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James Deane Wins Round 5 Of Formula DRIFT Pro Championship In St Louis; Nate Chen Takes First PROSPEC Win
The Formula DRIFT Championships have reached a critical stage as the season progresses. With the pressure mounting, rookie drivers aim to make their mark, while mid-tier competitors face a pivotal moment. Title contenders are striving to secure an unbeatable lead. The recent events at World Wide Technology Raceway showcased intense battles in both the FD PRO and Link ECU PROSPEC Championships.
A revised track layout added to the excitement by increasing speed and flow, allowing drivers to get closer to their rivals. However, any lapse in concentration was swiftly punished. The competition was fierce, with spectators witnessing thrilling performances from both seasoned drivers and newcomers.
The tension was high among the 16 drivers in the Link ECU PROSPEC Seeding Bracket. With 20 spots already secured from Round 2 results, the remaining competitors had to fight for one of 12 available positions. Success meant earning three valuable Championship points per heat win, enhancing their standings.
After four energetic heats, rookie Ryan Kaufman emerged victorious in his Taxi Garage Mazda RX-7. Kaufman faced Matthew Bystrak in the final, where a collision caused Bystrak's Mustang to run into the dirt, resulting in a tire debead and awarding Kaufman the win. Chellee Hansen secured third place after losing a semi-final battle against Kaufman.
In Round 3 of the Link ECU PROSPEC Championship, Nate Chen claimed his first-ever FD win. He defeated Cole Richards in the final after Richards dropped a tire into the dirt, launching his Toyota GR86 into the air. Dmitriy Brutskiy repeated his third-place finish from NJ.
Chen's victory propelled him to equal first place in the Championship standings alongside Richards and Brutskiy. This sets up an exciting showdown for the final round in Utah on August 28-30.
PRO Seeding Bracket Qualification
Heavy rain created challenging conditions for the Type S PRO Seeding Bracket. Despite this, Nick Noback triumphed in his Kenda Tires BMW E46. In the final against Dan Burkett's Supra, Burkett overcommitted and spun out, securing second place while Rudy Hansen finished third.
PRO Competition
The FD PRO Championship saw intense action as usual suspects advanced towards what seemed like an inevitable final until rookie Jack Shanahan disrupted expectations. James Deane faced Fredric Aasbo in a semi-final clash where Aasbo spun out of contention during his chase run.
Dylan Hughes battled Shanahan in an all-BMW shootout that went to One More Time before Shanahan narrowly claimed victory. In an all-Ireland final against Deane, Shanahan's early transition mistake cost him dearly despite executing an excellent lead run.
Championship Standings
Deane's victory tied him with Aasbo at the top of the Championship standings. Meanwhile, Shanahan leapt from 19th to eighth place overall and solidified his lead in the Rookie title chase by 26 points over Connor O'Sullivan.
Dylan Hughes secured fourth place while Adam LZ remained third despite being eliminated by Shanahan earlier on. Aurimas Bakchis dropped significantly after failing to score points due to damage sustained during competition.
Upcoming Rounds
The next round of FD PRO will take place at Evergreen Speedway on August 8-9 followed by Link ECU PROSPEC Final Round 4 at Utah Motorsports Campus on August 28-30 alongside FD PRO Round 7.
The Formula DRIFT Auto Cup sees Toyota leading with BMW close behind while GT Radial maintains its position atop Tire Cup standings ahead of Kenda Tire.
"What an amazing way to end a remarkable round," said Ryan Sage, President of Formula DRIFT. "We're excited for upcoming rounds as we head towards our first-ever purpose-built drift course for Long Beach Final Round 8."
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