Deane and the Shanahan brothers occupied an all-Irish podium in PRO, while Brutskiy was flanked by teenagers on the PROSPEC podium
The 2026 Formula DRIFT season has seen some of the biggest changes in its 23-year history, with three new tracks added to the calendar, reaching new fans and providing a daunting challenge to teams and drivers as they rush to find the perfect car setup. Throw in a heavy downpour before the PRO Championship Qualifying session and spectators watched the cream rise to the top as new records were set and Champions flexed their muscles.
PRO QUALIFYING
Once again, the new UDSM (Universal Drift Scoring Method) technology from Race Data Labs came to the rescue as heavy rainfall prior to Qualifying left a waterlogged track and made visibility tricky for the judges. Fortunately, the telemetry and data system has automated the objective aspects of scoring individual qualifying runs by tracking the car’s precise position, even when water plumes conceal it from the human eye. This meant UDSM was able to provide accurate scoring for the driver’s Drift Line and Car Angle, which constituted 80% of their score. The remaining 20% for Driving Style was awarded by the panel of three Formula DRIFT judges.
Although sections of the track dried throughout the session, large puddles presented drivers with evolving conditions, which made the second run by Dylan Hughes (USA) in the Royal Purple Synthetic Oil / GT Radial / 2JZ-powered BMW so remarkable. Widely regarded as a rain master. Hughes topped the standings with a score of 84.13 points thanks to his precision in the challenging conditions. He was also awarded four Championship points for his qualifying efforts.
In second place was Branden Sorensen (USA) who scored 83.6 points in the Sorensen Motorsports / Quad Lock BMW. The Las Vegas native is enjoying the best season of his FD career and clearly intended to remain a major threat in the title race.
Somewhat more predictable was Conor Shanahan (Ireland) who placed third in the Red Bull / GT Radial / JYR Toyota GT86 with 82.33 points. Undoubtedly, his familiarity with wet conditions was a major advantage. Although that wasn’t the case for countryman and five-time FD PRO Champion James Deane (Ireland) who spun the O’Reilly / Pennzoil Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD on his second run. He placed 12th overall.
Championship leader Aurimas Bakchis (Lithuania) qualified sixth in the Feal Suspension / GT Radial / Subimods Subaru BRZ, hoping to build on his momentum.
With 30 drivers competing for one of the Top 32 Competition places, they only had to complete one run to qualify. Unfortunately, two failed the mission and were eliminated. They included Trenton Beechum (USA) who hit the wall hard on his first run and didn’t re-appear. Rookie Cole Richards (USA) had also hit the wall hard in practice and struggled with the car in Qualifying. His failure ended an incredible run that saw him podium at Round 1 and lead the Rookie of the Year chase. Their exclusion meant the top four qualifiers would receive bye runs into the Top 16 heats on Saturday.
PRO COMPETITION
When arriving at a new venue, there will always be concern for its success but Round 4 of the FD PRO Championship at Stafford Motor Speedway survived its baptism of fire and tire smoke, producing one of the closest, most entertaining battles of the season in front of a sell-out crowd. And while the wet qualifying session had muddied the waters, the dry track for Top 32 Competition allowed the stars to shine.
The brightest star over Connecticut was five-time and reigning FD PRO Champion James Deane. He vowed to make amends after the spin on his second Qualifying run dropped him down the starting order. And did so in emphatic style. At the wheel of the O’Reilly / Pennzoil Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD, Deane vanquished Jhonnattan Castro (Dominican Republic) in the Top 32 followed by Andy Hateley (USA), then Ryan Tuerck (USA) in an intense Top 8 battle, before knocking out RTR teammate Ben Hobson (USA) in the Final 4 heats.
In the Final, Deane completed two flawless runs against fierce competition from Jack Shanahan (Ireland). Sadly, spectators were robbed of a full-blooded contest when Shanahan suffered steering issues on the second run in the Pulsar Turbos E82 BMW, which put him off-track and out of contention.
