For Fredric Aasbø er det kun seier som gjelder når han til helgen kjører årets siste runde i den amerikanske Formula Drift-serien.
Årets siste runde kjøres i Irwindale der Fredric har to seire tidligere (2015 og 2022). Totalt i karrieren har Fredric Aasbø 19 seire i Formula Drift-runder.
I år har han så langt tre pallplaser i de sju rundene som er kjørt. Seier i Atlanta, andreplass i Grantsville og tredjeplass i Seattle. Sammenlagt ligger han på en 3.plass foran sesongavslutningen. Fredric har 436 poeng. På topp ligger James Deane med 566, mens Aurimas Bakchis på andreplass har 492.
Simen Olsen, som åpnet sesongen meget sterkt med blant annet andreplass bak Fredric Aasbø i Atlanta, ligger på 8.plass med 336 poeng.
Simen Olsen og Fredric Aasbø
PRESSEMELDING fra Papadakis Racing Toyota
Fredric Aasbo and Ryan Tuerck return to House of Drift
Papadakis Racing to close out drift season at Irwindale Speedway
LOS ANGELES (October 17, 2024) – Papadakis Racing Toyota drivers Fredric Aasbo and Ryan Tuerck are set to return to Irwindale Speedway this weekend for the final round of the 2024 Formula Drift season. Both are looking for victory at the legendary drift track.
“There is nothing like a win at Irwindale. The fans and energy of that place are something very special,” said Aasbo, who holds the series record for career victories with 19 overall wins – two from Irwindale (2015 and 2022). He returns this year in the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra that he drove to his most recent win at the track.
The Southern California venue is known as the “House of Drift” for its historic involvement in the foundation of the sport of drifting in the United States. It is also the home track for the Papadakis Racing team, which prepares its competition vehicles in nearby Carson.
Tuerck is coming into Irwindale in his Rain-X / Nitto Tire Toyota GR Corolla with a pair of outstanding performances in the past two years at the venue. In 2023 he finished in the final four and in 2022 he took second after lining up against his teammate for an all-Toyota final.
“That’s the dream scenario, and that’s what everybody on the team is looking to do this weekend,” said team owner Stephan Papadakis.
Aasbo has scored three podiums so far this season, taking the win in Atlanta, second in Utah, and third in Seattle. Tuerck landed on the top step in Seattle. Rival James Deane has been dominant so far this year and is all but assured the driver’s title, but the manufacturer and tire championships are both very much up for grabs. Manufacturer partner Toyota has a strong lead over rival Ford, while tire partner Nitto has the edge on GT Radial going into the final round.
The Papadakis Racing team began drifting in 2004 and is the most winning team in Formula Drift history, earning the 2022, 2021 and 2015 titles with driver Fredric Aasbo, as well as back-to-back championships with driver Tanner Foust in 2008 and 2007. Tuerck joined the Papadakis Racing team in 2020 and has shown strong results. Partner Toyota has won the manufacturer’s cup nine times since 2014.
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, the sport has rapidly grown to one of the most popular youth-oriented motorsports in the world. Here in the United States, Formula Drift officially launched in 2004 and its national schedule of eight events routinely host capacity crowds, while live-streamed multi-platform broadcasts attract millions of online viewers.