Every PRO Championship in Formula DRIFT’s 21-year history has been decided at the Final Round at Irwindale Speedway. But James Deane (Ireland) came close to claiming the title at the previous Round. And while he hadn’t accumulated enough points to lift the trophy in Utah, Deane’s 74-point advantage meant he technically just needed to pull up to the starting line for his Top 32 competition heat and “demonstrate a standard of participation” to ensure a record-breaking fourth championship title.
However, the House of DRIFT has an ancient curse, which can conjure up weird anomalies. Deane wouldn’t be the first driver to arrive at the Final Round expecting an easy win and leave disappointed. In fact, during Friday practice Deane appeared to suffer mechanical issues with his AutoZone Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD. And yet, the title was Deane’s to lose. Could he reach the starting line of the Formula DRIFT PRO Championship Final Round 8: Type S Title Fight to clinch the title?
PRO SEEDING BRACKET
Deane’s closest rival, Aurimas Bakchis (Lithuania) was thrown a lifeline after the K&N Seeding Bracket. With five of the 12 drivers competing in the Top 16 tandem qualifying runs eliminated, Bakchis earned a bye run in the competition heats thanks to his victory in Round 7.
The 2024 Seeding Bracket regulations allow the first 24 positions for the Top 32 to be established according to the finishing order of the previous Round. Positions 25-32 are then decided during the Seeding Bracket, which was won by 2022 FD PROSPEC Champion Robert Thorne (USA) driving the ASM E46 BMW M3.
En route to victory, Thorne defeated Deane’s two RTR teammates; eliminating 2023 PROSPEC Champion Ben Hobson (USA) in the process, ending a forgettable season for the driver of the Pennzoil / BC Racing Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD.
RTR team leader Vaughn Gittin Jr (USA) was back in the Monster Energy Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD for the second scheduled Round of his 2024 season. And while a heavy collision with the Irwindale wall put him out of contention in the Seeding Bracket, he’d done enough to qualify in 28th position and would be looking to assist Deane’s Championship challenge if the Irishman failed to start; since Bakchis would still need to reach the Final to raise the 2024 trophy.
A resurgent Forrest Wang (USA) qualified second in the GetNutsLab / Yellowspeed / Vitour Nissan S15, while Kyle Mohan (USA) placed third in the KMR / Renewable Lubricants / Mazdatrix RX-8.
The drivers knocked out of the Seeding Bracket and eliminated from Top 32 competition included Hobson, Dmitriy Brutskiy, Ryan Litteral (USA), Diego Higa (Brazil) and Derek Madison (USA).
PRO COMPETITION
Overcoming any mechanical concerns, Deane prepared his Nitto tires in the burnout box and by pulling up to the starting line, he received enough points to put the title out of Bakchis’ reach. In doing so, Deane claimed a record-setting fourth Formula DRIFT PRO Championship title without turning a wheel in anger.
“I can’t believe we’ve got to this point in only our second season with car,” an emotional Deane said. “Practice was the most intense ever because there was so much to lose. I was afraid something could go wrong but relieved to get through it and be ready to enjoy this moment… As a 15 year-old kid, I could never have imagined being here!”
Deane became the first driver to win four Championship titles in Formula DRIFT history, pulling ahead of fellow three-time FD PRO Champions Chris Forsberg (USA) and Fredric Aasbo (Norway). Deane was also the only Champion to score three in a row in 2017, 2018 and 2019, making him the strongest contender for Greatest Of All Time.
The remarkable feat was perhaps more impressive considering Deane’s terrible start to 2024 following a pre-season engine fire, which caused considerable damage a few days before the Opening Round in Long Beach. However, RTR Motorsports rallied and gave Deane a car to win the opening round. “After that, anything seemed possible,” he reflected.
However, Deane knew things could still go rapidly wrong in Formula DRIFT. It was only 12 months ago that Deane broke his collarbone during practice for the 2023 Irwindale Final. Yet despite the injury, he qualified sixth, finished third, and placed fifth in the Championship as he came to terms with his powerful, new RTR Mustang
Returning to Irwindale 2024, and with the Championship pressure removed, Deane powered through the competition to win Round 8. It meant the four-time Champion won four Rounds in 2024, marking one of the most dominant performances in Formula DRIFT history and claiming the title with a 104-point advantage over second place Bakchis.
