Fredric Aasbo and the Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire SR by Toyota tC put on a fantastic show in front of a sold-out crowd at Wall Speedway for the fourth round of the 2016 season.
A solid qualifying effort and big-angle drifting netted Aasbo a finish in the Great 8, earning valuable points to keep him in championship contention.
"It's all about rhythm," said Aasbo. "This track is the perfect drift track, in my opinion. It embodies everything that drifting is supposed to be. I was able ride the wall pretty consistently throughout the weekend, and that's the key to doing well here."
Perfect weather and tough competition came together to deliver an exciting show of car control skill as drivers negotiated the notoriously difficult Wall Speedway course that included a high-banked curve, a tricky transition to the infield, and a tight inside turn.
Aasbo put down a confident qualifying run, sliding inches away from the wall on the first banked curve. He scored 90 to place fifth on the qualifying ladder. During the Top 32 eliminations, he delivered a smooth and fluid pair of runs against Pat Mordaunt and advanced to the Top 16. He again had the edge over Justin Pawlak and advanced into the Great 8 where he faced Vaughn Gittin Jr.
It was a close match between champions, and judges awarded the win to Gittin Jr. — who ultimately went on to win the event. "We'd been consistent throughout the weekend, but against JR I had a few hiccups," said Aasbo. "What was cool to see is that we have the speed and the drive to beat these guys; the challenge is to do it every weekend. JR was the better man today, and he deserves the win."
While Aasbo didn't make a return to the podium, he said he felt a warm welcome in New Jersey. "Seeing the entire New Jersey and New York drift community come out for this event was huge. These are some of the best fans out of all the places we go to. I had an amazing time and can't wait to come back next year."
Fredric Aasbo and the Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire SR by Toyota tC are second in the pro standings, trailing Vaughn Gittin Jr. by 40 points. Next, the team heads to Montreal, Canada, July 15 and 16 for Round 5 in the eight-stop championship. Aasbo took the win there last year en route to the 2015 Formula Drift World Championship title.
In 2016, the series again offers live and on-demand online coverage on the Formula Drift Livestream. Round 4: The Gauntlet had over 400,000 livestream views. Formula Drift also returns this season to CBS Sports Network for 20 half-hour television programs. The fast-paced action featuring bracketed head-to-head match-ups anchors the coverage.
ABOUT FREDRIC AASBO
Defending champion Fredric Aasbo returns to Papadakis Racing in 2016 for his sixth season with the team. The Rockstar Energy Drink driver is a fan favorite and championship contender. He has achieved more than 100 podium results and wins on three continents over the past decade of competition and is the defending Formula Drift World Champion and Formula Drift Pro Champion this year.
A two-time Nordic Drifting champion (2007, 2008), Aasbo made his U.S. debut at a global drifting invitational in 2008 and turned heads when he won the 2010 Formula Drift Rookie of the Year title. He is now a global contender and in 2016, he is running the full Formula Drift schedule as well as select events worldwide in Europe and in Asia. Originally from Ski, Norway, Aasbo now splits his time between his native country and Southern California.
ABOUT PAPADAKIS RACING
Papadakis Racing is the most winning drift team in history, with an unmatched record of three Formula Drift Championship titles. Team driver Fredric Aasbo won the 2015 Formula Drift title, while Papadakis Racing scored back-to-back championships with driver Tanner Foust in 2007 and 2008.
