Bakchis scores an emphatic victory, beating five-time Champion James Deane in the Final
Round 3 of the 2026 Formula DRIFT PRO Championship saw a third driver claim the top step of the podium as drivers struggled to find consistency. And with three new tracks on this year’s calendar, it may take a while for anybody to establish dominance. Certainly the weather in Orlando didn’t help the drivers establish a rhythm, with occasional rain showers continually changing track conditions throughout both qualifying and the Competition heats. But Formula DRIFT doesn’t stop for rain. The drivers are masters of overcoming slippery conditions and finding grip, with many of the most experienced campaigners rising to the top.
PRO QUALIFYING
The inclement weather arrived before qualifying began and continued to exert its influence throughout the session, dictating whether drivers had a wet, damp or dry track. This undoubtedly affected the results but it wasn’t the entire story; many drivers were able to overcome the conditions and thread the needle through the point-scoring Inside and Outside Zones to snatch a respectable qualifying position. And with a total of 32 drivers qualifying, it meant each driver only had to complete a run to advance into the Top 32 Competition Heats, which undoubtedly alleviated some of the pressure.
With heavy rain falling towards the end of the first runs, the new UDSM (Universal Drift Scoring Method) technology from Race Data Labs earned its keep. The telemetry and data system has automated the objective aspects of scoring individual qualifying runs and is able to track the car’s precise position, even if 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.
Having studied the effect of UDSM over the first two Rounds of the season, Formula DRIFT chose to resize and reposition both the Outside and Inside Zones in an effort to help raise the median Qualifying scores by positioning the Zones where the majority of drivers were running.
Traditionally, the Zones were used to provide a visual target that could be seen by fans, spotters and judges to gauge a driver’s Line. But with the introduction of UDSM, the system cannot grade a score as “good enough.” It must strictly measure how the driver filled each Zone but has revealed the Zones are never 100% covered, particularly on entry and exit. In the human judging era, the judging panel could estimate coverage and score accordingly, but the accuracy of UDSM has meant the average score was dropping when precisely measured.
For Orlando, drivers achieved their highest average scores of the year, despite a mostly wet qualifying session, because the Zones were designed for the drivers in an effort to raise the average scores. It also helped to connect what viewers thought they saw in terms of Zones filled and the psychology of what scores may have historically represented for a similar run. All of this happened without diminishing the value of having a “perfect judge” in UDSM and its roof-mounted Wally sensor.
With all the technology calibrated, three-time Formula DRIFT PRO Champion Chris Forsberg (USA) emerged as the top qualifier. He scored 85.83 points on his first run in the Destined Industries Nissan Z. Forsberg set the standard on what was arguably the driest track conditions, but that didn’t diminish his achievement. He drove with poise and precision to achieve impeccable line, angle and style scores. As the top qualifier, he also received a four-point boost to his title bid.
Receiving three Championship points for placing second was Rookie Cole Richards (USA) who scored 85.6 points driving the Richards Racing Toyota GT86. He also benefitted from a drier track and would be looking to improve on his eighth place in the standings after some incredible performances at the first two Rounds.
Fredric Aasbo (Norway) was breathing down Richards neck with a score of 84.7 points in the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra. The three-time FD PRO Champion needed to restore his title challenge after being eliminated from the Top 32 heats in Round 2, and his additional two qualifying points would nudge Aasbo in the right direction to make amends.
Championship leader Conor Shanahan (Ireland) again qualified relatively poorly in the Red Bull / GT Radial / JYR Toyota GT86. Facing a wet track and heavy rain, he placed 23rd, echoing his 24th position in Round 2 qualification. Undoubtedly, Shanahan would be hoping to reach the podium in Competition but his qualification ranking would pair him against the five-time and defending FD PRO Champion James Deane (Ireland) in the Top 32 heats. Deane and his O’Reilly / Pennzoil Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD qualified tenth and it would undoubtedly require a Herculean effort for Shanahan to defeat his fellow Irishman.
PRO COMPETITION
Despite his best efforts, Conor Shanahan fell victim to Deane’s Mustang RTR with disastrous implications for his 2026 Championship aspirations. Scoring zero points in Competition, Shanahan dropped like a stone from first to fifth in the title standings, left to contemplate his qualifying performance.
With the Championship leader cast aside, Deane appeared to have a clear run to the Final. He defeated LZ (USA) in the Top 16, followed by Matt Field (USA) in the Great 8 and won a titanic battle against Fredric Aasbo (Norway) in the Final 4.
The GR Supra driver was on a point-scoring mission and fought hard to reach the Final. With eight FD PRO titles between them, the outcome of a Deane versus Aasbo duel is never assured. However, a small mistake by the Norwegian as he transitioned from Zones 2 to 3 allowed the Irishman to pull ahead and take the win. Aasbo would end the night in third place and climbed to fourth in the standings.
Deane’s opponent in the Final would be Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis who had defeated Simen Olsen (Norway) in the Top 32, then Dan Burkett (USA), Jack Shanahan (Ireland), and Branden Sorensen (USA) in the Final 4. Odi appeared to be driving with renewed energy at the wheel of his new Feal Suspension / GT Radial / Subimods Subaru BRZ after switching from his faithful Nissan S15 chassis.
