Fan favorite to shift focus next year to 411 Works builds, YouTube content, touring events, and family

LOS ANGELES (April 8, 2026) — Professional drift driver and builder Ryan Tuerck will compete in his final full season of Formula Drift in 2026, closing a chapter in one of the sport’s most distinctive careers while turning his focus toward car building, content creation, family, and his growing business, 411 Works.

“I’m not stepping away from drifting,” said Tuerck. “I’m just stepping away from running a full championship season. I wanted to say it early so fans know this year is their chance to come out and see me run a full Formula Drift season one more time.”

For 2026, Tuerck will continue to drive the Rain-X Toyota GR Corolla with Papadakis Racing through all eight rounds of the season while celebrating the fans and competitors who have been part of his career for nearly two decades.

“Ryan is the epitome of what Team Toyota truly is,” said Paul Doleshal, general manager, motorsports and sponsorships, Toyota Motor North America. “He is a champion of our brand on and off the track and represents everything Toyota is with the upmost class and respect.

“As good of an ambassador as Ryan is for Toyota, he is a better friend, husband and father and we are so happy to support him as he transitions to this next phase in life. Ryan will always be a part of our family, and we know this final season in competition will be as stellar as his career has already been.”

Tuerck made the announcement Wednesday at Night School, a grassroots gathering hosted at Race Service, surrounded by longtime friends and fellow Drift Alliance drivers Chris Forsberg and Vaughn Gittin Jr. The setting reflects the community where his career began and the culture that helped shape modern drifting in North America.

“I came into drifting through grassroots events and together with the people who built this sport,” Tuerck said. “Being able to announce this surrounded by friends who were there from the beginning means a lot. It’s pretty special knowing my last full season will include sharing the track again with guys like Chris and Vaughn.”

A regular podium finisher in Formula Drift, Tuerck has been one of the sport’s most recognizable personalities. His accomplishments include third place in the 2022 and 2020 Formula Drift championships, runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2009, Fan Favorite of the Year in 2016, and Best Style awards in 2012 and 2014. Earlier in his career he won back-to-back Canadian championships in the Drift Mania Canadian Championship (DMCC) in 2005 and 2006.

While competition has been central to his career, Tuerck is also one of drifting’s most influential digital creators with 1.7+ million followers across social platforms. His projects helped define the genre of creative automotive builds online, beginning with the Toyota GT4586 in 2016, which paired a Ferrari 458 engine with a Toyota GT86 and generated tens of millions of impressions.

Subsequent projects including the Stout, the Formula Supra, and the Celica GT411 have continued to push the boundaries of what drift-inspired builds can be.

“The builds have become a huge creative outlet for me,” Tuerck said. “That’s where a lot of my passion is right now. I want to keep building wild cars, experimenting, and sharing that process with people.”

Those projects will become a larger focus in the years ahead through Tuerck’s business, 411 Works, and his YouTube channel, where his audience of more than 1.7 million followers follows the development of ambitious builds and experimental vehicles.

Alongside his creative work, Tuerck plans to expand events and appearances built around his personal car collection and participation in events worldwide, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the F.A.T. Ice Race, and Velocity Invitational.

The shift will also allow him to spend more time at home in New Hampshire with his wife Shannon and their two young sons, Roman and Sonny.

Tuerck’s path into professional drifting began far from the professional paddock. Raised in New England, he first developed car control driving rear-wheel-drive cars on snowy winter roads near his family’s home. He soon became a regular at Club Loose grassroots drift events before launching his competitive career in Canada and ultimately joining Formula Drift.