Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis took the top spot in the latest round of the 2016 Formula Drift Championship, in “The Throwdown” at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington.
Bakchis defeated Chris Forsberg in the final round of the event, obtaining his first win of the season and his second career win.
“To say we are overjoyed is an understatement,” said Steve Wong, Supervisor, Motorsports and Events for Falken. “Odi has driven hard all season and we knew first place was within his reach. It’s great to see him take home back-to-back podium finishes. Odi’s third place finish in Montreal and now first place is a testament to the proven performance delivered by the AZENIS tire line. We’re proud that this win puts Falken in second place of all the tire manufacturer standings.” Bakchis also praised the AZENIS line as a key to his success.
“This track requires a lot of consistency and speed in order to advance to the number one spot,” said Bakchis. “The Falken AZENIS RT615K gave me the grip and consistency I needed to win the event. It’s a feature I’ve come to rely on to give me an edge in every race, and today it paid off.”
His first place finish left Bakchis just 54 points out of first place for the championship race. His first place finish came on the heels of a third place finish at the last round in Montreal. Falken teammate Matt Coffman also delivered a stellar performance, finishing in 4th place, the best finish of his professional career. Four Team Falken drivers are in the top 10 of the championship standings after this weekend’s event.
This was Falken’s tenth year at Evergreen Speedway. The next round of the 2016 Formula Drift Championship will be held at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on September 9-10, where drivers will face “The Showdown” on one of the fastest drift tracks on the circuit.
