Photography by Sinh Nguyen
Formula DRIFT Black Magic Pro Championship presented by BlackVue Dash Cameras returned to Road Atlanta, home of the inaugural Formula DRIFT event 14 years ago.
James Deane in the Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 takes the victory to regain the lead in the chase for the championship.
“This event showcased the global talent within the Series,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “Each round has been highly competitive and with only three events remaining it will be exciting to see how it unfolds.”
The Advance Auto Parts Round 3: Road to the Championship was a hard charging event and treated fans to exciting competition. An estimated 1 million viewers tuned into the Livestream through the event weekend.
It was an all European podium with Latvian driver, Kristaps Bluss in the HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46 taking 3rd place after failing to repair his vehicle for a One More Time battle against Irishman, Dean Kearney in the Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper in the semi-finals.
The Finals was a battle of the Irish with Kearney and Deane fighting for the win. The drivers put on a show for the fans with an incredibly tight battle, but Deane was able to inch past his opponent to take the win. With three events completed, James Deane has now taken two event wins to move back into the top of the standings.
“We got to have an all-Irish final and that was just mind-blowing,” said James Deane, winner of the Advance Auto Parts Round 3: Road to the Championship. “The two of us just gave it 110%, no messing around, and that’s how to have a battle. I’m super happy and thanks to everyone who made this possible.”
The action continues to Round 4: The Gauntlet at Wall Speedway on June 2-3. For more information visit, www.formulad.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat - formula_drift. Tune into Formula DRIFT on CBS Sports and check your local listings for airtimes.
Advance Auto Parts Round 3: Road to the Championship Event Results
1. Deane, James: Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 - Winner
2. Kearney, Dean: Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper - 2nd Place
3. Bluss, Kristaps: HGK / Mast / Motul / Wisefab BMW E46 - 3rd Place
4. Hohnadell, Alec: Urban Air / Hoonigan / Nexen Tire Nissan 240 - 4th Place
5. Gittin, Vaughn: Monster Energy / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR - 5th Place
6. Tuerck, Ryan: Gumout / Nameless Performance / Hankook Toyota 86 - 6th Place
7. Wiecek, Piotr: Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 - 7th Place
8. Forsberg, Chris: NOS Energy Drink / Hankook Tire Nissan 370Z - 8th Place
9. Essa, Michael: Achilles Tire / Essa Autosport BMW M3 - 9th Place
10. Field, Matt: Falken Tire / Vapetasia / ARK Performance Nissan 240 - 10th Place
11. Heilbrunn, Alex: IMR / Nitto Tire BMW M3 - 11th Place
12. Denofa, Chelsea: BC Racing / Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR - 12th Place
13. Coffman, Matt: Nexen Tire / Coffman Racing Nissan 240 - 13th Place
14. Hamilton, Nate: Team Enjuku / BC Racing / Hankook Tire Nissan 240 - 14th Place
15. Jones, Jeff: DOC Racing Nissan 240 - 15th Place
16. Mohan, Kyle: Built 2 Apex / Mazdatrix / KMR 2016 MX-5 - 16th Place
2017 Formula DRIFT Black Magic Championship Presented by BlackVue Standings After 3 Events
1. Deane, James: Worthouse Drift Team / Falken Tire Nissan 240 - 245.00 Points
2. Kearney, Dean: Oracle Lighting Dodge Viper - 186.00 Points
3. Aasbo, Fredric: Rockstar Energy / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla iM - 178.00 Points
2017 Manufacturer Championship Standings After 3 Events
1. Toyota: 351.00 Points
2. Ford: 250.00 Points
3. Dodge: 186.00 Points
4. BMW: 157.00 Points
5. Nissan: 137.00 Points
6. Mazda: 68.00 Points
2017 Tire Championship Standings After 3 Events
1. Falken: 435.00 Points
2. Achilles: 374.00 Points
3. Nexen: 363.00 Points
4. Hankook: 310.00 Points
5. Nitto: 299.00 Points
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
In its fourteenth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the leading international 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 drifting 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. Formula DRIFT is featured on CBS Sports in the US and distributed globally by IMG Media, reaching over 400M households. CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com. Formula DRIFT has the most viewed live stream in the world, catering to over 1.5M fans annually. For a competition schedule and ticket information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.
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