The Making of Formula DRIFT’s Top Drivers

From 14-year-old Hiroya Minowa to four-time champion James Deane, discover how Formula DRIFT’s finest talents forged their paths to glory.

The 2024 Formula DRIFT grid showcased how far competitive drifting has come from its underground roots, with each driver’s path to pro drifting telling its own unique story.

From teenage sensations to seasoned veterans, the grid featured former karting prodigies, rally specialists, BMX riders, and those who learned their craft in parking lots with friends. This vast mix of backgrounds created Formula DRIFT’s most diverse grid yet.

Each driver brought their unique style and approach to the sport, crafting their own path to professional competition.

Beyond the smoke and style, 2024 marked a defining year for FD, shattering records, setting new benchmarks, and delivering some of the closest battles in the sport’s history.

In this deep dive, we’ll uncover the journeys of the season’s Top 10 Formula DRIFT competitors, revealing the moments that sparked their passion for competitive drifting.

Let’s meet the drivers who made it happen.

#1 – James Deane

James Deane’s 2024 Formula DRIFT car: Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD
Engine: Ford Performance RY45 V8
Power: 1,300+ horsepower

Born into motorsport on October 14, 1991, James Deane’s path to becoming Formula DRIFT’s most successful driver began before he could even reach the pedals. With a father who built rally cars and older brothers already competing, racing was quite literally in his DNA from day one.

Motorsport was prominent throughout James’s childhood, from watching his dad, uncle, and brothers compete in rallying and other motorsport events.

Here’s a crazy image of his father, Mike Deane, controlling the throttle of a Ford Escort with his uncle, James (Jimmy) Deane, behind the wheel. Looking closely, you can also see it’s mid-air in this shot. You’ve gotta love the good ol’ days of ’80s rallying, where there weren’t quite so many rules and regulations!

Deane’s love for drifting began when he attended a drift event with his brother at age 10. The sideways action reminded him of the rally cars he’d grown up watching, sparking what would later become a lifelong passion.

Before ever sitting behind the wheel, young Deane immersed himself in the sport like many future drifters. Although sim rigs weren’t a thing back then, he spent countless hours playing drifting games on his early O.G. PlayStation console.

When file-sharing networks (Kazaa and Napster, anyone) became popular, he relentlessly studied Japanese D1GP videos. As we oldies can relate, he spent hours waiting for his ridiculously slow dial-up internet to eventually provide the clips in all their terrible-quality glory.

It’s these Japanese videos, particularly those featuring Nobuteru (Nob) Taniguchi, who Deane credits as significantly influencing his insanely smooth driving style, which we’re treated to today.

At just 15, Deane entered competitive drifting in 2006, piloting a Ford Sierra in the Prodrift Junior Championship and securing third place. His breakthrough came the following year when he claimed victory at Rosegreen in the main Prodrift series, making him reportedly the youngest professional drift event winner globally.

By 16, he’d already secured both the Prodrift Ireland and European championships.

Then, as we fast forward to 2024, Deane cements his legacy as the most accomplished driver in Formula DRIFT history.

Behind the wheel of his AutoZone Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD, pushing 1,300+ horsepower through its RY-45 V8 engine, he claimed his record-breaking fourth FD championship.

This achievement followed his record-breaking three consecutive titles from 2017 to 2019, making him the only driver in series history to achieve either feat.

In doing so, he surpassed the previous three Championship records of two drifting legends: Fredric Aasbo, who started in Formula DRIFT in 2008, and Chris Forsberg, who has been in the game since 2004.

His 2024 season proved particularly dominant despite setbacks such as a huge engine fire at Round 1 in Long Beach. His four wins this season matched the single-season record set by Fredric Aasbo in 2015, and his 666-point overall tally gave him a 104-point margin at the top of the table.

Capturing his fourth FD title in 2024 means he’s now achieved 21 worldwide championship titles in 16 years. He also narrowly missed out on clinching the European Drift Masters (DMGP) title this year alongside his FD commitments.