Deane’s battles commenced in the Top 32 against Daniel Stuke (USA), but the driver of the MspeK Performance Nissan Silvia Spec-R encountered a problem on the first run he was unable to overcome.
Veteran Matt Field (USA) was more tenacious. The driver of the Borla Performance / GT Radial / Heat Wave / Leen / Drift Cave Corvette forced the pair to run One More Time (OMT) in the Top 16 after the judges were unable to differentiate their performance. Deane was eventually awarded the win after Field wavered somewhat in the chase position and hit Inside Clip 1 (IC1) as he fought to maintain proximity.
The pattern was repeated in the Top 8 when Jeff Jones (USA) failed to yield in the Evol Auto Works / Prisma Labs / BIG Drift Energy Nissan 370Z. The judges again requested OMT but Jones choked on Deane’s smoke, striking the wall at Outside Zone 2 before over-rotating and coming out of drift.
In the Top 4 heats, Deane was the recipient of a bye run after Bakchis was unable to complete repairs in time to his Feal Suspension / GT Radial Nissan S15 following a heavy collision with Ryan Tureck (USA) in their Top 16 heat.
The absence of Bakchis propelled Deane into the Final against arch nemesis, three-time FD PRO Champion Fredric Aasbo (Norway). The driver of the Rockstar Energy / Toyota Racing GR Supra had previously come close to claiming a fourth title but an inconsistent 2024 season handed Deane the advantage.
With a history of titanic battles, their first run was an epic tussle. Aasbo set a blistering pace but his consistent lines allowed the Irishman to tap a rhythm on the Supra’s door. With the positions reversed, a mechanical issue caused the Norwegian to shut down, allowing James Deane put a bow on the season.
“This was the most magical Irwindale I’ve ever had!” Deane beamed as he wiped champagne from his mouth. “We won the Championship and the event – I don’t have words for this! It’s been unbelievable. An incredible season with six podiums and four wins, which was far better than I ever imagined or expected. I’m so grateful for the RTR team, all our partners, as well as my family and friends for being with me for this insane journey. I can’t wait to return next year with the RTR Mustang. But now it’s time to party!”
Deane’s dominance meant “Odi” Bakchis was again the bridesmaid. For the second year in a row, Bakchis finished second to an RTR Mustang – Chelsea DeNofa claimed the title last year. Bakchis attempted to end the season with a Round win but his Top 8 tussle with Tuerck’s Toyota traumatically terminated his season.
Their first run was conducted at a frantic pace: Bakchis set his Feal Suspension / GT Radial Nissan S15 on cruise control and hugged the walls while Tuerck maneuvered to gain proximity. Approaching Outside Zone 3, the front tire of the Rain-X Toyota GR Corolla made contact with Odi’s front tire, shoving him repeatedly against the wall, resulting in carnage.
With only 15min available to Team Feal for repairs, and 5min for Papadakis Racing, both Bakchis and Tuerck retired. Odi finished the season 104 points* behind Deane but 42 ahead of Aasbo. The Norwegian’s second place in Irwindale and third place overall was a poor consolation as Deane claimed the historic fourth win. However, Aasbo remains the most successful driver in Formula DRIFT history.
Third place in Round 8 went to Conor Shanahan (Ireland), who finished an inconsistent season eighth overall. Despite his Rookie status, the reigning European Drift Masters Champion claimed a Round 3 win in Orlando, which hinted at his potential. However, his season didn’t come together; he missed a Round with conflicting commitments and was driving a borrowed car for Irwindale: “I couldn’t tell you what engine is in it,” he laughed. “But I’ll be back next year to ensure James doesn’t win a fifth title!”
Finishing 68 points ahead of Shanahan and 72 points behind Aasbo was teenager Hiroya Minowa (Japan). Placing fourth overall in his debut season, Minowa recently turned 15 years old and secured the 2024 Formula DRIFT Rookie of the Year title after a remarkable season in the Enjuku Racing / Cusco / Yellowspeed Racing Toyota GT86. We have to wonder what Moniwa will do next year now, that he’s familiar with the tracks!
