Formula Drift Champion Michael Essa Slides into the 2016 Season on CCW Forged Performance Wheels

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - April 1, 2016 - PRLog -- Formula Drift champion Michael Essa will compete during the 2016 season using 18"x10" Corsair Hybrid wheels from CCW Forged Performance, a WELD brand. Essa returns to the E46 BMW M3 chassis in which he captured the Formula Drift championship in 2013.

"We are excited to work with Michael as he returns to Formula Drift in his CCW equipped M3," said Keith Kern, general manager of CCW Forged Performance. "Michael is a proven champion that we proudly support with our performance wheels. We extend him best wishes for the upcoming season."

Kern says the Hybrid series of wheels are specifically designed for use on track and is the wheel of choice for top performance builders. Each Corsair wheel has passed a punishing 3,000 pound (per wheel) cornering fatigue test load at 300,000 cycles, which is approximately 20 percent more cornering load and double the cycles that original equipment wheels are tested to.

CCW's Hybrid wheels are a two-piece design that starts with a forged monoblock wheel where the outer edge is machined off and a forged rim shell is bolted to the wheel. The center and inner edge retain the strength of a monoblock while allowing for the precision fitment and customization options and style of a modular three-piece wheel.

"I've used CCW wheels since 2002 for my own cars and those of my customers," explained Essa of his long term relationship as a CCW customer through his company, Essa Autosport. "I trust their wheels to perform in the heat of competition and they have always exceeded my expectations. CCW is a great company with outstanding customer service and one that I am proud to officially represent as a brand ambassador."

Essa will kick off the 2016 Formula Drift season at the opening event in Long Beach, California from April 8-9.

CCW Forged Performance is the leader in maximum performance on and off track for sports or pro-touring cars. The company's custom wheels have been used in competition at tracks around the world on performance vehicles from the Porsche 911 to BMW M3s. Modern muscle cars like the Corvette C6 Z06, Shelby Mustang GT350, Dodge Hellcat and Chevy Camaro Z28s get the performance edge and styling boost that made CCW famous.

With its unique design and custom finishes, CCW Forged Performance is a proud member of the WELD family and offers unmatched sports car and road racing performance and style. For more information, phone 386-258-0083 or visit www.CCWheel.com.

WELD manufactures the highest quality forged race wheels for dirt, oval and drag racing, along with wheels for performance street cars and trucks. Each WELD wheel is precision engineered for maximum performance on the street, off road and at the track. For more information about WELD, phone 800-788-9353 or visit www.WELDwheels.com. (http://www.WELDwheels.com)