EVENT DETAILS
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Location: Streets of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
Event: Competition Results from Formula DRIFT PRO Championship Round 1
RESULTS FROM FD PRO ROUND 1
- Conor Shanahan (Ireland) – Red Bull / GT Radial / JYR Toyota GT86
- Fredric Aasbo (Norway) – Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra
- Jack Shanahan (Ireland) – Pulsar Turbos E82 BMW
NOTES
- Following the introduction of semi-automated judging during qualifying, the UDSM (Universal Drift Scoring Method) telemetry and data system from Race Data Labs was used in a supporting role during Top 32 Competition. It was enlisted to help the judges understand the vehicle dynamics and some nuance of individual runs where a collision or other incidents might have been a factor in the outcome
- In addition to providing more data to assist the judges, it also helped accelerate the judging process, ensuring the fans enjoyed more action and less deliberation
- After careful consideration of all the information, Conor Shanahan was awarded the Round 1 win in a very close Final against three-time FD PRO Champion Aasbo
- Coming at the start of his third season in FD, this was the Irishman’s second win, and was achieved at the wheel of a new car – the Red Bull / GT Radial / JYR Toyota GT86 – built by his new team: Jerry Yang Racing
- Conor’s win was more remarkable because it appeared he’d been knocked out of his Top 32 heat against Ken Gushi (Japan). Although the driver of the Toyota Gazoo Racing / GReddy Performance / Kenda Tire Toyota GR86 was deemed at fault for the collision, Shanahan’s team was unable to repair the car in time and would be eliminated. However, the judges decided to call One More Time, allowing the runs to be repeated. Shanahan then emerged the winner and proceeded to the Final
- Aasbo had a clean weekend, dominated his opponents, stayed out of trouble and kept the new Rockstar livery intact
- Conor’s brother Jack placed third after engine problems robbed the fans of his Top 4 run against Aasbo. Shanahan had gallantly chosen not to risk covering the track in oil by trying to defeat the Norwegian. His withdrawal also meant fans missed the chance to potentially see the Shanahan brothers battle in the Final if he’d been able to defeat Aasbo
- One name missing from the podium was another Irishman; five-time Champion James Deane, who was favored to win this weekend after qualifying first. However, the driver of the O’Reilly / Pennzoil Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD lost his Top 16 heat against Diego Higa (Brazil)
- Following a year away from Formula DRIFT, the Brazilian returned to competition in the Higa Motorsport Toyota GT86 and looked strong all weekend until he lost to Conor Shanahan in the Top 8
- There were great expectations for Matt Field (USA) following his second-place performance in 2025, but he fell to Dylan Hughes (USA) in the Top 32
- Similarly, LZ (USA) – who finished 2025 in third – was ejected from the Top 32 by Ryan Litteral (USA) after LZ made contact with two walls during his lead run in their One More Time battle
- Top Rookie in Long Beach was Cole Richards (USA). His placed fourth overall after losing to Conor Shanahan in the Top 4 heats. The driver of the Richards Racing Toyota GT86 narrowly avoided a big collision on their first run and was unable to overcome the error. Despite that, he must now be regarded as a major force in 2026
- Following the Opening Round, Toyota leads the Formula DRIFT 2026 Auto Cup by a considerable margin, while Kenda leads the Tire Cup by a solitary point
ROUND 1 FD PRO TOP 16 DRIVER POINTS & CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS*
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | Conor Shanahan | 50 |
| 2 | Fredric Aasbo | 40 |
| 3 | Jack Shanahan | 32 |
| 4 | Cole Richards | 30 |
| 5 | Aurimas Bakchis | 20 |
| 6 | Branden Sorensen | 20 |
| 7 | Diego Higa | 20 |
| 8 | Dylan Hughes | 20 |
| 9 | James Deane | 13 |
| 10 | Chris Forsberg | 11 |
| 11 | Ryan Tuerck | 10 |
| 12 | Hiroya Minowa | 10 |
| 13 | Ben Hobson | 10 |
| 14 | Simen Olsen | 10 |
| 15 | Jeff Jones | 10 |
| 16 | Ryan Litteral | 10 |
2026 AUTO CUP TOP 5 STANDINGS*
| Toyota | 60 |
| BMW | 32 |
| Ford | 23 |
| Nissan | 21 |
| Chevrolet | 0 |
2026 TIRE CUP STANDINGS*
| Kenda | 51 |
| GT Radial | 50 |
| Kumho | 42 |
| Nitto | 23 |
* Preliminary standings. Final results pending official confirmation