Considering he’s still just 32 years old, Deane’s growth in the sport has been mind-blowing to watch, and we have no doubt he’ll continue smashing just about every record in existence in the years to come.

Like many pro drifters, Deane continues to hone his skills using games in the present day. Thankfully, that’s no longer on an original PlayStation!

Instead, his current weapon of choice (like most serious sim enthusiasts) is Assetto Corsa, where he gets to practice in his RTR Mustang on FD tracks. Interestingly, he chooses not to use a VR headset, although we doubt there’s a shortage of sponsorship offers!

#2 – Aurimas (Odi) Bakchis

Odi Bakchis’ 2024 Formula DRIFT car: Nissan Silvia S15
Engine: Vortech-supercharged 7.0-liter Texas Speed LSR V8
Power: 1,175+ horsepower

Born in Lithuania, you’d probably struggle to guess where Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis’s motorsport roots began. As a youngster, he watched his father compete professionally in the European championship for hydroplane boat racing.

After moving to the United States at 8 years old, his path to becoming one of Formula DRIFT’s most successful drivers took several fascinating turns.

Young Odi first explored motorsports through motocross racing in California during his high school years.

His technical understanding of vehicle dynamics developed early, leading to the creation of Feal Suspension. Post-college, he ventured into rallying.

Drifting wasn’t initially on Odi’s radar until 2009 when a friend introduced him to a local drift track. The sport immediately resonated with him, and before he knew it, he owned his first drift car – a Nissan Silvia S13.

Given his motorsport and suspension background, this undoubtedly helped make his progression to professional drifting remarkably swift.

Just one year later, in 2010, Bakchis earned his professional license through two ProAm series in his first season. Formula DRIFT recognized his talent by naming him “Rookie of the Year” in 2011, marking the beginning of what would become a legendary career.

The 2024 season, his 13th in Formula DRIFT, brought early setbacks, including a catastrophic car fire in Atlanta and an engine failure in Orlando. However, he overcame these issues before piloting his Feal Suspension GT Radial Nissan S15 to second place in the championship standings.

This matched his personal best overall finish from 2023, when he also claimed his milestone 10th career win. Before that, he also had consistent past performances, earning third-place overall finishes in 2017, 2019, and 2021.

In 2023, Bakchis achieved a significant milestone by becoming the third-winningest driver in Formula DRIFT history after securing his 10th event win at Worldwide Technology Raceway.

His consistent performances throughout his career, including additional podiums in Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, and Russia, have established Odi Bakchis as one of Formula DRIFT’s most reliable competitors.

If you want to learn how to drift like Odi (I mean, who wouldn’t?), you’ll undoubtedly find this video useful:

#3 – Fredric Aasbo

Fredric Aasbo’s 2024 Formula DRIFT car: Toyota Racing GR Supra
Engine: Turbocharged BMW B58
Power: 1,095+ horsepower

Born in Siggerud near Ski, Norway, in 1985, Fredric Aasbo’s path to becoming Formula DRIFT’s most-winning driver began through his father Albert Aasbo’s grassroots rallycross involvement. Despite showing talent, his father’s professional racing aspirations were limited by finances and family commitments.

Working obligations meant father-son time was limited, making their karting sessions from Fredric’s age of 12 particularly meaningful. Young Aasbo developed a unique appreciation for driving finesse, admiring his idols who demonstrated distinctive style and flair.

Similarly to Deane, his drifting journey began unexpectedly through early internet browsing, where he discovered footage of Japanese drift legend Katsuhiro Ueo piloting an AE86 Toyota Corolla on the touge mountain roads. This sparked what would later become a lifelong passion, leading him to build his first drift car.

Aasbo’s competitive success came quickly. After securing back-to-back Nordic Drifting Championships in 2007 and 2008, he made his U.S. debut at a global drifting invitational in 2008.

By 2010, he’d earned Formula DRIFT’s Rookie of the Year title, leading to a career-defining opportunity with Papadakis Racing in 2011, replacing the legendary Tanner Foust.

