Hobson wins Utah Round and Championship title, Richards finishes second and crowned Rookie of the Year
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Friday, September 15, 2023
Location: Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT
Event: Formula DRIFT Link ECU PROSPEC Championship Round 4
RESULTS FROM FD PROSPEC ROUND 3
- Ben Hobson (USA) – Pedal Commander / Feal Suspension / Koruworks / Motegi Racing Nissan S14
- Cole Richards (USA) – Richards Racing / Koruworks Scion FRS
- Geoff Donati (USA) – Freedom Builders / Tuner Tools-powered E46 BMW
2023 FD PROSPEC CHAMPIONSHIP
- Ben Hobson (USA) – Pedal Commander / Feal Suspension / Koruworks / Motegi Racing Nissan S14
- Andy Hateley (USA) – Hateley Motorsports Habanero E46 BMW 3
- Rudy Hansen (USA) – Track Tires / Mast Motor / J&A Racing Oil Nissan 240SX S13
NOTES
- With two wins out of four, Hobson claimed the 2023 Formula DRIFT Link ECU PROSPEC Championship title by taking victory in Utah. His dominance was emphasized by a 101-point lead over second-place Hateley
- After joining PROSPEC in 2021, Hobson decided to join the Odi Bakchis Team Feal organization this year, giving him the support and vehicle he needed
- Hobson beat Richards in the Final. In addition to finishing second in Utah and fourth overall, 19 year-old Richards claimed Rookie of the Year in a phenomenal season that also saw him win Round 2 in New Jersey
- Richards’ second place in Utah came after the team appealed a decision in the Great 8, which restored him to competition. Allowed a second run against Joshua Love (USA), Richards appeared to struggled with overheating issues from a replaced radiator but battled through to the Final Round
- Donati took third in Utah and finished the season fifth overall after improving at each Round
- Hateley finished fourth in Utah in secure second in the 2023 PROSPEC Championship. His best result of the year was second at Round 3 in St Louis
- Hansen secured third in the Championship by finishing fifth in Utah after being knocked out of the Great 8 by Hobson. Hansen had previously led the PROSPEC title chase after winning the Opening Round in Atlanta
- The top finishers in the 2023 Formula DRIFT Link ECU PROSPEC Championship become eligible for 2024 FD PRO licenses if they choose to move up
2023 FORMULA DRIFT CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
ROUND 4 FD PROSPEC TOP 16 DRIVER POINTS
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | Ben Hobson | 100 |
| 2 | Cole Richards | 88 |
| 3 | Geoff Donati | 78 |
| 4 | Andy Hateley | 64 |
| 5 | Rudy Hansen | 51 |
| 6 | Joshua Love | 49 |
| 7 | Trevor Root | 48 |
| 8 | Jack Davis | 48 |
| 9 | Kasey Kohl | 32 |
| 10 | Austin Matta | 32 |
| 11 | Kelsey Rowlings | 32 |
| 12 | Hooman Rahimi | 32 |
| 13 | Dustin Miles | 32 |
| 14 | Adam Knapik | 32 |
| 15 | Evan Bogovich | 26 |
| 16 | Tyler Foley | 32 |
FD PROSPEC TOP 16 FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | Ben Hobson | 345 |
| 2 | Andy Hateley | 244 |
| 3 | Rudy Hansen | 215 |
| 4 | Cole Richards | 204 |
| 5 | Geoff Donati | 186 |
| 6 | Jack Davis | 176 |
| 7 | Dmitriy Brutskiy | 153 |
| 8 | Nate Chen | 146 |
| 9 | Joshua Love | 145 |
| 10 | Austin Matta | 144 |
| 11 | Alex Jagger | 140 |
| 12 | Dustin Miles | 128 |
| 13 | Faruk Kugay | 128 |
| 14 | Cody Buchanan | 128 |
| 15 | Connor O´Sullivan | 128 |
| 16 | Blake Olsen | 116 |
NEXT ROUND
Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, CA will host the Round 8: Type S Title Fight, the Final Round of the Formula DRIFT PRO Championship on October 13-14. Please visit formulad.com for the competition schedule, ticket information, driver profiles, special content, and the event livestream
