Team

The Papadakis Racing team began drifting in 2004 and is the most winning team in Formula Drift history, earning the 2022, 2021 and 2015 championship titles with driver Fredric 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.

On the 151, driven by Fredric Aasbo, team owner Stephan Papadakis serves as spotter, while Shawn Hillier is car chief. Spotting for Ryan Tuerck as well as working as car chief on the 411 is Brian Hartsock. Regular crew include Tyler Kreneck and Nick Gross. 

Additional at-track support includes Matt Lease and Mario Salguero, who in 2024 won the Crew Member of the Year award from Formula Drift. Alex Pico, Dominic Biro, Chris Kusnierek, and Nick Byatt also contribute their skills to the team.

Papadakis established his reputation as an innovator in the 1990s with the first front-wheel-drive, tube-chassis drag car in the U.S. His drag racing team earned multiple records and championships, turning in elapsed times and trap speeds previously thought unattainable in front-drive drag cars.

His award-winning vehicles are fan favorites, capturing public interest with dedicated media features, high-profile displays and notable exhibitions in the Petersen Automotive Museum. Prior to his first drift build, a Honda S2000 machine, his notable builds included the AEM Drag Honda Civic Hatchback, the 2001 AEM Drag Honda Civic Coupe, and the rear-wheel drive AEM/DriverFX.com Honda Civic.

Shop lead Shawn Hillier handles motorsport operations at the Carson, California, headquarters. His lifelong passion for cars and a long history in the automotive aftermarket has led him to develop an enviable all-around motorsport skill set. A former racing driver, he is an experienced fabricator and mechanic who has earned five championship titles with Papadakis Racing. Hillier started his motorsport career as a driver in the NHRA Sport Compact series where he achieved several wins in a Honda Civic drag car before he turned to mechanics full-time. He joined the Papadakis Racing drift program in 2007.

Jen Horsey heads up the team's marketing and partnership programs. She joined Papadakis Racing in 2010 to provide communications support in Formula Drift. Since then, she has leveraged her experience in racing and car culture to develop and lead successful marketing and communications programs for the team and its partners. She discovered a passion for motorsport in the early 2000s while working as a journalist and eventually put her media career on pause to race herself, earning championships as a rally driver and co-driver, while also managing a leading US team.