Fredric Aasbo ready for Road Atlanta
ORLANDO, Florida (April 29, 2019) -- After scoring a near-perfect 99-point qualifying run, Fredric Aasbo advanced to the Top 16 and took home ninth-place points at Round 2 of the Formula Drift championship in Orlando. The driver said he's looking ahead to Round 3, where he is ready to do battle on one of his favorite tracks on the circuit.
"We had a great lead run down here in Orlando, but I never got comfortable in the chase," said Aasbo. "Every track at Formula Drift calls for something different."
Aasbo achieved 99 points out of a possible 100 during Friday qualifying to secure the Number 1 slot, then battled past hometown favorite Kevin Lawrence in Saturday's opening tandem round. He faced tough competition in the round of 16, meeting 2010 series champion Vaughn Gittin Jr.
Although Aasbo delivered a winning lead run, he lost ground to his rival on the chase and left the match too close for the judges to call. In a One-More-Time re-run, judges awarded the round to Gittin.
Team owner Stephan Papadakis says the team is prepared to dial up the grip in the Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla Hatchback when they return to competition in just two weeks at the popular Road Atlanta stop in Braselton, Georgia.
"We know we have a competitive package and you're going to see us getting a lot more aggressive on our setups at the faster tracks," said Papadakis. "It's a balance and we're confident in the direction we're headed."
Papadakis Racing is a leading contender in the championship, having won three Formula Drift titles (2015, 2008, 2007). In the past five years, driver Aasbo has finished no lower than second in the points standings and, with 12 event victories to his credit, he currently holds the series' all-time wins record.
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, it is one of the fastest growing forms of motorsport in the world.