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QUALIFYING SEEDING BRACKET RESULTS FROM OPENING ROUND OF 2025 FORMULA DRIFT PRO CHAMPIONSHIP IN LONG BEACH

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EVENT DETAILS

Date: Friday, April 4, 2025

Location: Streets of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA 

Event: Formula DRIFT PRO Round 1 Seeding Bracket Qualification

RESULTS FROM FD PRO SEEDING BRACKET

1.   Daniel Stuke (USA) – MspeK Performance Nissan Silvia

2.   Ben Hobson (USA) – Pennzoil Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD

3.   Andy Hateley (USA) – The Drift Wizard E46 BMW

NOTES

  • Formula DRIFT uses a competitive Seeding Bracket format for driver qualification into the competition heats. The first 20 competition places were locked in by the ranking achieved by drivers at the previous Round, which in this case was Round 8 in 2024. The remaining drivers must qualify for one of 12 places in competition via the Seeding Bracket
  • The Seeding Bracket format has been reconfigured to ensure all drivers in the Top 32 competition heats have a driver to battle rather than a bye run. To achieve this, the lowest ranked drivers who lose their Top 16 Seeding Bracket heat, and fall outside the leading 12 drivers, will be eliminated
  • Thirteen drivers competed in the Top 16 Seeding Bracket in Long Beach to fill the 12 places in Top 32 competition. This meant only one would be eliminated; and the lowest ranked Top 16 heat loser was Federico Sceriffo (Italy) in the Pennzoil / FuelTech / VP Racing Fuels Ferrari 599 GTB
  • Also new for 2025, drivers will receive three Championship points for each Seeding Bracket heat win. The overall winner of qualification will receive prize money
  • The previously unavailable option of One More Time (OMT) has been added to Seeding qualification, just as it is in the Main Event. It allows the judges to request the drivers repeat both runs if they were unable to select a heat winner on their first runs. It can only be utilized once per battle. The option was exercised twice today
  • In an update to the three-man Formula DRIFT judging panel, Brian Eggert (USA) and Reese Marin (USA) will attend every round, while Robbie Nishida (Japan) and Vernon Zwaneveld will rotate through the season. Nishida adjudicated in Long Beach
  • The Type S PRO Seeding Bracket was won by Daniel Stuke (USA) in a hard-fought battle with Ben Hobson (USA), whose second place was a return to form for Hobson who only qualified twice last season
  • 2025 Formula DRIFT PRO Championship Rookies must qualify through the seeding bracket to reach the competition heats. They included Jack Shanahan (Ireland), older brother of Conor and holder of multiple Irish and British drift championship titles. He was joined by 2024 FD PROSPEC Champion Tommy Lemaire (Canada) plus Connor O’Sullivan (USA) and Austin Matta (USA) – all three earned a 2025 FD PRO competition license by finishing top three in PROSPEC
  • Although not a Rookie, Daigo Saito (Japan) has returned to FD PRO after a ten-year hiatus. As the 2008 and 2016 D1 GP Champion and the 2012 Formula DRIFT and 2012 FD Asia Champion, he’s undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with
  • Both Shanahan and Saito entered the 2025 Series after they were granted a license on the basis of an International Petition. Because they were unranked, Formula DRIFT first stacked the PRO drivers by 2024 rank and then the promoted PROSPEC drivers. The international drivers were stacked alphabetically and a number draw was performed on all drivers in the Seeding Bracket. That number is randomly selected and always between 4 and 7. The aim is to ensure that over the course of the season, drivers will pair in the Seeding Bracket with those of similar parity and finishes, without facing the same driver at every Round
  • As a result of the ranking, Shanahan faced Saito in their Top 16 heat. And while Saito lost the Top 16 heat and Shanahan would be knocked out of the Top 8, both drivers advanced into the competition heats
  • Rookies O’Sullivan and Lemaire were also paired for the Top 16 qualification and again, with Sceriffo the lowest ranked heat loser, both Rookies advanced
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FORMULA DRIFT TO BROADCAST LIVE IN SPANISH WITH NEW PARTNER PX SPORTS IN LATIN AMERICA (LATAM)

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Formula DRIFT has entered into an agreement with PX Sports to broadcast the Main Event Top 16 competitions from each of the eight FD PRO Rounds. The broadcast will be live across the PX Sports network with details available here: pxsports.com/outlets

President of Formula DRIFT Ryan Sage said, “We have been looking for a solution for a number of years to give the Spanish-speaking world access to FD events and PX Sports has agreed to bring in their own commentators and broadcast our Main Event and Top 16s.” He continued, “We’re very aware of the popularity of drifting in LATAM and there’s also been a huge push by our Spanish-speaking drivers to figure this out, so it’s a huge win for us to work with a powerful partner such as PX Sports.”

