Formula DRIFT 2025 Round 1: Long Beach – Preview & Livestream

Formula DRIFT kicks off the 2025 season today at Long Beach, where the infamous concrete barriers leave absolutely zero room for error.

Who are the favorites to take the win?

James Deane enters as defending champ after clinching his record fourth title last year. His pinpoint precision when it comes to threading the needle between the walls makes him particularly dangerous at Long Beach, and once again, he’s (unsurprisingly) the man to beat.

Aurimas (Odi) Bakchis brings his trademark consistency that kept him in the championship hunt all last season. If anyone can challenge Deane when it comes to consistency, it’s likely to be him.

Simen Olsen lost in the final to James Deane at Long Beach last year, and you can bet he’s spent the off-season plotting how to steal the top step this time.

Then, throw in Hiroya Minowa’s incredible performances last season, LZ going all-in on FD, and Conor Shanahan having a better chassis for 2025 with his all-new Toyota GT86.

Honestly, there are so many potential upsets with the ever-growing standard of drivers that we wouldn’t be surprised to see some big surprises from the start. Talking of which…

Daigo Saito faces tough competition right away

The seeding bracket blessed us with Daigo Saito facing rookie Jack Shanahan in the first round.

The former Formula DRIFT and multiple D1GP champion returns to American shores after a decade away with a BAPE-styled Toyota GR86, and we can’t wait to see his aggressive style back in action.

Jack Shanahan isn’t to be underestimated and enters FD with serious credentials. The Irish driver became the youngest to win a major drift title when he claimed the British Drift Championship at just sixteen, before defending it a year later.

Since then, Jack has collected the Irish Drift Championship (IDC) and Russian Drift Series (RDS) championships while also finishing as runner-up twice in the final standings of the Drift Masters Grand Prix (DMGP/DMEC).

Jack follows his brother, Conor, and fellow Cork driver Deane into FD with nothing to lose against the veteran Saito. What many will see as a David vs. Goliath battle might be the highlight of day one, and we won’t be surprised (at all) if we see an upset!

Details on the Irwindale ‘House of Drift’ replacement

Formula DRIFT will reveal more information about what’s replacing Irwindale for the season finale in Long Beach.

The permanent closure of the “House of Drift” last year means it will no longer host the championship decider for the first time in its 22-year history.

So far, we know the new Southern Californian venue will use a never-seen-before custom-built layout set on public roads, and will take place on October 17-18.

Series president Ryan Sage described the project as “extreme” with significant financial risk, maintaining the SoCal tradition while creating something new for the championship decider.

With 34 drivers ready to lay it all on the line between the concrete walls, Long Beach looks to be an insane opener to what should be an incredible Formula DRIFT season.

Long Beach timetable & free livestream links

Here’s the full schedule for the weekend, with the free livestream links below.

Friday, April 4, 2025

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM – Practice

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Practice

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM – WARM-UP (LIVE FROM 2:30 PM)

3:30 PM – 6:00 PM – SEEDING BRACKET (LIVE)

Saturday, April 5, 2025

7:30 AM – 9:30 AM – Warm up

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM – MAIN EVENT: TOP 32 (LIVE)

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM – Half time break

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Opening ceremony

2:30 PM – 6:00 PM – MAIN EVENT: TOP 16 (LIVE)

6:15 PM – 6:45 PM – Trophy ceremony

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