As preparations continue to build for the 2025 Formula DRIFT competition season, the series organizers have enhanced the route for amateur drivers to reach the big leagues. The new list will allow drivers looking to embark on a career in drift to see a path to a full Formula DRIFT license, allowing them to make plans for success at the start of the season.
As with any motorsports championship, new driver recruitment is the life blood of the series, allowing people to get a taste of the big time and possibly leave their mark on championship history.
There are three routes to obtain a Formula DRIFT competition license for the 2026 season. The most common is by winning one of seven affiliated, regional, multi-round drift series. The full list can be found here: formulad.com/pro-am. The different series cover a large part of the United States and drivers in the western provinces of Canada can also gain eligibility via the Spec D series. The winner of each 2025 series is guaranteed a Formula DRIFT PROSPEC license for the 2026 season.
Announcing a big change for license hopefuls, the winning driver of California’s HOTPIT Autofest drift series will now be eligible for a Formula DRIFT PRO license for the first time. The promotion of HOTPIT Autofest reflects the hard work of the series organizers to create a highly competitive, five-round drift series that offers drivers both a lucrative prize purse and a competitive entry list to develop their skills and cars.
Of the remaining routes to an FD license, prospective drivers can also earn a PROSPEC license by winning two shoot-out events organized by Evergreen Drift in Washington. Alternatively, they can enter via the Formula DRIFT Scouting Program, which allows affiliate programs to petition for a driver license. New for 2025 is the addition of the Klutch Kickers Pro-Am drift series, Drift Buffet and Drift School USA as part of this Scouting Program. Series entrants who show real promise can be submitted to receive a Formula DRIFT PROSPEC license through these affiliated series.
Full details of the three options to earn a competition license can be found here: formulad.com/pro-am.
“As the leading drift series in North America, we’ve always understood and valued our role in driver development. Not only do we want fans to enjoy competitive drift events but we want to ensure the very best drivers are rewarded with a pathway that recognizes their skill and enables them to compete against the very best drift drivers in the world,” said Ryan Sage, President of Formula DRIFT. “We’re excited to welcome Klutch Kickers into the fold, reflecting the incredible job the organizers have done to elevate their series. And at the same time, we have to acknowledge the stature HOTPIT Autofest has reached in preparing drivers for the big game. And that’s why we’re excited to consider their most successful driver from the 2025 season into our PRO Championship.”
For his part, Jeff Jones from HOTPIT had this to say: “We’re thrilled that our next HOTPIT Autofest Champion will be invited to compete in Formula Drift PRO in 2026! This crossover opportunity validates the elite level of the competition and driver talent in our series. We’re proud to showcase the skills of our driver on drifting’s biggest US stage – bring on the smoke!”
The aim of the Formula DRIFT licensing series program is to identify and promote the best drivers in North America into the Formula DRIFT series. The majority of the current FD PRO and PROSPEC license holders have entered the series via these pathways and we look forward to welcoming the latest candidates into the 2025 opening round of the FD PROSPEC Championship when it kicks off at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on May 8-10.
