With the recent surge in the popularity of drifting here in America, more and more drivers are getting their American muscle sideways. Tony Brakohiapa is no newbie when it comes to drifting, though he suffered a setback last month during a Formula Drift exhibition match when his car caught on fire. Tony has been over in the Middle East, racing his standard Mustang while his team back home put together an all-new Mustang with a unique look

Mustangs Daily posted Top Cover Racing’s press release announcing Tony’s new car. With a 2010+ front end and a 2005-09 rear end, the Top Cover Racing Mustang will stand out from the crowd of muscle cars when it debuts at Formula Drift Las Vegas this weekend.

In fact, it will be the first of kits kind on a field filled late-model production cars battling for drift domination. It is already a stand out, with a paintjob recalling the famed Tuskegee Airmen Red-Tail livery, and the new 2011 rear end and 2005-09 taillights will make it a unique sight out on the track. According to the somewhat confusing press release, his new Mustang was both “saved from perdition” by his dedicated crew, and what we have here is a new version of that. Or it is a completely new car “from scratch.”

We posted the press release down below, you can draw your own conclusions, though it seems to us that this is the old car, made new, with a more modern front end. Another bonus was a found weight savings of 300 pounds compared to the old car…which may mean this is indeed an entirely new car.

Official Release

Veteran Formula Drift driver Tony Brakohiapa of Top Cover Racing returns with a new Mustang to the 2011 Formula Drift Championship this weekend in Las Vegas , Nevada .

This season Brakohiapa drove his standard Mustang in overseas Formula Drift events in Abu Dhabi and Qatar , while in California his team built a fresh Mustang drift car from absolute scratch. Brakohiapa is looking forward to debuting the new vehicle at the Vegas track, where he had a great result last year and came away with a top 4 finish.

The Mustang touts a unique integration of a 2011 front end with a 2005/09 rear section—a first in a motorsports application. An expected weight reduction of at least 300 lbs from the previous Mustang should make the new car even more competitive. A classic military star has been added to Top Cover’s distinctive Tuskegee Airmen Red-Tail livery.

Many hands brought the rescued 2005 Mustang back from perdition and all are eagerly awaiting its new career just in time for the Drift season’s last two events. The build-team included Sinergy Motorsports, Calfin Fabrication, Jordan Innovations, Gialmas Technical Innovations, Sam’s Autoland, LethalPerformance.com, amongst others.

Brakohiapa has proudly formed a new partnership with HESS Motorsports out of Anaheim Hills, CA. Hess Motorsports is a new high-end, multi-purpose, performance shop with extensive experience in street and racing applications. They provided suspension setup and scaling for the new mustang and will provide pit support for Brakohiapa in Las Vegas .

Brakohiapa would like to thank his sponsors for their continued support this year. Cooper Tire, Glazier Ironworks, Sam’s Autoland, Exedy, Eibach, Enkei, Seibon, Wilwood, Go Pro, Sparco, Anzo USA, Swanson Performance, RealPerformanceMustangs.com, Drivers Inc. and Shelly Ward Enterprises.

About Tony Brakohiapa

Tony has been a professional race driver for nearly 10 years. His experience includes Formula Mazdas, Stock Cars, Sports, and Touring cars, etc. Tony has been a driver in the Formula Drift Championship since 2005. Tony is a senior instructor at Jim Russell Racing School and Audi Sportscar Experience at Infineon Raceway. He has also worked as a private driving coach for various vintage (C.S.R.G.-Classic Sportscar Racing Group) and A.L.M.S. sportscar teams such as T.R.G. (The Racers Group). Tony is an accomplished film/TV precision and stunt driver for many top car manufacturers. He was the stunt driving double for the rap artist Bow Wow in the movie “The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift”. Tony was born in Kumasi, Ghana, West Africa . He has called the Bay Area home for over 10 years.