With three Formula DRIFT Championship titles (2015, 2021, 2022) and the most wins in Formula DRIFT history at 19 victories (six more than James Deane and Vaughn Gittin Jr.), Aasbo has dominated the sport for over a decade.

His achievements include over 100 podium finishes across three continents, championship runner-up positions in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, and the Formula DRIFT Asia Championship in 2014.

In 2024, piloting his Rockstar Energy Toyota Racing GR Supra, Aasbo secured the third-place spot. Despite missing out on a record-breaking fourth title, his consistent performances and flat-out driving style continue to make him a fan favorite and one of drifting’s most accomplished competitors.

#4 – Hiroya Minowa

Hiroya Minowa’s 2024 Formula DRIFT car: Toyota GT86
Engine: Nissan VR38DETT V6
Power: 1,300+ horsepower

Born in 2009 (yes, really!) and just 14 years old at the start of the season, Hiroya Minowa set mind-blowing new benchmarks in Formula DRIFT throughout the year.

His journey began extraordinarily early when he was born into the sport through his parents, two legendary Japanese drivers who competed in Formula DRIFT Japan as part of Team HEYMAN – Shinji and Masayo Minowa.

Hiro’s rapid progression was crazy for me to witness first-hand. When I was lucky enough to visit HEYMAN (located next to Daigo Saito’s Fat Five Racing) in 2016, Hiro was drifting his Razor Crazy Cart around Shinji’s workshop, and his confidence behind the wheel was already evident.

We even joked he’d be competing soon – little did I know what was around the corner!

Soon after, at age 7, Hiroya had his first opportunity to start drifting a real-world car, an automatic Toyota JZX100. He then experienced his first drift day at Ebisu Circuit at just 8 years old. (Not that I’m jealous at all!)

By 11, Hiroya was already competing in the MSC Challenge series using his mother, Masayo’s car. Despite his age, he showcased incredible talent by qualifying first and finishing third in his first major competition.

Unsurprisingly, his transition to professional competition came rapidly from here. In 2022, he competed in Formula DRIFT Japan for the first time, qualifying first and finishing fifth in individual events while ranking 16th overall.

His 2023 FDJ season proved even more successful. He secured a victory and two podiums before clinching second place overall in the final championship standings.

2024 marked Minowa’s groundbreaking entry into the Formula DRIFT series. Piloting a Toyota GT86 with a 1,300-horsepower VR38DETT engine, his debut at Long Beach saw him shatter expectations by immediately reaching the Top 8.

However, his breakthrough came in St. Louis, where he made history as Formula DRIFT’s youngest-ever podium finisher. He defeated three-time champion Fredric Aasbo before narrowly losing to James Deane in the final. Proving this wasn’t a fluke, Minowa secured another second-place finish in Seattle.

Hiro’s drift sim training, which involved thousands of hours of practice and his parents’ help, clearly paid dividends. It helped him adapt quickly, and his fourth-place finish in the championship standings earned him the well-deserved 2024 Rookie of the Year award.

The teenager’s ability to control his 1,300-horsepower machine with such finesse has earned praise from the sport’s elite, including James Deane. To put things in perspective, Minowa is achieving these results while being younger than many drivers’ competitive careers!

#5 – Adam LZ

Adam LZ’s 2024 Formula DRIFT car: BMW E36
Engine: Toyota 2JZ-GTE
Power: 1,000+ horsepower

Born May 5, 1995, in Woodbury, Connecticut, Adam LZ’s path to becoming Formula DRIFT’s highest-placed American driver in 2024 began far from the world of motorsports.

Initially gaining fame through BMXing, he started documenting his adventures on YouTube in 2009, building what would become a 3.79-million subscriber following today.

Health concerns, including two herniated discs and the physical demands of daily BMX videos, prompted his transition to automotive content. His journey into cars started modestly with an automatic BMW 325i, which he later upgraded to a BMW 335i.

Using earnings from his BMX career and YouTube success, LZ purchased his first drift car in 2015 – an SR20DET-powered Nissan S13. He documented every step of his progression from parking lot practice sessions to professional competition, maintaining the authentic content style that had served him well in his BMX days.

