Driver aims for third podium in a row at challenging track

BRASELTON, Georgia (May 8, 2018) — The most winning driver in Formula Drift has a score to settle with Road Atlanta. Eleven-time event winner Fredric Aasbo is hoping to claim his first victory on the challenging road course this weekend at Round 3 of the 2018 Formula Drift Championship season.

“Road Atlanta has always been my favourite track but it’s the only event we’ve never won,” said Aasbo, who scored a personal best second-place result there in 2014. “The last two years we gambled and lost, so we need to focus on fundamentals and be really precise.”

Aasbo is hoping to extend his early season momentum after starting the year with a win at the Long Beach opener and following that up with a third-place result in Orlando.

The driver said that despite an uneven history at Road Atlanta, the event remains one of his favorite stops on the calendar because of the incredible tailgate experience it offers fans. “I think it’s going to be a party,” he said. “I’m really excited to go to Atlanta and see our friends and fans.”

The Formula Drift layout at the track offers an elevation change that requires drivers to deliver a combination of finesse and aggression. “Road Atlanta is about having great grip, more than just big horsepower,” said team owner Stephan Papadakis. “Our Nexen tires are very competitive and we’re fine tuning the setup to make sure Fredric gets the most out of the car.”

The Road Atlanta course starts with a steep downhill that pushes drivers toward the third-turn keyhole feature. On exit, there’s a long acceleration zone before a final turn that sends vehicles smoking back up the hill. Managing tire wear while pushing to the limit will test every driver on the entry list. High temperatures are forecast for the event weekend.

Drifting is a high-skill, high-powered motorsport with an emphasis on car control. In the Formula Drift series, drivers compete in knockout heats on a closed course, sliding sideways in trials judged on speed and style. With origins in Japan, it is one of the fastest growing forms of motorsport in the world. Fans of Formula Drift can watch live stream coverage of the series online, or catch the broadcast coverage on the CBS Sports Network.

Following frantic work by his team, DeNofa made it to qualifying and scored 87 points on his first run. However, he was unable to complete his second run after the team discovered a more serious mechanical issue and withdrew the car. With his competitive weekend over, Chelsea joined the Formula DRIFT / AEM Halftime Show with Maximum Driftcast as a co-host and was able to give his personal perspective on the track and the unfolding action.

Continue reading 2018 FORMULA DRIFT ORLANDO VICTORY CLAIMED BY CHRIS FORSBERG

ORLANDO, Florida (April 29, 2018) – This weekend saw another podium finish for Fredric Aasbo as he snagged the top qualifying position and advanced through the Formula Drift competition ladder to score third place in the brand new Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla Hatchback.

Continue reading Fredric Aasbo third in Orlando

ORLANDO, Florida (April 26, 2018) – Fredric Aasbo is ready for the tricky Orlando Speed World track as Formula Drift makes its way east to the Sunshine State this Friday and Saturday for Round 2 of the 2018 championship.

The driver returns to series competition after a strong start to the season. He drove his brand new Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla Hatchback to victory three weeks ago at the opener in Long Beach, California. The result raised his total career wins tally to 11 — more than any other driver in Formula Drift history.

Continue reading Fredric Aasbo ready for Orlando

As is traditional, round one of the 2018 Formula DRIFT series took place on the Streets of Long Beach last weekend, with Frederic Aasbo climbing to the top step of the podium. Following the event, the city streets remain closed for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, which hosts the Motegi Super DRIFT invitational challenge on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The format is designed to entertain the TGPLB crowds and expose new fans to the sport. It involves eight top Formula DRIFT drivers who don’t score points towards the FD championship, but do compete for prize money presented by event sponsor, Motegi Racing.

The Motegi Super DRIFT Challenge is incredibly popular both with viewers on the Formula DRIFT livestream and the Grand Prix crowds, who remain until 830pm to see the victor crowned under floodlights.

The 2018 Motegi Super DRIFT Challenge would see one man rise to the top on both evenings. Piotr Wiecek dominated the proceedings, continuing the momentum that resulted in an event win at the 2017 final round, first place qualification at round one of the 2018 series and a third place finish at that event. Partnered with 2017 Formula DRIFT champion, James Deane, the Worthouse / Falken Tire team and its Nissan Silvia S15s are going to be a powerful force this year.

Wiecek’s rise to the top on Friday saw him run first against Alec Hohnadell in his Rain-X / Permatex / Nexen / Hoonigan Nissan S14 in the Great 8. Wiecek would then beat Alex Heilbrunn’s Team IMR \ Nitto Tire BMW M3 in the Final 4. This meant he ran against Forrest Wang’s Vapetasia / Achilles Radial / NRG Innovations Nissan S15 in the Final. Wang had taken second place in round one of the 2018 Formula DRIFT series after a year away from the sport and is in top form. However, Wiecek proved to be unstoppable and swept Wang aside to claim the win.

On Saturday evening, Piotr would again beat Hohnadell in the Great 8 before facing Forrest Wang again in the Final 4. After the two drivers ran together they split the judges’ decision, resulting in “One More Time.” The pair would repeated the runs and the decision eventually went to Wiecek.

Saturday evening’s Final was another thrilling battle, this time between Wiecek and Justin “JTP” Pawlak in his Roush Performance / Falken Tires / 2018 Ford Mustang. JTP had finished fifth in the opening round of Formula DRIFT and was another driver in strong form. And while the crowd was calling for “One More Time,” the judges narrowly gave the decision to Piotr Wiecek and the Worthouse / Falken Tire team.

We caught up with a very excited, champagne-soaked winner after the podium ceremony. “What an incredible weekend!” Piotr Wiecek exclaimed. “This is such an amazing track and I’m so happy to be here, and to win both events. I’m also happy that my wife and son were able to join me for the first time at such a special occasion. This was brilliant, and I must give special thanks to James (Deane) and Micheal (Sheehan) who did a great job in the paddock and as spotters. It was great fun and I hope I will be able to repeat it as soon as possible.”

The official results from the 2018 Motegi Super DRIFT Challenge are as follows:

Day one

First – Piotr Wiecek

Second – Forrest Wang

Third – Trenton Beechum

Day two

First – Piotr Wiecek

Second – Justin Pawlak

Third – Forrest Wang

Full results from both rounds of the 2018 Motegi Super DRIFT Challenge can be found at formulad.com

Visit formulad.com for event details, ticket purchases, driver profiles, result, Livestream information and more.

See photos here: 2018 Photo Gallery