Another podium for Papadakis Racing in Atlanta
BRASELTON, Georgia (May 12, 2025) – Fredric Aasbo secured his fourth podium in a row with a second-place result in the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra this weekend at Road Atlanta. It took multiple one-more-time battles for judges to finally call a winner in a split decision Saturday night,
“To see such a crowd of fans at the podium after a late night and one-more-time battles in the rain really warms my heart,” said Aasbo from the podium after accepting his second-place trophy. “The fans in this sport are amazing and we wouldn’t be here without all the support.”
While three-time champion Aasbo got the better of James Deane at Round 1 to score his first win of the season, Aasbo had to settle for a close second after a heated final battle round in Atlanta. The two drivers are now tied for the Formula Drift points lead. Team partner Kenda leads the Tire Cup, while Toyota tops the standings for the Manufacturer’s Cup.
“Everything is flowing right now,” said Aasbo. “I’m hoping we can keep doing this again and again and again, all season long.”
Mixed weather conditions throughout the weekend tested driver consistency and gave Papadakis Racing the opportunity to experiment with setup and prove the wet-weather capability of their new Kenda tires.
The three-time champion’s route to the Final was stacked with strong challengers. On a drying and inconsistent track surface, he faced down Nick Noback in the Round of 32, bested fellow Norwegian Simen Olsen in the Top 16, took on promising newcomer Hiroya Minowa in the Great 8, and overcame Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Final Four. Aasbo’s Finals battle against Deane was so close that judges had to call for a pair of re-runs before they could finally declare a winner.
For his part, Papadakis Racing Toyota teammate Ryan Tuerck finished sixth in the Rain-X Toyota GR Corolla after he navigated a sudden downpour in his Top 32 battle against Ryan Litteral, fought back Dylan Hughes in the Top 16, and finally ended his run in a Top 8 battle with Jhonnattan Castro.
Before competition, both team drivers took part in the Night Lights event Wednesday evening to support partner Toyota Gazoo Racing in the showing of the Toyota GR Supra MkV Final Edition as well as a sneak preview of a GR Corolla development vehicle.
Next up for the team is Round 3 at Orlando Speed World May 30 and 31. Aasbo’s last wins on the tricky Florida oval were back-to-back No. 1 finishes in 2016 and 2017.
Norwegian driver Aasbo has won three Formula Drift titles since joining the Papadakis Racing Toyota team in 2011, earning his first series championship in 2015, as well as back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. He has a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most winning driver in Formula Drift, having now achieved 20 No. 1 finishes in the premier USA series and 100-plus podium finishes on three continents over the past decade of global competition. In 2024, he finished third in the championship chase.
Tuerck, who hails from New Hampshire, is a Formula Drift title contender in the Rain-X Toyota GR Corolla. His down-home charm, commitment to the sport’s grassroots, and talent in front of the camera have brought him a social fanbase of 1.8 million followers. His build legacy includes the Celica GT411, the Stout, and the Formula Supra, and started with the viral Toyota GT4586 build released in 2016. That inventive first project inspired the genre of build content online when he paired a Toyota GT86 with a Ferrari 458 engine to generate some 70 million digital impressions. He joined the Papadakis Racing team in 2020 and is a fan favorite for his go-big or go-home commitment to competition.
Based in Carson, California, the Papadakis Racing team began drifting in 2004 and is the most winning in Formula Drift history, earning the 2022, 2021 and 2015 championship titles with driver Aasbo, as well as back-to-back championships with driver Tanner Foust in 2007 and 2008. Partner Toyota has won the manufacturer’s cup nine times since 2014. Team owner Stephan Papadakis is a legend of sport-compact racing who began building his reputation in the 1990s in drag racing. The team has recently expanded of its capabilities outside of racing, delivering prototyping and engineering services for select industrial clients under the Papadakis Engineering banner.
Drifting is a high-skill, high-powered motorsport with an emphasis on car control. In the Formula Drift series, drivers compete in knockout heats on a closed course, sliding sideways in trials judged on speed and style. With origins in Japan, the sport has rapidly grown to one of the most popular youth-oriented motorsports in the world. Here in the United States, Formula Drift officially launched in 2004 and its national schedule of eight events routinely host capacity crowds, while live-streamed multi-platform broadcasts attract millions of online viewers.
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