His Formula DRIFT career began impressively in 2020, finishing 12th overall and claiming Rookie of the Year honors alongside the Fan Favorite Driver award. By 2022, he’d signed with the RTR Drift Team, and in 2023, he achieved his first Formula DRIFT PRO Championship win in New Jersey.

LZ’s 2024 season had no shortage of ups and downs. Despite a chassis-ending crash in St. Louis against Minowa, which he initially stated would be the end of his FD season, Adam and his team, encouraged by their fanbase, replaced the E36 chassis in just one week and returned to competition in Seattle.

In Seattle, he secured a remarkable third-place finish with zero testing time in the new car. He ultimately finished fifth in the championship, making him the highest-placed American driver.

In 2024, he competed in the European Drift Masters series alongside FD, making history as the first American to step onto the DMGP podium at the stadium final. We’ve got no doubt there’s much more to come from Adam LZ in 2025, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store!

Beyond the competitions, LZ has built an automotive empire that includes the LZMFG team and Drift HQ. His current collection includes an impressive array of vehicles, from his competition-spec BMW E36 and Nissan S15 to various street and project cars, all documented by his millions of followers.

#6 – Ryan Tuerck

Ryan Tuerck’s 2024 Formula DRIFT car: Toyota Corolla GR
Engines: Toyota 2AR (Replaced by a Toyota/BMW B58 mid-season)
Power: 1,000+ horsepower

Born April 10, 1985, in Derry, New Hampshire, Ryan Tuerck’s path to becoming one of Formula DRIFT’s most inpsiring drivers began on two wheels.

At 9 years old, his father bought him his first dirt bike, launching a successful motocross career by age 10. He earned his AMA professional license by 16 and achieved impressive results, including fifth place in the 125cc Canadian Nationals Championship.

He later transitioned to four wheels through winter hooning, teaching himself to drift a 1990 Ford Mustang on snow-covered New Hampshire roads.

After discovering drifting was an actual motorsport, Tuerck upgraded to a Nissan 240SX S13, gradually modifying it with upgraded suspension, a two-way limited-slip differential, and eventually upgrading its KA24DE engine to a Toyota 1JZ-GTE.

After competing in his first formal drift event at Raceway Park, Englishtown, in 2003, Tuerck soon claimed back-to-back Drift Mania Canadian Championships in 2005 and 2006.

After his first full FD season in 2006, where he took sixth place in his rookie season, his breakthrough came in 2009 when he won both Long Beach and Irwindale, finishing second overall in the Formula DRIFT championship.

Throughout his career, Tuerck has earned multiple accolades, including Formula DRIFT Driver of the Year (2008), Best Style awards (2012, 2014), Fan Favorite (2016), and Comeback of the Year (2019).

Now competing with Papadakis Racing in a Toyota GR Corolla, Tuerck earned his first Formula DRIFT win since 2022 in Seattle, and it was awesome to see him earn his way back to the top spot.

Outside of FD, Tuerck has unleashed unique and innovative drift projects like his ’66 Toyota Stout and the GT4586 – a bonkers Ferrari-engined Toyota 86 that almost broke the internet.

#7 – Matt Field

Matt Field’s 2024 Formula DRIFT car: Chevrolet Corvette C6
Engine: Supercharged TexasSpeed 427 LSx V8
Power: 1,090 horsepower

Matt Field’s motorsport journey began at just four years old, racing quads and dirt bikes. Following in his father’s off-road racing footsteps, he progressed to driving a 600hp off-road truck by age 15.

Together, the father-son duo achieved over thirty wins and four championships, continuing to compete in events like the Mint 400. Beyond drifting, Field maintains his off-road racing roots, regularly competing alongside his father as co-driver.

At 19, Field earned his Formula DRIFT license, making him one of the youngest competitors in the series. His humble beginnings in professional drifting featured a modest setup – a stock SR20DET with a T28 turbo, borrowed tools, and an open trailer.

Despite not initially qualifying for Top 32 battles, Field’s determination eventually led him to the top of the sport after his breakthrough came in 2016 with his first Formula DRIFT podium.

In 2018, Field debuted the Corvette platform, which became his signature vehicle. The 2021 season marked another turning point as he secured second place in the championship, followed by leading the points for most of 2022 before eventually finishing third overall.

The 2023 season started strong with a victory at Long Beach, where Field proved he was up there with the best when it comes to challenging situations.

After qualifying 27th, he overcame a collision with Fredric Aasbo and managed emergency repairs to secure the win. Despite the ups and downs throughout the season, he ended up finishing fourth in the championship standings.

After taking seventh place in the 2024 rankings, we have no doubt he’ll be looking to prove a point in 2025!

#8 – Conor Shanahan

Conor Shanahan’s 2024 Formula DRIFT car: BMW E36
Engine: Supercharged 6.0-litre LQ V8 engine
Power: 777+ horsepower

Born in Mallow, Cork, Ireland, Conor Shanahan’s motorsport destiny seemed predetermined. Similarly to Hiroya’s story, Conor’s father, John, claimed multiple Irish rally titles, while his mother, Valerie, made history as the only Irish woman to win a national Autoglass Championship.

His brother Jack further cemented the family’s racing legacy as a two-time British drift champion, alongside plenty of other accolades.

Given his motorsport pedigree, it’s no surprise that Conor got behind the wheel early, initially starting in karting at 6 years old.

His path to drifting began unexpectedly at age 9 or 10 when he watched his brother Jack compete in Poland. Living just minutes away from (now) four-time Formula DRIFT champion James Deane in Cork created the perfect environment for further improving his emerging talent.

By 11, Conor was already behind the wheel of a drift car, displaying a natural ability that would soon make him one of the best-known young drifters in Europe.

In 2018, at the age of 15, he made his Drift Masters European Championship debut. He immediately proved his worth by defeating then-champion and fellow Irishman James Deane in Poland and winning his first event.

After becoming a Red Bull athlete in 2020, Shanahan’s career accelerated rapidly. He finished second in the 2021 Drift Masters European Championship, third in 2022, and then secured the championship in 2023 at the age of 20.

For his 2024 Formula DRIFT rookie season, he piloted Rome Charpentier’s former competition E36, providing Shanahan with his first Formula DRIFT victory in Orlando, adding to his impressive list of achievements that includes being part of the winning Irish team in the Nations’ Cup and an appearance on The Grand Tour with Jeremy Clarkson in 2017.

Beyond the track, Shanahan is also known for competing in the Virtual Drifting Championship (VDC), where he’s accumulated many years of sim racing experience and regularly lands the top spot in competitions.

With Conor’s brother, Jack, also expected to join the Formula DRIFT roster in 2025, we’re hoping to potentially see some exciting developments with a full program for both drivers, hopefully with right-hand-drive cars that equally match the competition to have a fair chance to show off their skills. Believe me when I say they’re not short of them!

#9 – Dylan Hughes

Dylan Hughes’ 2024 Formula DRIFT car: BMW E46
Engine: Toyota 2JZ-GTE
Power: 946 horsepower

Dylan Hughes’s journey to Formula DRIFT began in the Pacific Northwest, where he honed his skills at amateur events at Evergreen Speedway, Washington.

His professional development accelerated while working at DirtFish Rally School, where he learned from championship-winning teams, including Chris Forsberg’s outfit during their 2014 and 2016 title campaigns.

After claiming a Pro AM title on the East Coast in 2016, Hughes made his Pro 2 debut the following season, competing in his home event in Seattle with a V8-powered Nissan Silvia S13.

His breakthrough came in 2018 when he secured three consecutive podium finishes in Formula DRIFT’s Pro 2 division, narrowly missing the championship in second.

Following a challenging rookie Pro season in 2019 with an underpowered V8 BMW E46, Hughes opted to upgrade to the legendary Toyota 2JZ powerplant we see today and has since achieved consistent success.

His career highlights include his first Formula DRIFT victory at Orlando in 2022 and a second-place finish at Round 6 at Seattle in 2023.

Based in Costa Mesa, California, Hughes operates BlackOut Garage while campaigning in his self-built 2005 2JZ E46 BMW. His fabrication skills and technical expertise have made him a respected figure on and off track.

Beyond drifting, Hughes also enjoys other motorsports, including dirt biking and paramotoring.

#10 – Branden Sorensen

Branden Sorensen’s 2024 Formula DRIFT car: BMW F80 M3
Power: 1,100+ horsepower

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Branden Sorensen’s motorsport journey began at age 5, following in the footsteps of his father, Randy, a 20-year off-road racing veteran.

His earliest success started with BMX racing at age 3, where he placed 6th out of 500 kids at the BMX Grand Nationals after just two years.

After BMX, Sorensen made a common motorsport move by transitioning to karting, collecting impressive achievements, including the 2010 Rookie of the Year, 2011 Screaming Eagle Winner in 2-cycle Grand Nationals, and the 2012 LVKC Rotax Micromax Champion while setting multiple track records.

In 2015, he expanded his motorsport expertise by entering the Lucas Oil off-road short-course truck racing series, competing in both side-by-sides and mod-karts. He also participated in the WORCS Racing Series before discovering what he later realized would be his true calling in drifting.

Starting drifting at age 12, Sorensen quickly made history. By 14, he won both the Holley LS Fest Drift Challenge and U.S. Drift Championship, becoming the youngest licensed PRO 2 driver in Formula DRIFT history. In 2019, he earned his Pro 1 license, again setting the record for the youngest Pro driver in the series (at the time.)

The Sorensen legacy continues through their family-operated Sorensen Motorsports team, where Branden handles engineering and parts manufacturing in their full fabrication shop.

His sister, Amanda, also competes in Formula DRIFT ProSpec, while their 13-year-old brother, Cameren, is expected to make his PROSPEC debut in 2025.

Interesting Stats From The 2024 Formula DRIFT Season

• James Deane became the first driver in Formula DRIFT history to secure a fourth title
  • Deane broke another record with 13 consecutive podiums, the most in drifting history, achieved from October 2023 to August 2024
  • He eventually podiumed at 87.5% of the 2024 Formula DRIFT rounds
• Four drivers earned a perfect round score of 100 points – Deane, Bakchis, Aasbo, and Shanahan
• Hiroya Minowa became the youngest podium finisher in FD history at just 14 years old, eventually claiming two podium finishes
  • Minowa also becomes the youngest Rookie of the Year
• 2024 was the first time the top contenders were all non-American, with the top U.S. driver being Adam LZ, in fifth
• Dylan Hughes and Conor Shanahan were the only Top 10 drivers to have cars under 1,000 horsepower
• Trenton Beechum, the 2019 PROSPEC Champion, secured his first-ever FD PRO podium at Utah in Round 7
• Top 10 manufacturers in the 2024 FD season by region:
  • JDM drift cars – 40%
    • Toyota GT86 (Minowa), GR Corolla (Tuerck), Supra (Aasbo)
    • Nissan S15 (Bakchis)
  • European drift cars – 40%
    • BMW E36 (Shanhan, LZ), E46 (Hughes), F80 M3 (Sorensen)
  • 20% American drift cars
    • Ford Mustang RTR (Deane), Chevrolet Corvette (Field)
• Top 10 drivers by nationality in the 2024 FD season
  • European drivers – 40%
    • James Deane (Ireland)
    • Aurimas (Odi) Bakchis (Lithuania)
    • Fredric Aasbo (Norway)
    • Conor Shanahan (Ireland)
  • Asian drivers – 10%
    • Hiroya Minowa (Japan)
  • North American drivers – 50%
    • Adam LZ (USA)
    • Ryan Tuerck (USA)
    • Matt Field (USA)
    • Dylan Hughes (USA)
    • Branden Sorensen (USA)
• Toyota won the Auto Cup with 872 points
• Nitto Tire won the Tire Cup with 1,102 points

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Photography credits

We thank the following entities for the use of their photography in this article:

Larry Chen | Formula DRIFT

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