St. Louis podium for Fredric Aasbo and the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra
ST LOUIS, Missouri (July 22, 2024) – Rockstar Energy Drink driver Fredric Aasbo earned his second podium of the year on Saturday, finishing third in a heated contest at World Wide Technology Raceway.
“We’re leaving St. Louis happy,” said Aasbo. “I’m stoked to be back on the podium, sharing it with these two gentlemen.”
It is Aasbo’s second podium result in five rounds. He won Round 2 at Road Atlanta earlier this year.
Aasbo advanced past Daniel Stuke in the Round of 32 to defeat Branden Sorensen in the top 16, and Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Great 8. His climb up the ladder ended with a close battle against Hiroya Minowa, who took second place behind points leader James Deane.
By defeating Bakchis in the Great 8, he reeled the second-place driver closer in the points. With three rounds remaining in the championship, the result solidifies three-time champion Aasbo and the Rockstar Energy Drink Toyota GR Supra in a tight championship race.
Teammate Ryan Tuerck advanced past Ryan Litteral in the Round of 32 before his day ended against longtime friend and rival Dylan Hughes in the Top 16. He continues to progress the performance of the Rain-X Toyota GR Corolla, which got a heart transplant this year. Papadakis Racing upgraded its four-cylinder engine to the inline six engine native to the Toyota Supra. Tuerck returned earlier this week from the United Kingdom where he completed a successful series of runs up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in his Toyota Stout x Mobil 1 Heritage vehicle.
The next round of the 2024 Formula Drift championship takes place August 9-10 at Evergreen Speedway, outside of Seattle. The new for 2024 championship format means both Tuerck and Aasbo bypass qualifying for this event and will line up for first round competition on Saturday. Heading into Round 5, Toyota continues to lead the 2024 Auto Cup and Nitto heads the Tire Cup.
The Papadakis Racing team began drifting in 2004 and is the most winning team in Formula Drift history, earning the 2022, 2021 and 2015 titles with driver Aasbo, as well as back-to-back championships with driver Tanner Foust in 2007 and 2008. Tuerck joined the Papadakis Racing team in 2020 and has shown strong results in the Toyota GR Corolla, bringing home the third-place championship trophy in 2022 and 2020. Partner Toyota has won the manufacturer’s cup eight times since 2014.
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.