EVENT DETAILS

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Location: Streets of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
Event: Competition Results from Formula DRIFT PRO Championship Round 1

RESULTS FROM FD PRO ROUND 1

Conor Shanahan (Ireland) – Red Bull / GT Radial / JYR Toyota GT86
Fredric Aasbo (Norway) – Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra
Jack Shanahan (Ireland) – Pulsar Turbos E82 BMW

NOTES

Following the introduction of semi-automated judging during qualifying, the UDSM (Universal Drift Scoring Method) telemetry and data system from Race Data Labs was used in a supporting role during Top 32 Competition. It was enlisted to help the judges understand the vehicle dynamics and some nuance of individual runs where a collision or other incidents might have been a factor in the outcome
In addition to providing more data to assist the judges, it also helped accelerate the judging process, ensuring the fans enjoyed more action and less deliberation
After careful consideration of all the information, Conor Shanahan was awarded the Round 1 win in a very close Final against three-time FD PRO Champion Aasbo
Coming at the start of his third season in FD, this was the Irishman’s second win, and was achieved at the wheel of a new car – the Red Bull / GT Radial / JYR Toyota GT86 – built by his new team: Jerry Yang Racing
Conor’s win was more remarkable because it appeared he’d been knocked out of his Top 32 heat against Ken Gushi (Japan). Although the driver of the Toyota Gazoo Racing / GReddy Performance / Kenda Tire Toyota GR86 was deemed at fault for the collision, Shanahan’s team was unable to repair the car in time and would be eliminated. However, the judges decided to call One More Time, allowing the runs to be repeated. Shanahan then emerged the winner and proceeded to the Final
Aasbo had a clean weekend, dominated his opponents, stayed out of trouble and kept the new Rockstar livery intact
Conor’s brother Jack placed third after engine problems robbed the fans of his Top 4 run against Aasbo. Shanahan had gallantly chosen not to risk covering the track in oil by trying to defeat the Norwegian. His withdrawal also meant fans missed the chance to potentially see the Shanahan brothers battle in the Final if he’d been able to defeat Aasbo
One name missing from the podium was another Irishman; five-time Champion James Deane, who was favored to win this weekend after qualifying first. However, the driver of the O’Reilly / Pennzoil Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD lost his Top 16 heat against Diego Higa (Brazil)
Following a year away from Formula DRIFT, the Brazilian returned to competition in the Higa Motorsport Toyota GT86 and looked strong all weekend until he lost to Conor Shanahan in the Top 8
There were great expectations for Matt Field (USA) following his second-place performance in 2025, but he fell to Dylan Hughes (USA) in the Top 32
Similarly, LZ (USA) – who finished 2025 in third – was ejected from the Top 32 by Ryan Litteral (USA) after LZ made contact with two walls during his lead run in their One More Time battle
Top Rookie in Long Beach was Cole Richards (USA). His placed fourth overall after losing to Conor Shanahan in the Top 4 heats. The driver of the Richards Racing Toyota GT86 narrowly avoided a big collision on their first run and was unable to overcome the error. Despite that, he must now be regarded as a major force in 2026
Following the Opening Round, Toyota leads the Formula DRIFT 2026 Auto Cup by a considerable margin, while Kenda leads the Tire Cup by a solitary point

ROUND 1 FD PRO TOP 16 DRIVER POINTS & CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS*

POSITION
DRIVER
POINTS

1
Conor Shanahan
50

2
Fredric Aasbo
40

3
Jack Shanahan
32

4
Cole Richards
30

5
Aurimas Bakchis
20

6
Branden Sorensen
20

7
Diego Higa
20

8
Dylan Hughes
20

9
James Deane
13

10
Chris Forsberg
11

11
Ryan Tuerck
10

12
Hiroya Minowa
10

13
Ben Hobson
10

14
Simen Olsen
10

15
Jeff Jones
10

16
Ryan Litteral
10

2026 AUTO CUP TOP 5 STANDINGS*

Toyota
60

BMW
32

Ford
23

Nissan
21

Chevrolet
0

 

2026 TIRE CUP STANDINGS*

Kenda
51

GT Radial
50

Kumho
42

Nitto
23

* Preliminary standings. Final results pending official confirmation