The new car had brought instant results, placing fifth at Round 1, qualified first and finished third at Round 2, and now defeated Deane in Orlando to claim his first win in the BRZ and first win since Round 7 in 2024, where he also defeated James Deane.
A small mistake by Deane transitioning into Zone 3 was all Bakchis needed to open a slight gap and claim the victory. As a result, Odi jumped from third overall to lead the 2026 FD PRO Championship by an eight-point margin over Deane.
“Going into Orlando I wanted to focus on getting good pace in the second half of the track,” Bakchis told us after the podium ceremony. “I knew the weather was going to be sketchy, so we worked hard in practice to get good drive out of the turns and to preserve tire life. And all the attention to detail paid off. We found really good pace in the car and adjusted it to suit the conditions. Everything clicked together and I’m stoked to have taken the win but the next round is at a new track where everybody starts from zero. We’ll have to focus on what we know and what’s worked so far to hopefully be on the pace again.”
Fourth place went to Branden Sorensen (USA) in the Sorensen Motorsports / Quad Lock BMW who climbed to third overall following his continuous improvement at each round.
Leading qualifier, Chris Forsberg, placed fifth after losing to Sorensen in the Great 8 and secured eighth position overall.
For the third time in three Rounds, the leading Rookie was Cole Richards (USA) driving the Richards Racing Toyota GT86. He finished ninth in Orlando after being defeated by Matt Field in the Top 16 and sits ninth overall.
The toughest battle of Round 3 had to be the Top 32 clash between Jack Shanahan (Ireland) in the Pulsar Turbos E82 BMW and Derek Madison (USA) driving the Team Infamous / Coilover Depot / Kenda Tire Nissan S14.9. The contest was so evenly matched the judges requested they repeat their two runs on two separate occasions. The stalemate was finally broken when Madison surged into Zone 1 and made contact with Shanahan’s BMW. Derek’s bumper was deleted and a drive belt flew off, causing the Nissan to come to a halt. Despite efforts to effect repairs, Madison was unable to overcome the deficit and was defeated.
The elder Shanahan sibling would advance until the Top 8 where he fell victim to Bakchis after another bruising contest. Jack finished sixth on the night and rose to sixth overall, behind his brother Conor.
In the 2026 Formula DRIFT Auto Cup, Ford maintained its lead over Toyota, while GT Radial continues to lead the FD Tire Cup
“Round 3 was another incredibly dynamic event, switching from wet to dry throughout the weekend,” said Ryan Sage, President of Formula DRIFT. “We’re so grateful to the fans who stuck around through everything. They’re always so supportive and among the best in the country. And they were able to witness the Championship get shaken up again, with changes at the top as Conor Shanahan acknowledged he didn’t find the best set up for qualifying. That meant he faced James Deane in the Top 32 and while we saw one of the best battles of the year, it resulted in Conor’s early dismissal. But it was Odi Bakchis who captured the headlines by steadily improving in his new car and taking the Round win. He now sits at the top of the table as he sets his sights on a run for the Championship.”
ROUND 3 FD PRO TOP 16 DRIVER POINTS*
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | Aurimas Bakchis | 50 +1 |
| 2 | James Deane | 40 +1 |
| 3 | Fredric Aasbo | 30 +2 |
| 4 | Branden Sorensen | 30 +1 |
| 5 | Chris Forsberg | 20 +4 |
| 6 | Jack Shanahan | 20 +1 |
| 7 | Dylan Hughes | 20 +1 |
| 8 | Matt Field | 20 +1 |
| 9 | Cole Richards | 10 +3 |
| 10 | Adam LZ | 10 +1 |
| 11 | Trenton Beechum | 10 +1 |
| 12 | Ken Gushi | 10 +1 |
| 13 | Jhonnattan Castro | 10 +1 |
| 14 | Ryan Tuerck | 10 +1 |
| 15 | Wataru Masuyama | 10 +1 |
| 16 | Dan Burkett | 10 +1 |
2026 FD PRO TOP 16 DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS*
| POSITION | DRIVER | POINTS |
| 1 | Aurimas Bakchis | 106 |
| 2 | James Deane | 98 |
| 3 | Branden Sorensen | 84 |
| 4 | Fredric Aasbo | 74 |
| 5 | Conor Shanahan | 73 |
| 6 | Jack Shanahan | 65 |
| 7 | Dylan Hughes | 63 |
| 8 | Chris Forsberg | 57 |
| 9 | Cole Richards | 55 |
| 10 | Vaughn Gittin Jr | 51 |
| 11 | Ryan Tuerck | 43 |
| 12 | Matt Field | 33 |
| 13 | Trenton Beechum | 23 |
| 14 | Ken Gushi | 23 |
| 15 | Wataru Masuyama | 23 |
| 16 | Dan Burkett | 23 |
2026 AUTO CUP TOP 5 STANDINGS*
| Ford | 161 |
| Toyota | 137 |
| Nissan | 70 |
| BMW | 68 |
| Chevrolet | 34 |
2026 TIRE CUP STANDINGS*
| GT Radial | 230 |
| Nitto | 161 |
| Kenda | 151 |
| Kumho | 78 |
* Preliminary standings. Final results pending official confirmation