top class style over the years. Ryan comes from Southern California and has been drifting for 12 years now. He earned his license with his black S14 in the Just Drift series back in 2013. His last appearance in Pro 2 was in 2016 where he finished a solid 6th  place running his own program.

For the 2018 season he has teamed up with KoruWorks in Marietta, Georgia to campaign an LS3 powered Nissan 350z. The team will attend all four rounds that have a Pro/Pro 2 weekend and they will do double duty trying to sweep the Formula Drift weekend with a victory at both levels. You can also catch his YouTube series called IT’S LITT! Documenting his demo car 240sx build.

Ryan is running Konig Ampliform in 18×9 et 15mm front and 18×10 et 20mm rear in DARK METALLIC GRAPHITE. The Konig Ampliform is Flow Formed.

 

Geoff Donati

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geoff Donati – Formula Drift Pro 2 (LS3 powered Nissan 240sx)

Geoff Donati hails from a small town in Ohio and once he discovered drifting he wasted no time heading out to the track to give it a shot. His first full season of Pro-Am soon followed at the Midwest Drift Union in 2016 and where he fell just short of earning a license when the year ended by one point! Geoff went right back to MDU for the 2017 season and managed to win almost every round that year and became champion of the series with ease.

Geoff Donati dominates his competitors with consistency and some have even compared him to a young Chris Forsberg. He seems incapable of making a mistake at times behind the wheel and looks to carry that ice in the veins approach into Pro 2 for 2018

Geoff is running Konig Hypergrams in 18×9.5 et 25mm front and 17×8 et 40mm rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

 

Travis Reeder Konig Ultraform

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travis Reeder – Formula Drift Pro 2 (LS3 powered Nissan 240sx)

Travis Reeder is a drifter from the Pacific Northwest who cut his teeth in the Evergreen Drift series. Travis dominated the 2016 season in the Evergreen Drift Pro Am easily becoming the champion of this regional Pro Am series. He made his Pro 2 debut last season and managed to earn Rookie of the Year for his amazing efforts behind the wheel in his 240sx. In fact, he was basically announced champion at Texas Motor Speedway and could only mathematically lose if Kevin Lawrence qualified first and then won the event. Sadly, that happened and he finished the season in second place by the smallest margin in Formula Drift history after some amazing drifting all year.

Travis Reeder caught the world’s attention when he won Road Atlanta last year and took a commanding early lead in the Pro 2 championship. He has committed to the Pro 2 season again for 2018 and is determined to win the championship at all costs.

Travis is running Konig Ultraforms in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9 et 25mm rear. The Konig Ultraforms is Flow Formed.

 

Kelsey Rowlings Konig Hypergram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kelsey Rowlings (5.0L Coyote powered Nissan 240sx)

Kelsey Rowlings earned her Pro 2 license in the Three Palms Drift series down in Florida and became the first-ever female to earn a Pro 2 license through the Pro-Am drift promotion ladder. Kelsey was one of the few drifters who traveled in the younger part of her career and she managed to also compete in the Streetwise Drift, Lone Star Drift, and XDC series before stepping into the Pro 2 stage.

Kelsey’s engine package makes her one of the most unique car setups on grid in 2018. Instead of the traditional LS-engine setup, her team has picked the 5.0L engine out of a new Mustang GT to power her 240sx. Kelsey returns to the Pro 2 series in 2018 looking to outperform last season.

Kelsey is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25mm rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

 

Garrett Denton Konig Dekagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett Denton (2JZ powered Nissan 240sx)

Garrett Denton is one of the most unique racers in the Pro 2 field today. At the age of 14, Garrett was the youngest driver to win a sanctioned NASCAR event race in North America. His love of driving and racing started as early as 5 years old and he has been behind the wheel ever since. Garrett also came from the Midwest Drift Union series where he finished in second place in 2017 and took plans to run in the Pro 2 series.

His Pro 2 campaign involves a crew full of University of Northwest Ohio graduates where he also attended college earning an in dual Associates Degree in High-Performance Motorsports Technology and Automotive Technology. Garrett will be taking to the Pro 2 circuit with a 2JZ powered Nissan 240sx with support from Koruworks to help him make a run for the championship.  

