Formula Drift Finals – Thursday

Kristaps Bluss

The final round of the 2015 Formula Drift Championship presented by GoPro is here. Already. Seems like just yesterday we were heading down to Long Beach for the first round of the season, welcoming the warm spring sun and the sea air – mixed with the smell of race fuel and burning rubber. Glorious. These are truly great times we live in, aren’t they? The summer flew by like a time warp, with all rounds now in the books except this final fight for the title.

With a seemingly insurmountable lead of 80 points, Fredric Aasbo is poised to take his first Championship in this now 12 year old professional series. It would take a non-qulaify or first round loss and an overall win by Ken Gushi or Ryan Tuerck to unseat Fredric from his rightful place atop the Formula Drift podium on Saturday night.

Three different season champions will be crowned this weekend. One each for Pro2, the Formula Drift title, and the World title which was fought not just here in the US, but also saw rounds in Japan, and Canada. Another round was originally scheduled for China, but circumstances ultimately would lead to that round being cancelled. Perhaps next year.

Here are some of my favorites from Thursday action in Irwindale.

Ryan Tuerck coming off the outer bank

Chelsea DeNofa

Tanner Foust

Forrest Wang

Los Angeles Sunset

Andy Hately

Chris “Crick” Filippi

More photos tomorrow night as well as Pro qualifying results.

Ken Stouffer

I've been around some form of racing since I was a kid. First hanging around Ascot in Southern California. Then, after moving to Texas as a teen, I got hooked on drag racing and did that for almost fifteen years. In between I have raced Dirt bikes and Quads. 2011 Marked my 8th and final year racing up Pikes Peak: Five in the Pro Quad division and three in Time Attack. Future racing plans are in the works, but until then I'm at the track shooting for My Life at Speed as much as I possibly can.