With overseas drivers grabbing all the podium positions, Jeff Jones (USA) was the top-ranked domestic driver, placing fourth in Irwindale driving the Evol Auto Works / Prisma Labs / BIG Drift Energy Nissan 370Z. The top US driver in 2024 was Adam LZ (USA), who placed fourth in the Championship. This was despite not intending to complete the full season, and having his competition car destroyed by a heavy impact during Round 5 in St Louis. After initially forecasting his retirement, a replacement bodyshell was offered and the team had LZ back on the grid for Round 6. He finished eighth in Irwindale.
We gave the last word to Ryan Sage, President of Formula DRIFT: “It wouldn’t be Irwindale without reaching the highest level of carnage, and this had implications on the podium positions rather than the Championship overall,” he commented. “Odi’s bruising battle with Ryan Tuerck put him out of contention for an Irwindale podium but he still locked in second place overall. That left James Deane to battle Fredric Aasbo in the Final, but James seemed unstoppable; as he has been for most of the season. Fredric secured a podium and third place in the Championship while James Deane achieved something remarkable. Capturing the Championship and winning the Round makes him unique in the sport as our first ever four-time Formula DRIFT Champion. And you have to believe he won’t stop there!
“We’re blessed to have an extraordinarily talented driver pool in the series, with the established drivers battling for the title year after year. And we’re also seeing the rise of many new stars, with names like LZ, Conor Shanahan and Hiroya Minowa threatening to upset the status quo. It certainly sets us up for a thrilling 2025 season and we’ll announce the new schedule shortly.”
In the Manufacturer’s Championships, Toyota won the 2024 Formula DRIFT Auto Cup, thanks in large part to Aasbo and Tuerck. While Nitto claimed the 2024 FD Tire Cup, which can be attributed in part to Deane and Aasbo using the company’s rubber.
ROUND 8 FD PRO TOP 16 DRIVER POINTS
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | James Deane | 100 |
| 2 | Fredric Aasbo | 84 |
| 3 | Conor Shanahan | 70 |
| 4 | Aurimas Bakchis* | 70 |
| 5 | Jeff Jones | 56 |
| 6 | Dylan Hughes | 56 |
| 7 | Ryan Tuerck | 56 |
| 8 | Adam LZ | 56 |
| 9 | Jonathan Hurst | 42 |
| 10 | Chris Forsberg | 42 |
| 11 | Hiroya Minowa | 42 |
| 12 | Matt Field | 42 |
| 13 | Branden Sorensen | 42 |
| 14 | Jhonnattan Castro | 42 |
| 15 | Ken Gushi | 42 |
| 16 | Federico Sceriffo | 42 |
2024 FD PRO TOP 16 FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | James Deane | 666 |
| 2 | Aurimas Bakchis | 562 |
| 3 | Fredric Aasbo | 520 |
| 4 | Hiroya Minowa | 448 |
| 5 | Adam LZ | 406 |
| 6 | Ryan Tuerck | 394 |
| 7 | Matt Field | 392 |
| 8 | Conor Shanahan | 380 |
| 9 | Dylan Hughes | 378 |
| 10 | Branden Sorensen | 364 |
| 11 | Simen Olsen | 364 |
| 12 | Jeff Jones | 350 |
| 13 | Chris Forsberg | 350 |
| 14 | Ken Gushi | 336 |
| 15 | Jonathan Hurst | 322 |
| 16 | Trenton Beechum | 322 |
2024 AUTO CUP TOP 5 FINAL STANDINGS
| Toyota | 1012 |
| Ford | 820 |
| GM | 672 |
| Nissan | 546 |
| BMW | 476 |
2024 TIRE CUP FINAL STANDINGS
| Nitto | 1286 |
| GT Radial | 1164 |
| Kenda | 770 |
| Vitour | 744 |
| Kumho | 546 |
| Nexen | 518 |
*Final points allocation and finishing position for Aurimas Bakchis is under review and not final