Garrett is running Konig Dekagram in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25mm rear. The Konig Dekagram is Flow Formed.

 

Alec Robbins Konig Hypergram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alec Robbins (LS powered Nissan 350z)

Alec Robbins is a unique individual who famously ran a slammed pickup truck drift build with an LSX engine in the Pro-Am ranks. Alec Robbins saw success as the 2016 Midwest Drift Union champion and made his rookie year debut in 2017 in the Koruworks 350z for some Pro 2 rounds.

Looking forward to the 2018 Pro 2 season, Alec Robbins has built his own 350z with a LS engine making 550/560 to the wheels. This should be a great setup to keep up with the competition at all four rounds of the Formula Drift Pro 2 series.

Alec is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear in RED OPAL. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

 

Adam Knapik Rennform

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adam Knapik (LS powered Nissan 240sx)

Adam Knapik hails from Southern California and earned his Pro 2 license through the Just Drift Pro-Am series. In 2016, he managed to take home the Just Drift Championship and has been working to improve his LS-powered Nissan 240sx ever since. His day job is a Porsche driving instructor giving him endless amounts of time behind the wheel of racecars. Moving into the 2018 Pro 2 season we cannot wait to see what Knapik Racing has put together to go out and compete with the big boys of Pro 2.

Adam is running Konig Rennforms in 18×9 et 23 all the way around. The Konig Rennforms is Flow Formed.

 

Donovan Brockway e30 beast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donovan Brockway (LS powered 2014 BMW 2-Series)

While Donovan Brockway has opted to take the 2018 season off he is still a part of the Konig Wheels Drift team. His 2018 season off is allowing him to put a new “BeastMW” together that starts with an F22 BMW 2-series chassis that will have a full HGK carbon/Kevlar widebody kit and one big RHS 427 race engine. We know Donovan will be missed on the paddock this year but we cannot wait to follow his build progress and see it debut on Konig Wheels in the 2019 Pro 2 season.

Donovan is currently running Konig Rennforms in 18×8 et 35mm front and 18×9 et 35 rear on his 1000hp e30. The Konig Rennforms is Flow Formed.
ampliform

However on the F22 he will be running the Konig Ampliform’s! Make sure to stay tuned to his build!

The Konig team is ready for Formula Drift Round 6!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – Round 6 | August 4th & 5th
As Formula Drift descends on Seattle, WA this weekend for round 6 (round 3 of pro2), Konig sponsored drivers from all over the country are making their way to the city of coffee and rain. Hopefully it wont rain this weekend because we’re excited to see what will be served up at Evergreen Speedway. With this season only a few events from the end, we thought we would give you a quick rundown of some of our FD drivers.

THE KONIG FORMULA DRIFT TEAM


Nate Hamilton has returned back to FD Pro and has really shown his skills and maturity in the sport. This season as proven to be almost a graduate course for Nate. He has had more top 16 finishes this season then in his entire career. It just seems that Nate gets better and better at each event. That has shown through his confident and aggressive driving. Currently in 16th place the last two events this season are going to be defining for Hamilton. Of course it will be his best professional season in Formula Drift but it will also be an incredible benchmark in his professional drifting career. We’re super proud of Nate and are excited to be part of his program. Go get’em Nate!

Nate is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.


Kevin Lawrence is for sure a rising star in the Formula Drift series. With his most recent win at FD Orlando, Kevin and the Enjuku Racing team are pushing for another “W” in Seattle and are chasing that championship. Kevin is an extremely knowledgable and all around great person. He is the definition of a true enthusiast not to mention has one of the coolest cars in FD pro2 with his right hand drive RB25 powered S14. Kevin is making that journey across the country and looks nothing less than ready and prepared to come out on top! Kevin is currently in 5th place.

Kevin is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.


Travis Reeder is a 100% the one to beat on the PRO 2 track! The battle for the series at this point could be a face off between two Konig sponsored drivers, Reeder and Lawrence. Travis placed 2nd in Orlando to Kevin Lawrence but took the win in Atlanta. He is currently in 1st place in the pro 2 rankings. Travis and his 240SX are on Konig Ultraforms and are coming into Seattle armed and ready to take out the competition!

