Fredric Aasbø kjører Formula Drift i Orlando denne helgen, mot blant annet landsmann Simen Olsen. Les mer i denne pressemeldingen på engelsk.
Papadakis Racing Toyotas head to Florida as the Formula Drift championship continues its eastern swing with a stop in Orlando this weekend. Fredric Aasbo is eyeing a record 20th career win in the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra, while teammate Ryan Tuerck and the Toyota GR Corolla are looking for redemption after a challenging second round earlier this month.
Formula Drift uses a Figure-8 layout on the banked oval at Orlando Speed World. Drivers must demonstrate a mix of aggression and finesse to maintain drift along the oval and across the bumpy transition to flat through the track’s infield section. Vehicle setup and tire performance are key.
“This is a track where we really see the performance of our sticky Nitto Tires,” said team owner Stephan Papadakis. “It’s always important to get the cars performing at their best but our experience tells us that optimizing vehicle and tire setups will play a pivotal role in Orlando.”
It is too soon to see what weather will greet teams when they hit the track in Florida, but wet conditions are not unusual in the region at this time of year.
Fredric Aasbo and the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra won Round 2 in Atlanta and sit a narrow third in the 2024 championship heading into Round 3. The most winning driver in Formula Drift history, Aasbo has three championship titles (2022, 2021, 2015) and a record setting 19 career victories – including two at Orlando Speed World (2016 and 2017). He has finished on the podium in Orlando for the past three years.
Tuerck finished fifth in Orlando last year after proving his mastery of the tricky course with a No. 1 qualifying position. He is preparing for a comeback performance this weekend.
A modified format this season means both Tuerck and Aasbo are pre-qualified into the Round of 32 and won’t see competition until Saturday.
Drivers will practice on track Friday afternoon and meet fans during an hour-long autograph session at 4:45 p.m. (ET). Competition starts Saturday with the livestreamed Top 32 starting at 2:30 p.m. (ET) and continues until the trophy ceremony scheduled for 11:15 p.m.
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 Aasbo, as well as back-to-back championships with driver Tanner Foust in 2007 and 2008. Tuerck joined the Papadakis Racing team in 2020 and has shown strong results in the Toyota GR Corolla, bringing home the third-place championship trophy in 2022 and 2020. Partner Toyota has won the manufacturer’s cup eight 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.