Sliding cars, smoking tires and screaming fans added up to a 20-year birthday in Long Beach on Saturday, April 8, as the noisy bursts of automotive action known as Formula Drift wrapped up its two-day pro championship event in Downtown Long Beach.
The event was staged in a corner of the street track that will welcome back the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach next weekend. And top drifters will be back for more action — the Super Drift Challenge — during race weekend, April 14-16.
San Jose native Matt Field of Drift Cave Motorsports defeated Garagistic Racing’s Rome Charpentier of Rancho Cucamonga in Saturday evening’s finale after two days of practice, qualifying and preliminary matchups. Defending three-time Formula Drift Champion Fredric Aasbo, of Papadakis Racing, finished third. Born in Norway, Aasbo lives in both his native nation and Carlsbad.
“Every battle was difficult,” said Field on the event’s livecast, “and every battle was a high-profile battle and anyone can win.” Field declared the Long Beach route “my favorite track.”
In the Formula Drift competition, drivers spun and skidded their souped-up vehicles in pairs, side by side, twisting and turning in front of a half-dozen grandstands to impress judges and fire up fans. As usual for the sport, Saturday’s crowd skewed young and boisterous.
Audiences cheered as sliding tires whipped up torrents of smoke to wrack up style points, attain tops scores and advance in the tournament-style competition. Some drives, however, wound up popping off bumpers, smacking into walls and, well, sailing right out of the competition.
This weekend’s action marked the launch of Formula Drift’s 20th anniversary season.
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