Papadakis Racing is back on track with 2-car Toyota team
LOS ANGELES, California (May 4, 2021) – The Papadakis Racing duo of Fredric Aasbo and Ryan Tuerck are ready to start their chase for the 2021 Formula Drift championship at Road Atlanta this weekend as the series opens its eight-stop season at the popular Georgia track.
“We know we have a couple of contenders for the championship in Ryan and Fredric,” said team owner Stephan Papadakis. “Both have the car, engine, tire and driver combination that can win this championship and that’s going to make for an exciting year of competition.”
The 2020 season saw the duo score a combined seven podiums in eight rounds of competition – including three outright wins. After an off-season focused on continued development for power and reliability, Aasbo returns in 2021 with a new gold livery on his Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra, while Tuerck is back in the familiar red Gumout / Nitto Tire / Mobil 1 Toyota Corolla Hatchback.
It will be the first time that drivers have seen the Road Atlanta track since Aasbo swept the event in 2019. He landed the No. 1 qualifying spot and took the win in a close final battle with Tuerck. Papadakis said there’s a good chance the two drivers will meet again this weekend.
“When you have teammates at a high level that trust each other, there’s some really good competition that can come out of it,” said Papadakis. “That makes for mixed emotions as a team owner because you never want to see your own drivers eliminate each other. But as a fan of the sport, I love it. It’s the kind of action you tune in for.”
Aasbo says the track’s tricky elevation change and fan energy in Atlanta make it his favorite championship stop. “It has been my No. 1 track since the first time I drove it: the course is challenging, the fans are always great and it has an incredible atmosphere. I love everything about Road Atlanta.”
For the 2021 season, Formula Drift is set to run a full schedule of eight event weekends at a mix of new and returning venues across the country. Road Atlanta is expected to play host to a strong fanbase and is open for 75 percent of its typical capacity this Friday and Saturday.
“There’s no place else like it on the calendar and I’m stoked to be back on the road course at Road Atlanta. I love that fast first-corner,” said Tuerck. “But what I’m really looking forward to is having fans back in the stands and in the pits and being able to sign autographs again.”
In addition to being open to fans, this weekend’s competition will again be streamed on Formula Drift channels. The Round 1 Pro competition broadcast is live starting Friday at 7:30 p.m. (local time) with warmup and qualifying, and returns Saturday at 3:45 p.m. with the first round of knockout eliminations. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 7 p.m. and competition runs into the night until 10 p.m.
The Papadakis Racing team began drifting in 2004 and is the most winning team in Formula Drift history, earning the 2015 title with driver Fredric Aasbo, as well as back-to-back championship titles with driver Tanner Foust in 2007 and 2008.
The team expanded in 2020 to add the all-new Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra to the organization, piloted by Aasbo. And for the first time, Tuerck joined the team as driver of the freshly rebuilt Gumout / Nitto Tire / Mobil 1 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. The duo immediately delivered on their powerhouse potential with a one-two result at the first round of the 2020 season and are hoping for a repeat performance to start this year in Atlanta.