Travis is running Konig Ultraforms in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9 et 25 rear. The Konig Ultraforms is Flow Formed.


Kelsey Rowlings is an exciting driver to watch and definitely ready to show the field what she’s made of. Kelsey’s driving style is super agressive which makes her the one you can’t keep your eyes off. She’s struggled a bit the first half of the season but not due to lack of effort or skill. Seattle could really be an exciting breakout event for her. Its refreshing seeing a women driver in professional drifting but be very clear, Kelsey is as solid of a professional drift driver as anyone in pro 2. Make sure to keep your eyes on her, because she really is an incredible driver!

Kelsey is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.


Donovan Brockway and the Red Baron team are like no other! His turbo E30 BMW, nicknamed “theBeast”, throws more smoke than you can imagine and the platform is one of the sickest in FD. Brockway is another one of those extremely aggressive drivers. They have been working out the kinks the first half but its looking better and better every event. When they put it all together Donovan is going to pop in to action in a major way! Follow Donovan and the Red Baron team as they prepare to move up on the rankings in this round of Formula Drift Pro 2!

Donovan is running Konig Rennforms in 18×8 et 35mm front and 18×9 et 35 rear. The Konig Rennforms is Flow Formed.


Alec Robbins and the Koruworks team are getting the 350Z on Konig Hypergrams ready for the FD Seattle! If you follow pro-am drifting last year and a bunch of grassroots drifting events you will know this dude can drive. Pairing him with one of the coolest shops on the East Coast (Koruworks) is a killer combo. Alec is currently in 15th place and is looking to show the field whats up! Unfortunately he wont be driving in Seattle due to mechanical issues, however look for him at Gridlife and back at FD Texas.

Alec is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear in BRONZE. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.


Adam Knapik had a rough start to the Formula Drift season. It seemed like anything that could go wrong…well…went wrong for Adam. Blown engine, crazy electrical problems, etc, etc. So this round is definitely one of redemption for Adam and his team! Gearing up the V8 powered 240SX on Konig Rennforms, stay tuned and be ready to see Knapik lace up the track this time around!

Adam is running Konig Rennforms in 18×9 et 23 all the way around. The Konig Rennforms is Flow Formed.


Matt Vankirk is now part of the Konig family and we are super excited to have him. With a ranking of #4 on the PRO 2 board with 105pts, which is only 2 points away from 2nd place, it’s obvious Matt and his team are aiming for the top spot! MVK took second place at FD Atlanta right behind Travis Reeder. Who knows how that battle would have ended up as a mechanical issue forced MVK to shut the car down just as he entered into the first battle between him and Reeder. This event will be a test to see if MVK, Lawrence or Reeder will be the top Konig sponsored Pro 2 driver. Super exciting! Be sure to check out Matt’s 240sx on Konig Hypergrams!

Matt is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

Donovan Brockway Formula Drift Orlando Recap

Posted on by Konig Gfx

**** GUEST BLOG – BY Donovan Brockway****

As racers we spend so much time in the off season prepping, strategizing and planning for the upcoming season. I have never felt more prepared than coming into this season. There was definitely a learning curve with the car over the last two seasons, but this time when I showed up in Orlando, I was more excited than ever and ready to prove what our team can do.
During practice on Thursday, I did a few follow laps to get a feel for the course. Even though we have been to Orlando Speed World before and have data from the venue, we have a new beast this year. The new control arms felt great and after a minor change to the fuel map, the new engine was ripping better than ever. The 2nd practice session we got my suspension and tire PSI dialed in and we were all set for qualifying! My first lap started off strong, putting the back end of the car close to outer zone 1, I came off the bank planning an on throttle transition. The tire debeaded when the car hit the flat causing an epic spin out and a zero for that run. The Orlando track has a nasty lip transition from the outer bank to the inner course which is notorious for debeading tires. Now the pressure is on. The 2nd run was a little more cautious than I intended but qualified us 15th and we were in the competition for Friday!
Friday practice was on and I decided to get a little more tandem work in before the competition. Doing mostly follow runs, l worked on my initiation proximity, got a feel for everyone’s speeds and saw when they pulled off outer zone 1. The transition from bank to flat is brutal and caused many issues for everyone that weekend. During a follow run with Travis Reeder, my car decided to sheer all of the lug studs off mid run and it sucked my driver side wheel under the rear of the car throwing the back end into the air. It was by far one of the weirdest experiences I’ve ever had driving! Not fully realizing what had just happened, my car skidded to a stop and all I could hear was metal on concrete. I thought the tire had just come off, I didn’t know I was on sliding on my brake rotor. After a flatbed tow back to the pit, we scrambled to find another rotor. With no such luck, the team managed to pull it off and straighten it as best we could before the top 16 competition. The car was heavily compromised and the e-brake basically didn’t work till the 2rd or 3rd pull but we went out and gave it our all anyway! We were faced up against Randal Waters for top 16. We had data numbers on him and we knew his car was fast. Following him, I initiated a little too far back, not really knowing when my car was going to slow down and I basically held that position the rest of the lap. On my lead run I laid down the best line I could but he was right there in proximity which put an end to our day.
We learned a lot in Orlando about the car and team. Once again, the car threw a curve ball at us but that’s how the program evolves. I can’t thank everyone enough: the team, my family, all my friends and all the amazing companies we are fortunate enough to be working with. See you guys in Atlanta!”
– Donovan Brockway

