Formula Drift Round 4 2014: The Gauntlet - Wall, NJ

Photos by Larry Chen

Formula DRIFT Round 4: The Gauntlet Results; Fredric Aasbo Takes His First Career Pro Championship Victory

Formula DRIFT returned to Wall Speedway in New Jersey for Round 4: The Gauntlet. Fredric Aasbo in the Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC takes his first Formula DRIFT Pro Championship victory.

Round 4: The Gauntlet provided the sold out crowd to an exciting event experience complete with hard fought battles throughout the competition. Friday attendance saw exponential growth from the previous season making this the most attended Formula DRIFT event at this venue.

“9 years ago we invested in Wall Speedway, when we paved the infield and it continues to prove to have been a wise decision as we experienced the biggest Wall Speedway crowd ever this weekend,” says Jim Liaw, President of Formula DRIFT. “This part of the country has become an integral and established stop for the championship.”

For the fourth consecutive event, Chris Forsberg, the number one qualifier in the Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z, found the podium finishing in second place and retaining his championship point lead. The final battle between Hankook Tire teammates, Forsberg and Aasbo was a tightly fought battle, but one mistake by Forsberg helped Aasbo take his first career Formula DRIFT event victory, moving him into second place in the chase for the championship. The podium was rounded out by Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX taking third place in the event, which is also his first professional career podium.

“This has been such a long time coming. This is my dream from ten years ago when I first started watching Formula DRIFT,” said Fredric Aasbo, winner of Round 4: The Gauntlet. “I want to thank my team into turning the Scion tC into such a championship contender. We have had our trials and tribulations, but this is proof that I have the best team in the business.”

The 2014 Formula DRIFT Championship season continues to Round 5: Throwdown at Evergreen Speedway on July 18-19. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.

Formula DRIFT Professional Championship Presented by GoPro 2014 Standings After Four Rounds
1. Forsberg, Chris    Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z     353.00 Points
2. Aasbo, Fredric    Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC     294.00 Points
3. Gittin Jr., Vaughn    Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR    288.00 Points
4. Moen, Kenneth    Bridges Racing Nissan 240SX     242.00 Points
5. Bakchis, Aurimas    Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX     189.50 Points
6. Pawlak, Justin    Falken Tire Ford Mustang     173.50 Points
7. Wang, Forrest    Get Nuts Lab / Hankook Tire / STR Racing Nissan S14    164.50 Points
8. McNamara, Darren    Falken Tire Nissan S14    153.00 Points
9. Nishida, Robbie    Achilles Radial / Bridges Racing Lexus SC300     151.50 Points
10. Grunewald, Conrad    Megan Racing / Top 1 Oil / BRE Chevrolet Camaro    141.50 Points
11. McQuarrie, Tyler    GoPro Mobil 1Chevrolet Camaro    134.50 Points
12. Kearney, Dean    Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper SRT     134.00 Points
13. Essa, Michael    Essa Autosport / Yokohama BMW M3     131.00 Points
14. Tuerck, Ryan    Retaks Maxxis Tires Air Force PSI Scion FR-S     125.50 Points
15. Field, Matt    CX Racing / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX    119.50 Points
16. Ng, Charles    Speedhunters / Achilles Radial Infiniti G37    118.00 Points

Round 4: The Gauntlet Event Results
1. Aasbo, Fredric     Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC     Winner
2. Forsberg, Chris    Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z     2nd Place
3. Bakchis, Aurimas     Feal Suspension / Nitto Tire Nissan 240SX     3rd Place

Manufacturers Championship Standings After Four Rounds
1. Ford    461.50 Points
2. Scion    451.00 Points
3. Nissan    442.00 Points
4. Chevy    276.00 Points
5. BMW    246.50 Points

Tire Championship Standings After Four Rounds
1. Hankook    647.00 Points
2. Nitto    525.50 Points
3. Achilles    453.00 Points
4. Falken    345.50 Points
5. Yokohama    167.50 Points

ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
In its eleventh season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan, drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each driver's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for professional drifters to compete nationwide for the coveted Formula DRIFT Championship crown. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme, attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life and establishes itself as the world-wide leader for the Sport. For a competition schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.

What Drift Events Can Learn From Final Bout

In the ever-exciting world of drifting, where the focus often drifts (pun intended) towards the glitz and glamor of high-budget competitions, Final...

Formula DRIFT Utah: The PRO Goes On and Lemaire Wins PROSPEC

As the 2024 Formula DRIFT season inched closer to its climactic finale, the spotlight was on Utah Motorsports Campus for Round 7, where the stakes...

Monterey Car Week 2024

Monterey Car Week 2024 was a high-octane celebration of automotive excellence, blending the old with the new in a way that thrilled enthusiasts and...

Formula DRIFT Seattle 2024: Tuerck's Return to the Podium

Evergreen Speedway witnessed a thrilling display for Round 6 of the 2024 Formula DRIFT PRO Championship, with seasoned drivers facing unexpected...

Introducing PAS365 Rally to FD: Vegas to Salt Lake

We're doing it again, for the second time this year! Following up our second consecutive PAS365 Rally to FD from Toronto to New Jersey for Formula...

What We Look For In Feature Vehicles (Video)

Have you every wondered what our team looks for when we're at a show? Or what it takes to get features in the magazine? When the PASMAG team is at a...