Tag: Round 4

Balls To The Wall: Fredric Aasbø Wins At FD New Jersey words The Speedhunters images Larry Chen

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After qualifying in a close second spot behind Ken Gushi at New Jersey’s Wall Speedway yesterday, Speedhunters driver Fredric Aasbø battled through the ranks and the rain today to take his second top podium spot for the 2015 Formula Drift season.

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The win came after an epic battle on the bank with Dean Kearney at the round dubbed ‘The Gauntlet’. And we suspect Kearney, who hails from Ireland, was at a distinct advantage in the wet conditions thanks to his home country’s lovely climate. The Irishman started his climb to the final behind the wheel of his Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper by beating Vaughn Gittin Jr. in the Air Force Top 32 – and things only got better from there. But in the end, Kearney couldn’t quite match the precise, consistent Aasbø and his Rockstar Energy Drink/Hankook Tires Scion tC in the GoPro Final Battle.

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The struggle for third and fourth positions was fought out between Japan’s Masashi Yokoi in his D-Max Nissan Silvia S15…

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And Ryan Tuerck in his Retaks Scion FR-S, seen here battling Scandinavia’s Kenny Moen. Tuerck would take the win for third after some tense moments.

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Aasbø’s win at the same place he took his very first Formula Drift round victory last year, and another solid performance from Tuerck has really tightened up the 2015 FD Pro Championship. In fact, right now just 8 points separate the top three drivers! Ryan Tuerck leads on 275.00, closely followed by Odi Bakchis in second with 274.00, and Fredric Aasbø sits in third on 268.00. The pressure will definitely be on for this trio at the fifth round ‘Throwdown’ at Evergreen Speedway in Seattle, Washington, next month.

We’ll be back soon for a closer look at how the New Jersey event played out, so keep an eye on Speedhunters.com for the full story in the coming days. In the meantime you can check out all the battles from ‘The Gauntlet’ via Formula Drift’s On Demand video service.

Top 32 Play-by-Play: Formula Drift Rd 4 Wall Speedway By Driving Line

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Wall Speedway in New Jersey has become a staple on the Formula Drift schedule, and the 33-degree banking is the most dramatic on the circuit. The uneven guard railing that lines the top of the bank can rip apart a car in a second, but drivers love to test the limits. New Jersey marks the middle point of the seven round Formula Drift USA schedule, and many championship chases have been curbed via carnage at the track in years past.

The course is a play on a figure eight, and somewhat similar to the Orlando layout just in smaller scale. Drivers take off from the start line and enter the first turn clockwise around the banked track, asked to push their bumpers as close to the guard rail as possible. Before they cross the traditional start finish line, drivers transition off the bank and onto the flat bottom with a switchback before entering the second turn also in clockwise orientation. After pushing their car as far outside on the flat apron without putting a tire onto the bank, drivers switchback once again on the backside of the track before rounding out the track on the apron of the first turn. With three outside clipping zones and a pair of switchbacks, the small track is easily viewed from anywhere in the stands and tends to provide close tandem.

In qualifying, Ken Gushi topped the qualifying charts for the second consecutive event with a score of 93, while his Scion Racing teammate Fredric Aasbo earned the same qualifying score but lost the tiebreaker due to a lower style score. Justin Pawlak pushed his Ford Mustang into the third place qualifying position, with Pat Goodin and Kenny Moen rounding out the top 5.

In case you missed the event or the live Formula Drift Driftstream, here’s a play-by-play of how the top 32 tandem battles shook out.

Fast forward to the Ford Top 16 or Nitto Final 4.

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Air Force Top 32

Ken Gushi vs. Kyle Mohan

Gushi Lead: Gushi initiating as the number one qualifier for the second straight event, Hamilton isn’t giving him any room! Gushi is high on the bank, just like in his qualifying run, but Hamilton keeps it close through the entire course. A small steering bobble from Gushi, exiting the second outer zone, but otherwise a smooth run for both drivers.

