Luke Fink Forced To Cancel His 2025 Formula DRIFT Plans

The Aussie drifter’s Formula DRIFT plans face major setbacks, forcing the team to abandon their 2025 season. But it’s not all bad news.

Luke Fink has been forced to postpone his anticipated Formula DRIFT comeback until 2026. After months of battling logistical challenges with his team’s ambitious Nissan Skyline R32 build, the decision wasn’t taken lightly.

His 2025 Formula DRIFT plans began in late 2024 during casual conversations with New Zealand-based team sponsors JDM Racing. What started as passing mentions in September/October quickly evolved into seemingly realistic plans for the biggest move of Fink’s drift career.

However, with everything happening so late in the year, Fink missed the SEMA Show, a crucial event for getting sponsors.

The issues further snowballed when the planned tire sponsor, Vitour Tires, announced its departure from FD shortly after, causing another headache.

Shipping delays proved to be another hurdle. New Zealand customs held parts for weeks, including the supercharger, which was detained for over a month.

Each setback pushed the timeline further, as the team couldn’t finalize the fabrication work without the necessary components.

The four-door R32 build also presented challenges. Despite changing engine plans to make things easier, there were further setbacks, including specific requirements for the roll cage on the R32’s small doors, which required approval from FD.

After considering everything, the decision was made to shift focus to 2026 instead, following discussions with JDM Racing and FD’s Ryan Sage.

The good news is that the team can test the build extensively throughout 2025 and iron out any issues. This ensures that the unique chassis (for FD) is fully competitive when it debuts without the constant pressure of deadlines and logistical headaches.

“I don’t want to come to FD and make up the numbers. I want to come to FD and kick ass,” Fink stressed. The disappointment was clear as he admitted the situation had taken a toll on everyone involved.

For 2025, Fink will continue competing in D1NZ (where he currently leads the championship) while prepping the R32 to bring his A-game (think backies and plenty of door-knocking) to Formula DRIFT in 2026.

Unfortunately, that means we won’t see drifting legends such as Daigo Saito and James Deane go head-to-head with Fink this year (in FD, at least), but hopefully, they’ll stick around to party again next year!

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