Following his premature demise in Round 1, Deane placed second in both Round 2 and 3 before claiming his first win of the season at the new Connecticut venue. His 50-point reward allowed him to leapfrog Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis (Lithuania) into first place in the 2026 FD PRO Championship standings with a respectable 22-point margin.
“There’s so many emotions after our first win of the season,” Deane confirmed with his hands on the winner’s trophy. “We had a crazy battle with Ryan Tuerck, then I was so happy to battle teammate Ben Hobson in the Top 4. He gave me an awesome run before I met my Irish neighbor, Jack Shanahan in the Final. And it was great to be part of the first ever all-Irish international podium but I’ve got a couple of events in Europe before we return to Indianapolis to another new track. But we’re leading the Championship and will stay focused, push hard and see what happens!”
To finish second, Jack Shanahan had to defeat his brother Conor Shanahan (Ireland) in the Final 4. Unfortunately, a technical issue meant Conor was unable to complete the second run in his Red Bull / GT Radial / JYR Toyota GT86, so Jack performed celebratory donuts around the stricken car in an awesome display of sibling rivalry.
Jack’s second place thrust him to fourth in the 2026 FD PRO standings, while Conor’s third place allowed him to remain fifth. The two brothers live in the same Irish village as James Deane, making the shared podium even more special.
Fourth place Ben Hobson (USA) had one of his best events in the Pennzoil Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD since being promoted from the PROSPEC Championship in 2024. The result rocketed him from 22nd to 12th overall.
Fifth place fell to top Qualifier Dylan Hughes (USA) who lost to Hobson in the Great 8 but boosted his Championship aspirations to sixth in the standings.
Just behind Dylan was Branden Sorensen (USA) who maintained his 2026 momentum and placed sixth in the Sorensen Motorsports / Quad Lock BMW. While he missed the podium this time, he was able to remain third in the Championship standings.
Bakchis, whose Feal Suspension / GT Radial / Subimods Subaru BRZ was beaten by Conor in the Great 8 heats, placed eighth on the night, sliding to second overall.
A broken axle in the Top 16 heats curtailed the progress of Fredric Aasbo (Norway) in the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra. He dropped to seventh in the title race but it’s surely just a matter of time before the three-time PRO Champion returns to his winning ways, which will greatly impact the rest of the season.
And in the absence of Cole Richards (USA) who failed to Qualify for Round 4, Cody Buchanan (USA) was the leading Rookie in Round 4. He placed 12th in the Life Wide Open / Reboot Energy 350Z. Sitting in 21st position he still trails tenth-place Richards in the Championship standings.
“This was one of our best events in recent memory,” said Ryan Sage, President of Formula DRIFT. “We want to thank the incredible staff and family ownership of Stafford Motor Speedway who were extremely helpful, made us feel so welcome, and enabled us to put on such a great event despite getting off to a rough start with the rain. The consequences were a smaller field for the PRO Top 32 but the all-Irish podium, Deane’s rise to the top of the table, Odi’s continued presence and the rise of Branden Sorensen meant the action never stopped. And it was great to see the smiling faces of fans who perhaps had never experienced a Formula DRIFT event before. We’re delighted with how this new venue worked out and can’t wait to try it all again at Round 5 at Indianapolis Raceway Park when we introduce another new track to the series.”
Thanks largely to Deane and Hobson, Ford maintained its lead in the 2026 Formula DRIFT Auto Cup, while GT Radial continues to lead the FD Tire Cup.
PROSPEC QUALIFYING
Drivers in the Formula DRIFT Link ECU PROSPEC Championship had voted to retain the competitive tandem Seeding Bracket Qualifying format, largely because it provided lower ranked drivers with additional competitive track time to increase their experience level. With 24 of the places in Top 32 Competition determined by the Championship standings from Round 1, the remaining eight places would be filled from among the 13 drivers competing in the Seeding Bracket. And fortunately, they were spared the rain, ensuring consistent conditions throughout the session.