Donovan Brockway is the owner of Red Baron Racing and professional Formula Drift Pro 2 Driver. Brockway is a Konig sponsored driver and runs the flow formed Konig Rennform on his BMW E30.

Donovan Brockway teams up with Konig!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Konig Wheels is proud to announce our newest sponsored driver, Donovan Brockway. Brockway, the founder and main driver of Red Baron racing, has teamed up with Konig for the 2017 Formula Drift Pro 2 season.  Driving a BMW E30 nicknamed “theBeast”MW Donovan will be thrashing tires this season on Konig Rennform wheels!

Here are some words from the man himself:

“Hey what’s up guys! It’s Donovan here, I’d like to tell you a little about myself and the

team but first I’d like to formally thank Konig for the opportunity to partner up and

become the official wheel sponsor of Red Baron Racing. We’re extremely excited to be

working with them and feel their wheels align perfectly with our car and team’s brand

image.

I started drifting about 6 years ago after a few of my friends got me out to Sonoma

Raceway, our local track, for the Wednesday night drifts. This was back when drifting

was just starting out on a regular basis at Sonoma. Most of the cars had less than

200hp and were all driven to the track. They threw me in the passenger seat, did a few

laps and I was hooked. The next week I spent looking for a starter chassis. I always

loved the older 3 series body style (E30) and thought it would make a really cool drift

car. The first motor I swapped in was an M52 with about 180hp on a good day. It made

a great starting point, but gradually we went up in power swapping out that motor for a

stock S54 and then adding nitrous, a supercharger and finally arriving at the turbo setup

you see today that pushes over 1000hp. I earned my FD pro 2 license after finishing in

3rd place at TopDrift in my NX powered S54 E30. After acquiring my pro2 license, I

knew the competition would increase significantly so I started to build a new car and

assemble a crew.    Luckily, I was able to find a solid crew chief and master fabricator,

along with a great group of guys to help run the program. Our first year in Pro2 had a

huge learning curve that even extended into our second year. This year, we are dialed

in and ready to battle. The car is running better than ever, looking better than ever, and I

am excited to get back in the seat and prove to the drifting world that we are a

contending team heading for the top.”

*** Here are some drool worthy images sporting the Konig Rennform’s and the 2017 livery!  Check it and make sure to follow Donovan and Red Baron Racing!  Their social links are below!”

donovan brockway e30 bmw

Donovan Brockway e30 bmw konig rennform

The Social Media Stuff:
RED BARON RACING – INSTAGRAM
RED BARON RACING – FACEBOOK

Wheels Running:
Konig Rennform 18×8.5 Front / 18×9.5 Rear

The Konig Rennform is a Flow Formed wheel that has fitment in most popular passenger vehicles especially euro applications.  The Rennform has an exceptional amount of caliper clearance and is perfect for those big brake cars or cars with BBK upgrades.  

We are super exciting to be a part of Donovan’s /  Red Baron Racing’s program this year.  Stay tuned for more!