Aasbo Finishes Top 8 at 2022 Formula DRIFT New Jersey

As we reach the midpoint of the 2022 Formula DRIFT season, ENEOS ambassadors Fredric Aasbo and Rich Whiteman continue to fight hard in the PRO and PROSPEC championships, respectively. New Jersey was a challenging weekend that saw a championship shakeup with several newcomers on the podium.

PRO

Aasbo went into the fight as a strong contender with his Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra, facing fellow Norwegian Simen Olsen in the Top 32 before going into a close fight with Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis in the Top 16. During the Great 8, he faced Chelsea DeNofa (eventual third place finisher) where the battle was decided by inches when DeNofa was given the win for a better line.

“It was a close decision but a fair one,” Aasbo said. “Watching back I know where I could’ve improved and you can bet I’ll be digging for the best line in St Louis.”

PROSPEC

Whiteman approached Englishtown with confidence, the purpose-built drift arena being his home track. Throwing down solid passes during PROSPEC practice sessions, he qualified 13th in the Freedom Motorsportz Toyota JZX100, where he would face Amanda Sorensen in Top 32 competition.

Whiteman had a very strong lead run, filling each zone for a high score while Sorensen had trouble at Outer Zone 3, driving blind into the turn through the smoke of the JZX100. She then used a competition time-out to ensure her BMW didn’t sustain damage during the run.

During his chase, Whiteman held a good line until he made light contact with Sorensen, causing his tire to lock up and the car to over-rotate, spinning out in Outer Zone 2 and resulting in an incomplete pass.

“That battle against Amanda was a heartbreaker but a good lesson learned,” said Whiteman. “It should’ve been a win after my lead run, but I was aggressive rather than opting for a safer chase. I’ll make sure to be more calculated in the future!”

Following the Englishtown round, Aasbo dropped to second in the PRO championship standings with 331 points; Whiteman is 16th in the PROSPEC standings with 89 points.

NEXT RACE

Aasbo and Whiteman head to World Wide Technology Raceway in St Louis for Round 5: Crossroads from July 14-16, 2022.