The top three finishers were all Rookies, with Ayden Copham (USA) claiming first place in the Copham Racing Nissan Z after a hard fought Final against Levi Wait (USA) driving the Drift Doctor BMW. Twenty year-old Copham from Brainerd, MN took the victory and was rewarded with a place in Top 32 Competition and 12 Championship points (three for each heat win) to help his 2026 aspirations. Wait’s second place was more remarkable considering he suffered a hand injury in a traffic collision on his way to the track but he certainly earned his nine Championship points.
Third place went to Sean Booth (USA) in the Feal Suspension Nissan S14.9 who had lost to Wait in the Final 4 heats.
With only eight Competition places available, five drivers were eliminated. They included Christian Cotrone, Kelsey Rowlings, Luis Lanz, Dustin Miles and Kabott Cardoso who would watch Friday Competition from the sidelines.
PROSPEC COMPETITION
The headlines suggest it was business as usual for Round 2 of the Link ECU PROSPEC Championship: two-time Champion Dmitriy Brutskiy claimed the victory and established a healthy 17-point margin at the top to the 2026 standings. But that was only part of the story…
Flanking the 40 year old Brutskiy on the podium were teenagers whose combined age was still 11 years less than his. Just as teenager Hiroya Minowa (Japan) grabbed the headlines when he climbed his first PRO Championship podium at 14 years of age, so the same is happening in PROSPEC. And we can thank a combination of extreme dedication, determination, parental support and hours on the sim rig for the phenomenon.
Brutskiy’s path to the podium began with success against Carsen Ruger (USA) in the Top 32 heats, followed by Chris Leonard (USA), Rookie Sean Booth (USA) in the Top 8 and Rookie Tyler Mayer in the Final 4. Brutskiy fought his way to the Final where his Never Settle BMW met 15 year-old Rookie Braden Lons (USA) driving the Lons Motorsports Nissan S13.
Lons had forged his own path to the Final, notably defeating Championship leader and Round 1 winner, Cory Talaska (USA) driving the Fuelab / Yellow Speed Racing 2JZ E36 BMW in the Top 16. Talaska’s early dismissal dropped him to fourth in the standings but more remarkable was Lons achieved the victory while nursing a separated shoulder.
In the Final 4, the 15 year-old Lons met 14 year-old Camren Sorensen (USA) who was at the wheel of his 1100hp Optima Battery / Sorensen Motorsports BMW. It was a fast, frenetic performance with mistakes by both drivers but Lons received the judges’ decision.
The loss meant Sorensen, one of three siblings competing at Stafford Motor Speedway this weekend, would finish third overall, equaling Minowa’s record as the youngest driver to stand on a Formula DRIFT podium. The points haul elevated Camren from ninth to sixth overall.
In the Final, Lons was determined to pressure the experienced Brutskiy but applied a little too much of his Nissan’s 850hp and the two cars collided before Outside Zone 3. The impact pushed Brutskiy’s BMW into a spin and the damage was done. After checking his car, Brutskiy just had to keep out of trouble to win yet another Round.
Lons’ second place bumped him from eighth to third in the PROSPEC standings and second in the Rookie title race behind Jason Webb (USA).
Webb, who placed second in Round 1 driving the NonStopTuning / Webb 45 Racing Ford Mustang, was knocked out of the Top 8 in Connecticut but placed fifth. It allowed him to retain second place in the PROSPEC standings but by a single point from Lons.
“Stafford Springs is my home track and I had the best crowd and my family to support me,” said a jubilant Brutskiy after the podium ceremony. “From the first run it felt like home. I had a good flow and it worked out well. I tried to approach the event one battle at a time and despite a few technical problems we got it done. It wasn’t easy but it’s nice to get a win after a couple of years of podiums but no victories. I couldn’t be happier to do this at my home track!”
