Fredric Aasbo Opens 2018 Formula Drift Season With Victory

April 10, 2018

Fredric Aasbo claimed victory at the 2018 Formula Drift opener on the Streets of Long Beach Saturday.

The stellar performance made the all-new Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla Hatchback an immediate winner.
 
"I'm a little bit speechless right now," said Aasbo after the podium ceremony on Saturday. "We've been working so hard to get the new car built, and to find ourselves here on the top step of the podium at Round 1 feels amazing. All credit goes to the team for the incredible effort they put in during the offseason."
 
The most winning driver in the series to date, Aasbo has a record of 11 event wins and is the 2015 Formula Drift World Champion. He finished the 2017 season second in the points and says he is hungry for another title.
 
"While the team was building our new car in the shop here in California, I was practicing. I spent the winter in Norway running ice tracks with friends and I've never felt more prepared to take on a championship than I do right now," said Aasbo.
 
Long Beach is one of the most challenging stops on the Formula Drift calendar. Drivers must thread the needle between intimidating track walls, sliding sideways at 90-plus miles per hour through Turns 9, 10 and 11 of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach street course. The event is an annual sell out that sees enthusiastic fans pack into the venue, overflowing grandstands and crowding into the vendor display and pit areas during scheduled breaks in the action.
 
Aasbo qualified fifth, advanced past rookie Matt Vankirk in the opening round, and faced down rival Kristaps Bluss in the Top 16. He battled past Justin "JTP" Pawlak and bested 2017 Rookie of the Year Piotr Wiecek in the Final 4.
 
The final match of the day saw Aasbo face Forrest Wang in a close battle. It took a one-more-time re-run for judges to make a decision and, as fans cheered, Aasbo got the nod to claim the top step of the podium.

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