Alejando Mercado of PX Sports said, “We are thrilled to bring the electrifying competition of Formula DRIFT to the Spanish-speaking audience in LATAM. Drifting has a massive and growing fanbase across the region, and this partnership ensures they will now have front-row access to the action, expert commentary, and the passion that makes this sport so unique. At PX Sports, our mission has always been to elevate motorsports and action sports, and this is a perfect step in that direction.”

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FORMULA DRIFT WELCOMES NEW SERIES SPONSORS MEGUIAR’S® AND ENEOS OIL

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As we hurtle ever closer to the Opening Round of the 2025 Formula DRIFT PRO Championship on April 4-5 on the Streets of Long Beach, we just have time to sneak in a couple of announcements. The series is delighted to welcome the return of both Meguiar’s and ENEOS Oil as Associate Sponsors.

As one of the world’s leading car care brands, Meguiar’s needs no introduction. They’re also FD OGs, having sponsored the series in the early days and now returning to enjoy the tremendous growth that’s taken place over the past 22 years.

As part of its sponsorship program, Meguiar’s videos will be aired on the free-to-view event livestream during competition weekends. Spectators will also see the instantly recognizable logo around the track, while visitors to both Southern California Formula DRIFT rounds can visit the Meguiar’s booth to learn more about their products and speak to representatives about specific cleaning solutions.

Anybody wishing to know more about the industry-leading Meguiar’s car care products or to view their informative car care video series should visit the website at meguiars.com.

The ENEOS Motor Oil logo will be very familiar to anybody who has visited Japan. Seemingly with a gas station on every street corner, ENEOS is Japan’s largest oil company and supplier to the vast majority of Japanese and Asian car companies. In fact, ENEOS engineers can be found in the R&D departments at many of the major manufacturers, blending oils specifically for many of your favorite performance cars. Known as the Original JDM Motor Oil, ENEOS is probably what your car was designed for if it was engineeered in Japan. And the company’s unrivalled experience means your car will benefit from its engine and transmission oils, whereever it was built. 

As a special bonus to Formula DRIFT fans, ENEOS is offering a 20% discount on its oil products every time an ENEOS-sponsored driver stands on the podium this year. And considering they support both Fredric Aasbo and Odi Bakchis – who finished second and third respectively in 2024 – there should be no shortage of opportunities. Scoring seven podiums last year, Team ENEOS is hoping to increase that number in 2025. 

To learn more about ENEOS Oil and its products, please visit eneos.us

“We’re excited to welcome these leading brands back to the Formula DRIFT family,” said Ryan Sage, President of Formula DRIFT. “We’re happy that companies are seeing the tremendous growth in our series and want to be part of it, engaging with the best fans in the world!”

KENDA TIRE CONFIRMS IMPRESSIVE 2025 FORMULA DRIFT DRIVER ROSTER AND SIGNS THREE-YEAR EXTENSION WITH SERIES

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KENDA TIRE CONFIRMS IMPRESSIVE 2025 FORMULA DRIFT DRIVER ROSTER AND SIGNS THREE-YEAR EXTENSION WITH SERIES

Fredric Aasbo, Ryan Tuerck and Simen Olsen among big names joining Kenda in 2025

Kenda Tire is set for an epic 2025 season after finishing third in the 2024 Formula DRIFT Tire Cup after only joining the series the previous year. Its first priority was to sign a three-year contract extension with Formula DRIFT, signaling its long-term commitment to the teams, drivers and fans. 

Step two for Kenda Motorsports was to announce its expanded 2025 driver roster, which sees several new names join their ranks, including headline acts such as three-time Formula DRIFT PRO Champion Fredric Aasbo (Norway), Papadakis Racing teammate Ryan Tuerck, as well as title challenger Simen Olsen (Norway), Daniel Stuke (USA), and recent PROSPEC graduate Austin Matta (USA). 

The newbies will join returning Kenda Motorsports star drivers Ken Gushi (Japan), Jhonnattan Castro (Dominican Replublic), Nick Noback (USA), Jonathan Hurst (USA), and Derek Madison (USA). Undoubtedly, the new line up will create a big impression on the 2025 Formula DRIFT PRO Championship, hopefully helping Kenda to advance even higher in the Tire Cup standings. 

