Fredric Aasbø innleder nå i Påsken jakten på fjerde seier i den prestisjefylte amerikanske drifting-serien Formula Drift.
Fredric Aasbø vant Formula Drift i 2015, 2021 og 2022. Han ble kåret til Årets Bilsportutøver i Norge både i 2015 og i fjor, og han er en del av elitelandslaget Team Norway. I Påsken innledes årets serie i Long Besch. Fredric kjører også i år for Papadakis Racing med en Toyota GR Supra.
Pressemelding fra Papadakis Racing:
Papadakis Racing Toyotas return to Formula Drift for SoCal season opener
Defending champ Fredric Aasbo and Ryan Tuerck to battle on Streets of Long Beach
LONG BEACH, California (April 6, 2023) – Three-time defending Formula Drift champion Fredric Aasbo and title contender Ryan Tuerck return to competition with Papadakis Racing this weekend at the season opening Streets of Long Beach. Aasbo will return to the series in the championship winning Rockstar Energy Drink Toyota GR Supra, while Tuerck is back in the Rain-X / Nitto Tire Toyota GR Corolla.
“Every season the competition levels up in Formula Drift and I know this year will be one for the record books,” said Aasbo.
This is a big season for the series, which officially celebrates 20 years in the United States. Aasbo said he is particularly eager to face down the only two other drivers in series history to hold three Formula Drift titles: Chris Forsberg and James Deane. Both are returning to competition for this milestone season.
Ryan Tuerck took third in the championship last season after a wild Irwindale Speedway season finale that saw him take the podium in an all-Toyota final round. “I’m pumped to get back out there and give it everything I’ve got,” he said.
Between them, teammates Aasbo and Tuerck achieved seven podium results in eight rounds of competition last season, with Tuerck winning the season opener in Long Beach, Aasbo topping the podium at Round 2 in Atlanta and again at the Irwindale finale. The 2022 season also saw the team celebrate a Manufacturer’s Cup victory for Toyota and a win for Nitto Tire in the Tire Cup.
«We’re coming back with a strong package for both cars,» said team owner Stephan Papadakis. «It’s going to be an exciting year and we’re ready.»
The drivers have recently completed a round of testing and have emerged from the offseason with similar confidence. Back home in his native Scandinavia, Aasbo took advantage of deep freeze conditions for ice drifting to hone his skills, while teammate Tuerck continued to develop his new compound in snowy New Hampshire.
Formula Drift is set to run a full schedule of eight event weekends across the country. The season opening Streets of Long Beach is one of the most technical courses drivers will see all year as they are challenged to thread the needle between intimidating track walls, sliding sideways at 90-plus miles per hour through the Grand Prix course’s Turns 9, 10 and 11.
This weekend’s event will deliver the series’ typically generous fan access, with trackside grandstands and an open paddock where drivers are available to take photos and sign autographs with fans. The competition is streamed live across Formula Drift channels, with qualifying scheduled to go live Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time, and a full day of action on Saturday starting live from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with opening rounds and returning from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the main event.
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. Partner Toyota has won the manufacturer’s cup eight times since 2014. Tuerck joined the Papadakis Racing team in 2020 in a Toyota Corolla Hatchback and has shown strong results, bringing home the third-place championship trophy twice in the past three seasons.
Fans can follow the action for Tuerck, Aasbo, and the whole Papadakis Racing team by tuning in to the Rockstar Energy YouTube series “Controlled Chaos,” which takes fans behind the scenes all season. Binge watch the 2022 season now on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/rockstarenergy and subscribe to be notified as this year’s content drops.
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.
2023 Formula Drift Pro Championship Schedule
Round 1: April 7-8
Streets of Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
Round 2: May 11-13
Road Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
Round 3: May 26-27
Orlando Speed World
Orlando, FL
Round 4: June 22-24
Englishtown Raceway
Englishtown, NJ
Round 5: July 13-15
World Wide Technology Raceway
Madison, IL
Round 6: August 11-12
Evergreen Speedway
Monroe, WA
Round 7: September 14-16
Utah Motorsport Park
Salt Lake City, UT
Round 8: October 13-14
Irwindale Speedway
Irwindale, CA
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