EverythingDrift.com | For All Your Drifting Needs

Category Archives: Press Releases

Press Releases from all related to drifting, as well as intresting note worthy items.

Formula DRIFT Eliminates Solo Qualifying runs in Major Competition Shake-up

Posted on by

All-Tandem Format sets the tone for future of Formula DRIFT

 

“In the biggest competition change in Formula DRIFT history, the series has eliminated all single-run qualifying in PRO and PROSPEC competition,” announced Ryan Sage, President of Formula DRIFT. 

Entering its 21st season, FD has become a tandem-only competition from the first runs on Friday to the winner’s podium on Saturday. “Single-run qualifying is in the history books and Formula DRIFT is now a tandem-only series,” Sage confirmed.

The primary reason for the change is to provide fans and drivers with an even more compelling and entertaining experience. In the past, some lower ranked drivers might only complete two qualifying runs before elimination. Under the new rules, every driver will compete in at least one tandem competition run to secure their place in the Top 32 competition heats.

Transitioning to the new format required a great deal of discussion to ensure everybody benefitted. And with all drivers getting to compete plus more tandem runs for fans to enjoy, the target has been met.

One of the biggest factors in creating the new rules was to accommodate the large number of registered entrants. Since its founding 21 years ago, Formula DRIFT hasn’t limited the number of competitors registered for each season. This meant qualification became the means to not only determine starting position but also reduce the field to 32 drivers for the competition heats. And with the new format, the challenge was to ensure the on-track tandem action occupied approximately the same amount of time as the previous single-car qualifying sessions. As a result, there are three seeding formats depending on the number of registered drivers. These can accommodate 32 drivers or less, 33-40 drivers, or 41-48. And for the 2024 season, the Formula DRIFT PRO Championship will operate under the 33-40 format, while PROSPEC will accommodate 41-48 based on the number of registered drivers. Continue reading →

TICKETS ON-SALE NOW FOR FORMULA DRIFT PRO CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL ROUND AT IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY ON OCTOBER 13-14

Posted on by

 

Tickets also available for Formula DRIFT PROSPEC Championship Final Round in Utah on September 14-16 at formulad.com

Every year Formula DRIFT alerts fans that tickets for the PRO Championship Final Round at Irwindale Speedway are available from the website. It does so because every year the series organizers are contacted by disappointed fans unable to buy tickets for the event that has sold out ever since its inception in 2004. And with the 20th Anniversary season as tight as ever, it’s expected that the Championship title won’t be decided until the Final Round.

Closing out the 20th season with a bang, the Irwindale Round will feature a spectacular Saturday night firework display and the organizers have planned plenty of surprises, special appearances, and more.

In addition to the excitement generated by the 20th Anniversary and the new features that have kept fans even better informed about what’s happening both on and off the track, there is one big question yet to be answered at Irwindale, the House of Drift: Will the series crown its first four-time Champion or a first-time Champion?

Continue reading →

QUALIFYING RESULTS FROM ROUND 8 OF 2022 FORMULA DRIFT PRO CHAMPIONSHIP AT IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY

Posted on by

QUALIFYING RESULTS FROM ROUND 8 OF 2022 FORMULA DRIFT PRO CHAMPIONSHIP AT IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Friday, October 14, 2022

Location: Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, CA

Event: Formula DRIFT PRO Championship Round 8: Title Fight

RESULTS FROM FD PRO QUALIFYING

  1. Fredric Aasbo (Norway) – Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra
  2. Wataru Masuyama (Japan) – Buy Now Japan Nissan Silvia S15
  3. Branden Sorensen (USA) – US Air Force / Sorensen Motorsports BMW

NOTES

  • The track at Irwindale Speedway reverted to the 2019 layout, giving drivers a new challenge and allowing each run to end facing the main grandstand and the event judges
  • The weather was cool and cloudy for the FD PRO K&N Knockout Qualifying session
  • For yet another season, Formula DRIFT Irwindale sold out on both Friday and Saturday as fans came out to see the Championship decided
  • Qualifying first with a 91-point run, Aasbo gained three valuable Championship points, narrowing the gap to title leader Field from 14 to 11 points as they go into the competition heats on Saturday
  • Masuyama on 88 points and 18 year-old Sorensen on 87 both achieved their best qualifying results to date with very respectable runs
  • Qualifying fourth, Matt Field (USA) scored no points in K&N Knockout Qualifying driving his Drift Cave / Falken Tire C6 Corvette. He scored the same 87 points as Sorensen but lost out with an inferior style score
  • Top Rookie qualifier was Nick Noback (USA) who qualified 20th in the KoruWorks E46 BMW. He sits third in the Rookie title chase behind Mike Power (USA) and Daniel Stuke (USA). All three scored 78 points in K&N Knockout Qualifying but Noback had the superior style points
  • 35 drivers attempted to qualify for the Top 32 competition heats, which meant three would be eliminated. After the Knockout Qualifying Format (KQF), Kazuya Taguchi (Japan), Taylor Hull (USA) and Trenton Beechum (USA) took an early bath
  • Even before the competition began, Toyota had amassed enough points to claim the 2022 Formula DRIFT Auto Cup title thanks in particular to powerful performances from Aasbo, Ryan Tuerck (USA), Ken Gushi (Japan) and Kazuya Taguchi (Japan)

ROUND 8 TOP 16 FD PRO QUALIFYING

POSITION NAME POINTS
1 Fredric Aasbo 3
2 Wataru Masuyama 2
3 Branden Sorensen 1
4 Matt Field  
5 Travis Reeder  
6 Alec Robbins  
7 Rome Charpentier  
8 Aurimas Bakchis  
9 Dylan Hughes  
10 Jeff Jones  
11 Ryan Tuerck  
12 Chelsea DeNofa   
13 Adam LZ  
14 Yves Meyer  
15 Justin Pawlak  
16 Jhonnattan Castro  

