Long Beach, Calif. – May 14, 2017 – Formula DRIFT Black Magic Pro Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras returned to Road Atlanta, home of the inaugural Formula DRIFT event 14 years ago. James Deane in the Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 takes the victory to regain the lead in the chase for the championship.
“This event showcased the global talent within the Series,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “Each round has been highly competitive and with only three events remaining it will be exciting to see how it unfolds.”
The Advance Auto Parts Round 3: Road to the Championship was a hard charging event and treated fans to exciting competition. An estimated 1 million viewers tuned into the Livestream through the event weekend.
It was an all European podium with Latvian driver, Kristaps Bluss in the HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46 taking 3rd place after failing to repair his vehicle for a One More Time battle against Irishman, Dean Kearney in the Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper in the semi-finals. The Finals was a battle of the Irish with Kearney and Deane fighting for the win. The drivers put on a show for the fans with an incredibly tight battle, but Deane was able to inch past his opponent to take the win. With three events completed, James Deane has now taken two event wins to move back into the top of the standings.
“We got to have an all-Irish final and that was just mind-blowing,” said James Deane, winner of the Advance Auto Parts Round 3: Road to the Championship. “The two of us just gave it 110%, no messing around, and that’s how to have a battle. I’m super happy and thanks to everyone who made this possible.”
The action continues to Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway on June 2-3. For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift, Twitter @FormulaDrift, and Snapchat – formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.
| Advance Auto Parts Round 3: Road to the Championship Event Results | ||
| 1. Deane, James | Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 | Winner |
| 2. Kearney, Dean | Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper | 2nd Place |
| 3. Bluss, Kristaps | HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46 | 3rd Place |
| 4. Hohnadell, Alec | Urban Air / Hoonigan / Nexen Tire Nissan 240 | 4th Place |
| 5. Gittin, Vaughn | Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR | 5th Place |
| 6. Tuerck, Ryan | Gumout / Nameless Performance / Hankook Toyota 86 | 6th Place |
| 7. Wiecek, Piotr | Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 | 7th Place |
| 8. Forsberg, Chris | NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z | 8th Place |
| 9. Essa, Michael | Achilles Tire / Essa Autosport BMW M3 | 9th Place |
| 10. Field, Matt | Falken Tire / Vapetasia / ARK Performance Nissan 240 | 10th Place |
| 11. Heilbrunn, Alex | IMR / Nitto Tire BMW M3 | 11th Place |
| 12. Denofa, Chelsea | BC Racing / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR | 12th Place |
| 13. Coffman, Matt | Nexen Tire / Coffman Racing Nissan 240 | 13th Place |
| 14. Hamilton, Nate | Team Enjuku / BC Racing / Hankook Tire Nissan 240 | 14th Place |
| 15. Jones, Jeff | DOC Racing Nissan 240 | 15th Place |
| 16. Mohan, Kyle | Built 2 Apex / Mazdatrix / KMR 2016 MX-5 | 16th Place |
| 2017 Formula DRIFT Black Magic Championship Presented by BlackVue Standings After 3 Events | ||
| 1. Deane, James | Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 | 245.00 Points |
| 2. Kearney, Dean | Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper | 186.00 Points |
| 3. Aasbo, Fredric | Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla iM | 178.00 Points |
| 2017 Manufacturer Championship Standings After 3 Events | ||
| 1. Toyota | 351.00 Points | |
| 2. Ford | 250.00 Points | |
| 3. Dodge | 186.00 Points | |
| 4. BMW | 157.00 Points | |
| 5. Nissan | 137.00 Points | |
| 6. Mazda | 68.00 Points | |
| 2017 Tire Championship Standings After 3 Events | ||
| 1. Falken | 435.00 Points | |
| 2. Achilles | 374.00 Points | |
| 3. Nexen | 363.00 Points | |
| 4. Hankook | 310.00 Points | |
| 5. Nitto | 299.00 Points | |