Kicking off its 20th Anniversary season, Formula DRIFT is introducing new initiatives to boost fan and team engagement throughout the series. The prize purse has been significantly increased, giving drivers a greater incentive to compete. Additionally, Formula DRIFT has added new official tire suppliers for PRO teams, including GT Radial, Kenda Tire, Nexen Tire, Nitto Tire, and Vitour Tire. To speed up the qualifying and competition heats, changes have been made to the judging system. During qualifying, the final score is an average of the points awarded by each of the three judges, who can now consider an “X factor” score to recognize drivers who are taking risks. The judges assess the entire run rather than focusing on line, angle, or style. They also have access to additional information, such as light systems in each car that indicate acceleration or deceleration and in-car telemetry to better evaluate drivers’ performance.
The Formula DRIFT teams are also playing a significant role in making 2023 an unforgettable experience. The most talked-about event is the return of three-time PRO Champion James Deane, who joined the RTR Motorsports team, along with Chelsea DeNofa, Vaughn Gittin Jr, and YouTube star Adam LZ. Other highlights include the new FD Hall of Fame, which includes a permanent monument erected in the city of Long Beach, and the first inductees, legendary drivers Rhys Millen and Samuel Hubinette, were announced during the opening weekend.
In the PRO Qualifying session, James Deane gets the lead with his AutoZone Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD, scoring 92.66 points out of a possible 100. Despite this, Ryan Tuerck manages to beat Deane with his Rear-Bumper Tapping run which gave him 98.33 points. Reigning Champion Fredric Aasbo qualified seventh in the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra, while last year’s runner-up Matt Field had a difficult start. Field spun on his first run and had to participate in Knockout Qualifying Format (KQF), where he qualified 27th with 78.66 points. Tuerck and Deane both received bye runs through the Top 32 heats, and Field faced three-time PRO Champion Chris Forsberg in the Top 32 heats. Field eventually wins the opening round of the 2023 Formula DRIFT PRO Championship, beating Forsberg and Dean Kearney, and finally meets Aasbo in the Top 4, where he spun out and lost the game.
I am a huge fan of Formula DRIFT and was so excited to see all of the new changes for the 2023 season! I especially loved the new tire suppliers and the increased prize purse. I was also thrilled to see the return of three-time PRO Champion James Deane. He is an incredible driver and I can’t wait to see him compete again.
I am really excited for the 2023 Formula DRIFT season! I love watching drifting and I think it is really cool that they are upping the prize purse this year. I also like the new changes to the judging system. I think it will make the competition more fair and exciting to watch. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the season plays out!