  Continue reading →

ROBERT THORNE WINS 2022 FORMULA DRIFT PROSPEC CHAMPIONSHIP AT ROUND 4 IN UTAH, GUSHI WINS FD PRO ROUND 7

Posted on by

ROBERT THORNE WINS 2022 FORMULA DRIFT PROSPEC CHAMPIONSHIP AT ROUND 4 IN UTAH, GUSHI WINS FD PRO ROUND 7

For the first time in the 19-year history of the Formula DRIFT series, Utah Motorsports Campus in Grantsville, UT hosted both the FD PRO Championship Round 7: Type S Elevated presented by Autozone as well as the Final Round of the Link ECU PROSPEC Championship. 

As the fastest course on the 2022 schedule that saw the drivers initiating into the first turn at more than 100mph, the track presented a unique challenge. Teams would need to find enough grip to accelerate hard into the first turn, but not too much that the car wouldn’t transition smoothly. With three Outside Zones and two Inside Clips, the drivers also needed precision to hit the marks and advance to the final rounds. 

PROSPEC QUALIFYING

The pressure on the Link ECU PROSPEC drivers was immense. With 31 points separating the top six positions and 14 drivers having a mathematical chance off winning the 2022 Championship title, the FCP Euro qualifying session would be critical. Not only would it allocate valuable points to the top three positions but also determine the competition match-ups and, as it transpired, would provide the top three qualifiers with bye runs through the Top 32 competition heats.

With names like Thorne, Brutskiy and Bogovich stealing the headlines in the first three rounds, Kasey Kohl (USA) made a surprise appearance at the top of the PROSPEC qualifying table. Scoring 86 points in his Mspek Performance Nissan S14.9, the 2022 series Rookie would be the cat among the pigeons as he not only claimed three Championship points but also a bye run. Sitting 11th overall and 84 points from the title lead, he’d be an unlikely Champion but was undoubtedly keen to make an impact in the final round. 

In second place, Andy Hateley (USA) proved he’s still in contention in the Hateley Motorsports BMW E46 after winning the opening round in Orlando. Thirty-one points from the PROSPEC lead, Hateley had a genuine chance to claim the 2022 title, as did third-placed Jagger, who arrived in Utah fourth overall and 22 points from the top.

Link ECU PROSPEC Championship leader Robert Thorne (USA) put his ASMotorsport / Kats Coin BMW M3 in eighth position, one place ahead of Dmitriy Brutskiy who was in second, a single point behind Thorne and eager to win a third PROSPEC title with his DriftHQ / Link ECU / ISC Suspension / Enkei Wheels BMW M3 with Royal Purple.

Continue reading →

COMPETITION RESULTS FROM ROUND 5 OF 2022 FORMULA DRIFT PRO AND ROUND 3 OF FD PROSPEC CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ST LOUIS

Posted on by

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Saturday, July 16, 2022

Location: World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, IL

Event: Formula DRIFT PRO Championship Round 5: Crossroads and Formula DRIFT Link ECU PROSPEC Championship Round 3

RESULTS FROM FD PRO ROUND 5

  1. Kazuya Taguchi (Japan) – ISR UpGarage / GT Radial Scion FRS
  2. Ryan Tuerck (USA) – Rain-X / Nitto Tire Toyota GR Corolla
  3. Matt Field (USA) – Drift Cave / Falken Tire C6 Corvette

RESULTS FROM FD PROSPEC ROUND 3

  1. Evan Bogovich (USA) – Feal Suspension Nissan S14
  2. Derek Madison (USA) – Fuelab Fuel Systems / Team Infamous Nissan S14
  3. Dmitriy Brutskiy – DriftHQ / Link ECU / ISC Suspension / Enkei Wheels BMW M3 with Royal Purple
Continue reading →

EVASIVE MOTORSPORTS TESLA MODEL 3 IS FASTEST EV AT PIKES PEAK

Posted on by

In challenging conditions, Dai Yoshihara drove to second in class, ninth overall at 100th running of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

A wet course and dense fog during the 4,724ft climb to the finish line made the 100th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb especially challenging for drivers. Yet Japanese champion Daijiro Yoshihara was able to master the 156 turns on his way to the 14,115ft peak. He set a time of 11:06.205 in the Turn 14 Distribution / Yokohama Tire / ENEOS / Evasive Motorsports Tesla Model 3 Pikes Peak, which placed him ninth overall. As the fastest EV, he was second in the Exhibition Class because PPIHC currently lacks dedicated classes for electric vehicles. Winner of the class was a production 2022 Porsche 911 Turbo S Lightweight.

This year’s event was only the second outing for the Tesla Model 3 prepared by Evasive Motorsports in Cerritos, CA. Despite its promising form in practice and qualifying, a mechanical issue prematurely curtailed its 2021 attempt. During the interim, the team worked hard to understand the car and fine-tune both its aerodynamic and cooling efficiency (see Tech Spec below), making few additions to the race-prepped chassis other than switching to Yokohama racing tires for 2022. 

“It’s been an incredible week with no issues,” Dai Yoshihara told us after his successful run. “Practice and qualifying went great, which almost seemed too good to be true. And then coming into today [Sunday] the weather became a big factor with the rain and fog. However, we felt it could give us a real chance because our weakness is the power of the car but the Yokohama wet tires work really well. Effectivley, the rain erased the advantage of the other cars and I think we got a really good result because of it, which I’m obviously delighted about.”

Continue reading →