Series championship came in wet, sketchy conditions
- Formula Drift finished its 20th year with a thrilling win in the rain by now-three-time champion Fredric “The Norwegian Hammer” Aasbo.
- The lantern-jawed Aasbo drove his Toyota Supra to victory in “The House of Drift” at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, Calif.
- Papadakis Racing/Toyota teammate Ryan Tuerck finished second to cap another Toyotathon season.
Fredric “The Norwegian Hammer” Aasbo won his third championship in Formula Drift, and capped the 2022 season with a victory at The House of Drift in Irwindale, Calif.
It was the perfect weekend for Aasbo, as his Papadakis Racing/Toyota teammate Ryan Tuerck finished second, no-doubt pleasing their Toyota sponsors at what used to be their home track. It was the fifth title for Papadakis Racing since the team was founded by former import drag racer Steph Papadakis.
“It takes an enormous team effort to win a championship title and I’m proud of our work this season,” said Aasbo. “It’s been up and down, for sure, but it’s the support of the team and our friends and family that gets us through. We have the whole family here tonight, with Rockstar, with Angus Cloud, with Toyota and Nitto: I love you guys! Thank you so much.”
Aasbo contemplates life and drifting at Irwindale.
Larry Chen/FormulaD
Aasbo even earned the top spot on Friday’s qualifying ladder – and the critical three points that came with it – to enter Saturday’s main event just 11 points off the lead. To win the title, Aasbo needed to finish one competition round ahead of season-long rival Matt Field.
To make everything more interesting, rain swept through the area immediately before Satuday’s finals competition, putting Aasbo in the difficult position of being first to test the wet track in the Round of 16. Drifting competition is held in paired runs, with two cars going side-by-side on the track. You would think rain would make drifting easier, being that the idea is to slide gracefully sideways through a series of prescribed turns. But that’s not necessarily the case. The 1000-hp cars need a dry track with lots of grip to perform their best. A “sighting lap” by Aasbo to check things out revealed patchy grip and puddles of standing water.
“It’s the worst conditions I’ve ever been in: if you’re up high on the bank, it’s ice, and If you’re down a little bit lower there’s more grip than there was earlier tonight,” said Aasbo on Saturday. “It’s extremely treacherous and I did not keep cool at all. It was only by the slimmest of margins that I was able to save the car from spinning.”
Another downpour midway through the finals at the end of the Top 8 heats saw inconsistent conditions ambush a number of drivers. Several cars were damaged beyond repair during their own sighting laps, while others would either be damaged or spin out of contention during competition.
Aasbo opted to take a conservative strategy and run a lower line. It was a controversial choice that paid off when championship leader Matt Field crashed out of the competition with a spin on the slick high line and opened the door for Aasbo to win the 2022 crown.
After seven different winners at the first seven rounds of the season, Aasbo was the first driver to climb to the top step of the podium twice this year, winning both at Irwindale and previously at Round 2 in Atlanta
It’s two in a row for Aasbo, who successfully defended his 2021 title with the win. He joins Chris Forsberg (USA) and James Deane (Ireland) as the only three-time Formula DRIFT Champions.
Mark Vaughn Mark Vaughn grew up in a Ford family and spent many hours holding a trouble light over a straight-six miraculously fed by a single-barrel carburetor while his father cursed Ford, all its products and everyone who ever worked there.
Keyword: Aasbo Wins Third Formula Drift Title with Final-Round Victory in Irwindale