EVENT DETAILS
Date: Friday, May 10, 2024
Location: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA
Event: Formula DRIFT Link ECU PROSPEC Championship Round 1

RESULTS FROM FD PROSPEC COMPETITION
1.  Tommy Lemaire (Canada) – XPN Carbon/Kevlar Nissan S14.9
2.  Alex Jagger (USA) – Forsberg Racing / STEEL-IT Coatings / RaceTreads / Nismo Parts Nissan Z
3.  Josh Love (USA) – Josh Loves Drifting / ASM E46 BMW

NOTES

• The Top 32 competition heats began in warm sunshine, followed by a cooling track as the final heats took place at night
• Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is the oldest track on the FD schedule and the fastest thanks to its downhill approach to the first turn
• All FD PROSPEC teams run on GT Radial spec tires
• Following the introduction of the Seeding Bracket on Thursday (replacing the traditional solo qualifying runs), the leading 16 drivers had only participated in practice sessions prior to the Top 32 competition heats. Whereas positions 27-32 were populated by drivers who went through a 32-car Seeding Bracket to qualify, giving them considerably more track experience
• Among a number of Formula DRIFT competition rule changes, driver’s will have more latitude to make a straightening correction without the run automatically being ruled “incomplete,” allowing the judges to evaluate the severity of mistakes and assess both runs from both competitors
• The One More Time rule has been tightened, with its use reserved for close, exciting battles. And drivers can no long lodge an appeal at the track
• To interpret the rules, Reese Marin (USA), Brian Eggert (USA) and Robbie Nishida (Japan) formed the judging panel
• Lemaire claimed his first Formula DRIFT win and only his second podium despite taking a hiatus in 2023. His previous best was second place in St Louis during his 2021 rookie year, in which he’d finish third overall
• To take the win, Lemaire beat Geoff Donati (USA), Jayden Martorana (Canada), Nate Chen (USA) and Josh Love (USA) on his way to defeating Jagger in a close Final
• Second place represents Jagger’s best result since joining the Link ECU Championship in 2021
• Josh Love trumps both of them by winning his first ever PROSPEC event in 2020 and finishing third in the Championship that year. After moving up to PRO in 2022, he returned to PROSPEC last year and today’s podium represents his best result since that decision
• Double PROSPEC Champion (2020 and 2021) Dmitriy Brutskiy is competing in both Formula DRIFT PROSPEC and PRO Championships this year. Finishing ninth overall in his Never Settle BMW, Brutskiy gets to try again tomorrow against the PRO drivers
• Canadian Jayden Martorana celebrated his 16th birthday this weekend by beating Justin Chestnutt (USA) in the Top 32 before party pooper Lemaire ironically knocked him out of the Sweet 16 heats
• Top Rookie was Brian Wills (USA) in 25th by virtue of his starting position drawn at random. He battled through the Seeding Bracket with fellow 2024 Rookies Jayce Habich (USA), Josh Stuart (USA), Lee Yearwood (Trinidad & Tobago), Luis Lanz (Venezuela) and Nik Jimenez (USA). All were eliminated from their Top 32 heats but each received points
• Round 2 of the Formula DRIFT Link ECU PROSPEC Championship takes place at Englishtown Raceway, New Jersey on June 20-22. Fans can enjoy the action in person or via the series livestream at youtube.com/Formuladrift

ROUND 1 FD PROSPEC TOP 16 DRIVER POINTS & CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS