Luke Fink Joins 2025 Formula DRIFT Lineup

Australian drifter Luke Fink is set to shake things up at Formula DRIFT in 2025, bringing an RB30-powered, 1,500-horsepower, four-door R32 Skyline to the party.

When I opened my YouTube feed and saw a video from his Fink & Co YouTube channel explaining how he’s making the most significant move of his drift career to date, I knew he either had to be heading to America’s Formula DRIFT or Europe’s Drift Masters Grand Prix series.

While either option would’ve been awesome, the Australian will undoubtedly bring a much-needed shakeup to the otherwise (mostly) unchanged Formula DRIFT driver roster for 2025.

What Car Will Luke Fink Drive For FD 2025?

Fink will compete under the JDM Racing banner for the upcoming season, a team with which he has already competed in New Zealand’s premier D1NZ series.

He’ll bring his wild driving style and showcase the team’s barn-find four-door Nissan Skyline R32, which is currently undergoing a ground-up rebuild to suit Fink’s preferences.

With everything getting completely overhauled on the car, the team is building an RB30 engine capable of pushing out up to 1,500 horsepower while pulling the power back to produce “just” 1,000 hp, but with the extra power in reserve if needed.

The rebuild also includes a brand-new suspension setup, a dog box transmission (instead of a sequential box for improved reliability), extensive chassis mods, and much more to make the car competitive and meet the FD rules.

Where Has Luke Fink Been In Recent Years?

Many of you will likely have seen Luke Fink on the LZ World Tour this year, where he went door-to-door with FD’s very own Matt Field in a Corvette vs Corvette battle at Kern Raceway.

Fink is an O.G. to the drifting game, having competed in Europe for the first time in 2010 at JDM Allstars after impressing in Australia. My introduction to Fink shredding tires in the real world was around 10 years ago when he competed in the Drift Allstars competition in the iconic Low Brain Drifters Nissan Silvia “Odyvia” S13.

As he stared straight into my lens through his unique red visor, it was immediately obvious he was the most entertaining driver to watch at the event. Before I knew it, he was wheelie-poppin’ and showcasing his skills as he knocked on the doors of Europe’s best.

James Deane, recently crowned the most successful driver in FD history, was also present at the event. However, Fink’s all-out aggressive arguably driving style stood out as the main crowd-pleaser as he continually pushed the car’s limits and exploded the fiberglass body parts.

Fink Is No Stranger To International Drifting

Little did I know then, but a few years later, Fink would join the driver roster for the King of Nations series I was working with. This meant I would be treated to his wild driving antics as he got behind the wheel of a selection of cars across the globe.

One of my favorite moments of the several years of shooting for the series was when Fink was handed the opportunity to pilot this wild V10-powered E46 M3. Built with insight from FD’s very own Chelsea DeNofa, it produced a soundtrack that took me back to the glory days of Formula One.

Hearing the crazy V10 at full squeal as the sound bounced off the walls of Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina grandstands is something I’ll never forget. If you want to hear it for yourself, check out this video:

The Moment He’s Been Waiting For

Traveling the globe and using borrowed cars came with its issues. As the series ventured to new continents, fresh problems would arrive with the rental cars, leaving Fink unable to showcase his true potential.

This is one of the main reasons I’m stoked to see Fink finally have the opportunity to shred with some of the world’s best drivers in Formula DRIFT with proper backing, team, and a well-specced and prepped car. He’ll undoubtedly be looking to cause a serious upset in the series.

Over the next few months, Fink also intends to show how seriously he’s taking the challenge by embarking on a personal weight loss journey. In FD, the car and driver’s combined weight determines what tire size teams can run, and every kilo counts – no pressure!

We’ll keep our fingers crossed that this unique FD opportunity will again allow Luke Fink to compete at the top tier of drifting behind the wheel of an epic car. Many of us on this side of the globe haven’t seen this since the good ol’ days of the Drift Allstars series.

Knowing his signature style, you can expect plenty of backward entries and door-knocking in FD for 2025!

Jack Shanahan Also Joins The Provisional Driver Lineup

Although The Shanahans are yet to confirm their 2025 plans, Conor’s name returns to the provisional lineup alongside a new addition – his older brother, Jack Shanahan.

If this is true, it’ll mark an exciting development for European representation in FD. Fans will know that Conor didn’t have the best of luck in his 2024 Rookie season behind the wheel of Rome Charpentier’s old E36. The combined entry will hopefully allow the brothers to join forces and create a more competitive program for the 2025 season.

Jack Shanahan has maintained a strong presence on the other side of the globe, particularly in the Drift Masters Grand Prix and Russian Drift Series (RDS), where he clinched the title in 2021. Despite being just 25, he’s also the two-time winner of the British Drift Championship (BDC) after impressing in the Irish Drift Championship (IDC) at an early age.

Jack’s competitive experience at the highest levels, combined with Conor’s existing Formula DRIFT knowledge, positions “The Shanahans” as a formidable duo for the 2025 season.

Although we weren’t too impressed with the recent 2025 Formula DRIFT schedule announcement, especially with the loss of the legendary Irwindale Speedway, these driver announcements bring plenty of optimism for the upcoming FD season.

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