Following the successful completion of Round 4 at Stafford Motor Speedway, the series moves to Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 30-August 1. Following Round 6 at its traditional Seattle home, Round 7 will take place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 24-26 where the PROSPEC Champion will also be crowned. The 2026 season will then culminate on the Streets of Long Beach for the FD PRO Final on October 23-24.
ROUND 4 FD PRO TOP 16 DRIVER POINTS*
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | James Deane | 50 +1 |
| 2 | Jack Shanahan | 40 +1 |
| 3 | Conor Shanahan | 30 +2 |
| 4 | Ben Hobson | 30 +1 |
| 5 | Dylan Hughes | 20 +4 |
| 6 | Branden Sorensen | 20 +3 |
| 7 | Ryan Tuerck | 20 +1 |
| 8 | Aurimas Bakchis | 20 +1 |
| 9 | Fredric Aasbo | 10 +1 |
| 10 | Matt Field | 10 +1 |
| 11 | Dan Stuke | 10 +1 |
| 12 | Cody Buchanan | 10 +1 |
| 13 | Dan Burkett | 10 +1 |
| 14 | Derek Madison | 10 +1 |
| 15 | Simen Olsen | 10 +1 |
| 16 | Andy Hateley | 10 +1 |
2026 FD PRO TOP 16 DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS*
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | James Deane | 149 |
| 2 | Aurimas Bakchis | 127 |
| 3 | Branden Sorensen | 107 |
| 4 | Jack Shanahan | 106 |
| 5 | Conor Shanahan | 105 |
| 6 | Dylan Hughes | 87 |
| 7 | Fredric Aasbo | 85 |
| 8 | Ryan Tuerck | 64 |
| 9 | Chris Forsberg | 58 |
| 10 | Cole Richards | 56 |
| 11 | Vaughn Gittin Jr | 51 |
| 12 | Ben Hobson | 44 |
| 13 | Matt Field | 44 |
| 14 | Dan Burkett | 34 |
| 15 | Simen Olsen | 34 |
| 16 | Ken Gushi | 24 |
2026 AUTO CUP TOP 5 STANDINGS*
| Ford | 243 |
| Toyota | 169 |
| BMW | 110 |
| Nissan | 72 |
| Chevrolet | 45 |
2026 TIRE CUP STANDINGS*
| GT Radial | 286 |
| Nitto | 243 |
| Kenda | 183 |
| Kumho | 130 |
ROUND 2 FD PROSPEC TOP 16 DRIVER POINTS*
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | Dmitriy Brutskiy | 50 |
| 2 | Braden Lons | 40 |
| 3 | Camren Sorensen | 30 |
| 4 | Tyler Mayer | 30 |
| 5 | Jason Webb | 20 |
| 6 | Matthew Bystrak | 20 |
| 7 | Ayden Copham | 20 + 12 |
| 8 | Sean Booth | 20 + 6 |
| 9 | Cory Talaska | 10 |
| 10 | Jerry Johnson | 10 |
| 11 | Nik Jimenez | 10 |
| 12 | Adam Heishman | 10 |
| 13 | Chellee Hansen | 10 |
| 14 | Kasey Kohl | 10 |
| 15 | Chris Leonard | 10 |
| 16 | Collete Davis | 10 |
2026 FD PROSPEC TOP 16 DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS*
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | Dmitriy Brutskiy | 80 |
| 2 | Jason Webb | 63 |
| 3 | Braden Lons | 62 |
| 4 | Cory Talaska | 60 |
| 5 | Tyler Mayer | 56 |
| 6 | Camren Sorensen | 50 |
| 7 | Jerry Johnson | 40 |
| 8 | Ayden Copham | 32 |
| 9 | Matthew Bystrak | 30 |
| 10 | Sam Maghmoumi | 29 |
| 11 | Sean Booth | 26 |
| 12 | Dustyn Farrell | 26 |
| 13 | Nik Jimenez | 20 |
| 14 | Adam Heishman | 20 |
| 15 | Chellee Hansen | 20 |
| 16 | Kasey Kohl | 20 |
* Preliminary standings. Final results pending official confirmation