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James Deane Wins Formula DRIFT Round 5 In St Louis, Ties With Fredric Aasbo For Championship Lead
James Deane clinched victory at the all-Ireland Final, equalling Fredric Aasbo in the points standings. This event took place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at the World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, IL. The competition was part of the Formula DRIFT PRO Championship Round 5.
In the FD PRO Round 3 results, James Deane from Ireland drove an AutoZone Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD to victory. Jack Shanahan, also from Ireland, secured second place with his Kumho Tires BMW 1 Series. Fredric Aasbo from Norway finished third in a Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra.
Deane's win marked his second victory this season, allowing him to tie with Aasbo at the top of the Championship standings. Last year, Deane's mid-season surge led him to win the Championship. It remains to be seen if he can replicate that success this year.
Rookie Jack Shanahan made a significant impact by securing his first-ever FD podium finish. His performance propelled him from 19th to eighth in the Championship standings. Shanahan expressed disbelief at his achievement and collected his runner-up trophy with pride.
Following his victory announcement, an emotional Deane praised Shanahan: "It felt like practice day running against Jack. I knew it would be fun. And I’m proud to share his first FD podium with him because I sat with him on his first ever day drifting, and to see him go from a little 12-year-old kid to what he is today makes me very proud."
Aasbo's Semi-Final Struggle
Aasbo faced a tough semi-final against Deane and spun out in Outside Zone 4 while attempting a risky entry speed maneuver. This mistake cost him the win and left him in third place overall, tied for first in the standings.
The fourth position was claimed by Dylan Hughes from the USA driving a Royal Purple Synthetic Oil / GT Radial / 2JZ-powered BMW. His performance saw him jump from 13th overall to ninth.
Other Notable Performances
The winner of Round 4, LZ, was eliminated by Shanahan in a close battle during the Top 8. Despite finishing fifth, LZ maintained third place in the standings but now trails the leaders by 60 points.
Aurimas Bakchis from Lithuania experienced misfortune when he dropped a rear tire into dirt in OZ1, causing damage that prevented further competition. He slipped one spot to sixth overall after placing second last year.
Tire and Auto Cup Standings
In the 2025 Formula DRIFT Auto Cup standings, Toyota leads with BMW closely behind. GT Radial extended its lead in the Tire Cup standings over Kenda and Nitto.
{TABLE_X}Upcoming Events
The next round of the FD PRO Championship will take place at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA on August 8-9 for the Seattle Round. The final round of Link ECU PROSPEC Championship will occur at Utah Motorsports Campus on August 28-30 alongside FD PRO Round 7.
Formula DRIFT is renowned as an international drifting championship originating from Japan's streets. It has grown into a global sport testing drivers' skills and vehicle capabilities under extreme conditions.
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