Både Simen Olsen og Fredric Aasbø er begge blant de fire førerne som er med i kampen om totalseieren i årets Formula Drift i USA.
I helgen ble runde sju kjørt i Grantsville, Utah, og Simen Olsen ble best av våre to med en tredjeplass. Simen er dermed også på tredjeplass i sammendraget med sine 387 poeng. Fredric Aasbø, som endte på 7.plass i helgen, følger hakk i hel med 383 poeng. På topp ligger Chelsea Denofa med 464, mens Matt Field har 411 poeng.
Det er kun en runde igjen, og den kjøres i Irwindale, California, 13.-14. oktober.
Pressemelding fra Papadakis Racing:
Papadakis Racing Toyotas face off again in Utah
Fredric Aasbo in title contention heading into season finale
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (September 18, 2023) – Fredric Aasbo is one of only four drivers remaining in the Formula Drift title chase as the series heads into its California season ender next month at Irwindale Speedway.
“Formula Drift is such an arms race now when it comes to speed and grip, and everyone’s struggling with understeer,” said Aasbo. “We made great progress with finding more front grip this weekend, which I think will be crucial heading into Irwindale.”
After finishing second in Utah last year, Fredric Aasbo was a favorite this weekend in the Rockstar Energy Drink Toyota GR Supra. After qualifying in the 13th position, he took on Kyle Mohan in the opening round and advanced to defeat Travis Reeder in the Top 16. For the Great 8, he lined up against Papadakis Racing Toyota teammate Ryan Tuerck,
To get to the Round of 8, Tuerck had staged a crowd-pleasing come-back in the Rain-X / Nitto Tire Toyota GR Corolla. A misstep during qualifying saw him forced into the last-chance round and he edged into the 28th position on the competition battle bracket. But the wins started coming as he defeated Ryan Litteral in the opening round, then battled past Toyota driver Jhonnattan Castro in the Top 16 before meeting teammate Aasbo in the Round of 8.
The drivers are a close match and the Papadakis Racing team encourages its drivers to battle each other hard. The teammates have met in each of the past two rounds and fans in Utah were again treated to a highlight round as both drivers launched into a committed fight.
It was Tuerck who took the match and advanced to the Final 4, while Aasbo had to settle for 7th overall. With just one round to go, Aasbo is still in the title chase but will have to fight back from fourth in the standings.
Tuerck took home fourth-place in Utah and moved up to seventh in the championship chase. He has an overall championship Top 3 in his sights at the Irwindale Speedway season finale October 13-14.
Last season, teammates Aasbo and Tuerck capped off their season with a one-two finish at the Irwindale Speedway season finale. After an all Papadakis Toyota final battle, Aasbo won the event to secure the 2022 driver’s title, while Tuerck earned second and took home third in the championship. Both drivers say they are looking forward to an epic event when the series returns to the so-called «House of Drift,» a venue many consider the spiritual home of American drifting.
The 20th anniversary season of Formula Drift is shaping up to be the most competitive in series history, with a trio of three-time champions in the mix and any driver capable of scoring an outright win at every stop.
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.
