Photos by Larry Chen
Fredric Aasbo Takes the Event Victory and Wins the Overall Pro and World Championship.
Formula DRIFT presented by GoPro finished the 2015 Pro Championship and World Championship season at Irwindale Speedway. Fredric Aasbo in the Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Scion tC had a successful evening winning the final event of the season, while taking both the Formula DRIFT Pro Championship and inaugural World Championship.
Round 7: Final Fight showcased tremendous action to a sold out crowd at Irwindale Speedway. Drivers had to adjust to a new course configuration which created a new dynamic to the competition. Close to 400,000 viewers tuned into the Driftstream to watch the Finals weekend.
"?History was made tonight with the crowning of the first World Champion",? said Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. ?"Having the PRO 2, Pro, and World Championship all come to a climatic finish at Irwindale Speedway made for a very special weekend. The fan base continues to grow each and every year and the sell out crowd was treated to a very entertaining event.?"
Aasbo entered the event with a significant lead in the points standings, yet was able to keep his cool and drive consistent throughout the night. As the event unfolded, he was able to clinch the Pro and World Championship by moving on to the Top 16 competition creating a significant point margin that could not be overcome. Aasbo met with Hankook and Scion Racing teammate, Ken Gushi, who sat in second place in the standings, in the Finals. Aasbo edged out Gushi to take the win and make a clean sweep for the weekend. Gushi finishes the season in second place overall, his highest finish in his career. Number one qualifier, Forrest Wang, in the Get Nuts Lab Nissan S15 rounded out the podium with a third place finish. Two-time Formula DRIFT champion, Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Nissan 370Z finishes the season in third place overall.
The night was successful for Scion and Hankook as they finish with the Manufacturer and Tire Manufacturer season championship. Scion also finished one and two in the event and overall for the season. Hankook finished successfully with a first, second, and third place finish in both the event and overall championship, making for the first podium sweep for the tire manufacturer in their Formula DRIFT history.
"?What an incredible night. Winning the event and clinching the Formula DRIFT U.S. Championship and the first World Championship, you couldn?'t have scripted a better story",? said Fredric Aasbo, winner of Round 7: Final Fight. "?It'?s been a rollercoaster and we?'ve had ups and downs over the past five years, but the team has stayed on top of everything helping to grow to a championship contender and I couldn'?t be more proud of what we have achieved this season.?"
For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.
Round 7: Final Fight Event Results
1. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Scion tC Winner
2. Gushi, Ken GReddy Racing / Hankook Tire Scion Racing FR-S 2nd Place
3. Wang, Forrest Get Nuts Lab Nissan S15 3rd Place
4. Pawlak, Justin Roush Performance / Car Crafters Ford Mustang 4th Place
5. Whiddett, Mike Red Bull / Mobil 1 / Mazda ?Radbul? 5th Place
6. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z 6th Place
7. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal Suspension / ARK Performance / Nitto Nissan 240SX 7th Place
8. Ng, Charles Maxxis / Sparkplugs.com / Speedhunters Infiniti G37 8th Place
9. Field, Matt CX Racing / Yokohama Nissan S14 9th Place
10. DeNofa, Chelsea BC Racing / GT Radial BMW 3-Series 10th Place
11. Foust, Tanner Rockstar Energy / Nitto Tire Volkswagen Passat 15th Place
12. Tuerck, Ryan Retaks / Maxxis / Nameless Performance Scion FR-S 12th Place
13. Yokoi, Masashi D-Max Nissan S15 Silvia 13th Place
14. Essa, Michael SLP Performance / Yokohama Chevy Camaro 14th Place
15. Saito, Daigo Achilles Radial Nissan GT-R 15th Place
16. Mordaunt, Pat DriftPaddock.com / Falken Tire Nissan 350Z 16th Place
2015 Formula DRIFT Championship Presented by GoPro Top 3 Final Standings
1. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Scion tC 530.00 Points
2. Gushi, Ken GReddy Racing / Hankook Tire Scion Racing FR-S 431.00 Points
3. Forsberg, Chris NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Nissan 370Z 382.00 Points
2015 Formula DRIFT World Championship Top 3 Final Standings
1. Aasbo, Fredric Rockstar Energy Drink / Hankook Scion tC 793.00 Points
2. Bakchis, Aurimas Feal / ARK Performance / Nitto Nissan 240SX 534 Points
3. Field, Matt CX Racing / Yokohama Nissan S14 407 Points
2015 Manufacturers Championship Final Standings
1. Scion 1113.00 Points
2. Nissan 640.00 Points
3. Ford 515.00 Points
4. Chevrolet 390.00 Points
5. Mazda 318.00 Points
6. Infiniti 229.00 Points
7. Dodge 222.00 Points
8. BMW 193.00 Points
9. Toyota 123.00 Points
2015 Tire Championship Final Standings
1. Hankook 1094.00 Points
2. Achilles 696.00 Points
3. Nitto 673.00 Points
4. Falken 659.00 Points
5. Yokohama 642.00 Points
6. Maxxis 555.00 Points
7. GT Radial 356.00 Points
For more information contact:
John Pangilinan
213.802.0863
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ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
In its twelfth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the leading international drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each driver's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for professional drifters to compete nationwide for the coveted Formula DRIFT Championship crown. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme, attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life and establishes itself as the world-wide leader for the Sport. For a competition schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.