Continue reading Top 32 Play-by-Play: Formula Drift Rd 4 Wall Speedway By Driving Line

Formula DRIFT Round 4 The Gauntlet Results

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Formula DRIFT Round 4 The Gauntlet Results;
Fredric Aasbo is Victorious

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Long Beach, Calif. – June 28, 2015 – Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro returned to Wall Speedway in Wall Township, New Jersey for Round 4: The Gauntlet. Fredric Aasbo in the Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Scion tC takes the victory and moves into third place in the standings.

Round 4: The Gauntlet saw challenging conditions due to the inclement weather. The varying dry and wet conditions on the track through the event created an additional element that the drivers had to overcome in order to advance through the rounds of competition. The action was competitive with many close battles. 300,000 fans tuned in through the event weekend on the Driftstream.

“As we approach the halfway point of the season we are in the tightest race for the championship with only 7 points separating the top three drivers,” said Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “With only three events remaining in the season, the championship is still up for grabs. We expect the championship to come down to the wire in one of the most exciting seasons to date.”

The semi-finals saw Ryan Tuerck in the Retaks / Maxxis / Nameless Performance Scion FR-S battle it out against Dean Kearney in the Oracle Lighting / Achilles Motorsports Dodge Viper. Kearney edged out Tuerck to advance to the Finals. Fredric Aasbo faced off against Masashi Yokoi and after a close battle, Aasbo took the victory to face Kearney. Consistency in the wet condition proved to be the deciding factor for Aasbo as he was able to take his second consecutive victory at Wall Speedway moving into third place in the chase for the championship only 7 points behind the leader. Tuerck with his third place finish rises to the top of the standings by a mere point over Aurimas Bakchis in second place.

“What an amazing win! We are back in the hunt for the championship and I couldn’t be happier,” said Fredric Aasbo, winner of Round 4: The Gauntlet. “Big thanks to Rockstar Energy Drink, Scion Racing, and of course Hankook Tire on their home turf. I think we were able to prove our extreme prowess in the rain.”

The 2015 Formula DRIFT season will continue to Round 5: Throwdown on July 24-25, 2015 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.

Round 4: The Gauntlet Event Results

1. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Scion tC Winner
2. Kearney, Dean Oracle Lighting / Achilles Motorsports Dodge Viper 2nd Place
3. Tuerck, Ryan Ryan Tuerck Racing / Retaks / Maxxis Scion FR-S 3rd Place
4. Yokoi, Masashi D-Max Nissan S15 4th Place
5. Gushi, Ken GReddy Racing / Hankook Tire Scion Racing FR-S 5th Place
6. Denofa, Chelsea BC Racing Chelsea DeNofa Motorsports GT Radial BMW 6th Place
7. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Nissan 240SX 7th Place
8. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab Nissan S15 8th Place
9. Pawlak, Justin Roush Performance / Car Crafters Ford Mustang 9th Place
10. Goodin, Pat Enjuku Racing / Falken Tire Nissan S13 10th Place
11. Moen, Kenny Bridges Racing / Achilles / Gatebil Nissan S14 11th Place
12. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 12th Place
13. Mordaunt, Pat DriftPaddock.com / Falken Tire Nissan 350Z 13th Place
14. Castro, Jhonnattan E3 / Hankook / Progreso Nissan 370Z 14th Place
15. Field, Matt CX Racing / Yokohama Nissan S14 15th Place
16. Saito, Daigo Achilles Radial Nissan GT-R 16th Place
2015 Formula DRIFT Championship Presented by GoPro Top 3 Standings After Four Rounds
1. Tuerck, Ryan Ryan Tuerck Racing / Retaks / Maxxis Scion FR-S 275.00 Points
2. Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Nissan 240SX 274.00 Points
3. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Scion tC 268.00 Points

Manufacturers Championship Standings After Four Rounds

1. Scion 644.00 Points
2. Nissan 331.00 Points
3. Ford 290.00 Points
4. Chevrolet 215.00 Points
5. Dodge 152.00 Points
6. Mazda 143.00 Points
7. Infiniti 140.00 Points
8. Toyota 105.00 Points
9. BMW 104.00 Points

Tire Championship Standings After Four Rounds

1. Hankook 610.00 Points
2. Nitto 432.00 Points
3. Achilles 390.00 Points
4. Maxxis 360.00 Points
4. Yokohama 360.00 Points
6. Falken 351.00 Points
7. GT Radial 213.00 Points