Papadakis Racing keeps sights on championship as Formula Drift heads into final rounds
MONROE, Washington (August 10, 2025) -- Papadakis Racing wrapped up a challenging weekend at Evergreen Speedway still firmly in the hunt for the 2025 Formula Drift championship, with drivers Fredric Aasbo and Ryan Tuerck now turning their attention to the season’s final two rounds.
Coming into Seattle tied for the championship lead, three-time champion Aasbo and his Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra looked to extend their advantage at one of the fastest and most demanding tracks on the calendar. But Aasbo’s weekend was cut short in a surprising early exit, a rare setback in an otherwise consistent season.
“We know what we’re capable of, and one tough round doesn’t define a championship,” said Aasbo. “The car feels great, the team is motivated, and we’ve got two more opportunities to make our move.”
Facing Daniel Stuke in the Top 32, Aasbo was looking strong to advance when a mis-shift ended his day. It was an uncharacteristic error on Aasbo’s part. He now sits second in the championship, 40 points behind key rival James Deane and still within striking distance of the title.
“The competition is incredibly tight and Evergreen always brings surprises,” said team owner Stephan Papadakis. “We’re leaving Seattle with our goals intact. Fredric is right in the title hunt, and Ryan has the pace to make a big push in the final stretch.”
Tuerck, the defending Seattle winner in the Rain-X Toyota GR Corolla, carried confidence from a strong St. Louis result into Round 6. After facing down Simen Olsen in a one-more-time battle in the Top 32, he advanced past Daniel Stuke in the Round of 16. His weekend ended in a close decision in the Top 8 after a pair of one-more-time battles with Matt Field.
The series next heads to Utah Motorsports Campus for Round 7 at the end of the month before concluding the 2025 championship in Southern California on a new track in Long Beach, just a few miles from the Papadakis Racing home shop.
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. The Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra driver has a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most winning 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 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 1.7 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 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.