Ryan Tuerck 2nd in Seattle; Fredric Aasbo holds third in championship
MONROE, Washington (August 1, 2021) – Ryan Tuerck drove his Gumout / Nitto Tire / Mobil 1 Toyota Corolla to second place in a wild Seattle event this weekend that saw sold-out grandstands and hard charging on-track action.
“We found a great rhythm here in Seattle,” said Tuerck. “The feeling of riding the bank in full drift on this track is amazing and the fan excitement kept us pumped all day long.”
Drivers gave the sell-out crowd an incredible show, with an unprecedented number of one-more-time battles and unexpected turnarounds. A change to this year’s format means drivers are only qualifying for position – not points – and that led to a shakeup in the ladder in Seattle as competition heavyweights met in early knockout rounds.
For his part, Fredric Aasbo remains in third in the championship points in the Rockstar Energy Drink Toyota GR Supra. He exited from the Top 16 round after a too-close-to-call battle against Chris Forsberg that went to a one-more-time rematch.
After qualifying third, Tuerck opened his weekend with a decisive face-off against Federico Sceriffo, then eliminated Justin Pawlak in the Top 16. Next, he advanced past local hero Travis Reeder to face Matt Field in the Final 4.
Field, who had looked strong all weekend, spun while trying to chase down Tuerck and the Toyota Corolla to the Final to face rival Chelsea DeNofa. But Tuerck had to settle for second when his engine temperature spiked on the start line and he was unable to make the run.
The 2020 season saw Aasbo and Tuerck score a combined seven podiums in eight rounds of competition – including three outright wins. 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.
For the 2021 season, Formula Drift is set to run a full schedule of eight event weekends at a mix of new and old venues across the country. Next, the series heads to St. Louis at the end of the month for Round 5 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
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 events routinely host capacity crowds, while livestreamed multi-platform broadcasts attract millions of online viewers.