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Papadakis Racing Toyota drivers Fredric Aasbo and Ryan Tuerck join Kenda Motorsports

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Papadakis Racing Toyota drivers Fredric Aasbo and Ryan Tuerck join Kenda Motorsports

Tire supplier to vie for Formula Drift Tire Cup in 2025

 

LOS ANGELES, California (February 18, 2025) — Fredric Aasbo and Ryan Tuerck will join the Kenda Motorsports team in 2025, campaigning the Formula Drift series for Papadakis Racing Toyota on Kenda VEZDA UHP MAX+ tires. The team’s veteran drivers are favored for podium performance in the series.

 

“At Papadakis Racing, our goal is always to win,” said team owner Stephan Papadakis. “We are excited about working closely with Kenda’s technical team to optimize our performance and bring Kenda its first Formula Drift podiums this season.”

 

Kenda joined the Formula Drift series in 2023 with the launch of the Kenda VEZDA UHP MAX tire. The series provides the ultimate test bed for street legal tires. Teams need to optimize grip for speed off the start and then put durability to the test as drivers slide the course sideways, generating tremendous heat while still needing to maintain control. Series rules require tires to be DOT-approved and available to the public for purchase.

 

Kenda Tire uses competitive, open racing competition to develop and showcase its technologies with positioning as Premium Performance at a Value Price. It only races its VEZDA UHP products in series which permit DOT tires, as these tires can be used on the street and in grassroots competition as well as in extreme competitive environments like Formula Drift. Strong performance in open competition allows Kenda to demonstrate its Podium2Pavement™ commitment to a growing audience across the drifting community.

 

“Kenda embraces this partnership with Stephan, Fredric, Ryan and the team. We believe that competing on Kenda tires will give the Papadakis team a tremendous opportunity to build on its winning legacy and for Kenda to work with them to continue its development of the next generations of VEZDA products for enthusiasts and grassroots competitors!” said Brandon Stotsenburg, Vice President of the Automotive Division.

 

The Papadakis Racing team began drifting in 2004 and is the most winning in Formula Drift history, earning the 2022, 2021 and 2015 championship titles with driver Fredric Aasbo, as well as back-to-back championships with driver Tanner Foust in 2007 and 2008. Partner Toyota has won the manufacturer’s cup nine times since 2014. Team owner Stephan Papadakis is a legend of sport-compact racing who began building his reputation in the 1990s in drag racing.

 

Norwegian driver Aasbo will return to Formula Drift this season behind the wheel of the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra. He started working with Kenda in Europe last season as a product development driver. He has won three Formula Drift titles since joining the Papadakis Racing Toyota team in 2011, earning his first series championship in 2015, as well as back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. He has a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most winning driver in Formula Drift, having achieved 19 No. 1 finishes in the premier USA series and 100-plus podium finishes on three continents over the past decade of global competition. In 2024, he finished third in the championship chase with a record of four podiums, including a win at Round 2 in Atlanta.

 

Tuerck, who hails from New Hampshire, is a Formula Drift title contender in the Rain-X Toyota GR Corolla. His down-home charm, commitment to the sport’s grassroots, and talent in front of the camera have brought him a social fanbase of 1.7 million followers. His build legacy includes the Stout and the Formula Supra, and started with the viral Toyota GT4586 build released in 2016. That inventive first project inspired the genre of build content online when he paired a Toyota GT86 with a Ferrari 458 engine to generate some 70 million digital impressions. He joined the Papadakis Racing team in 2020 and is a fan favorite for his go-big or go-home commitment to competition. The highlight of his 2024 season was a win at Round 6 in Seattle.

 

Drifting is a high-skill, high-powered motorsport with an emphasis on car control. In the Formula Drift series, drivers compete in knockout heats on a closed course, sliding sideways in trials judged on speed and style. With origins in Japan, the sport has rapidly grown to one of the most popular youth-oriented motorsports in the world. Here in the United States, Formula Drift officially launched in 2004 and its national schedule of eight events routinely host capacity crowds, while live-streamed multi-platform broadcasts attract millions of online viewers.

 

About Kenda Tire

Founded in 1962, Kenda Tire is a global leader in tire and wheel manufacturing with market presence in multiple industries, including automotive and light truck, bicycle, motorcycles, ATV, RV, industrial, golf, and more. With more than 12000 employees globally, Kenda Tire prides itself as an organization where quality, honesty, innovation, and customer service are core values.

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