It feels like the 2022 Formula Drift season just started a few days ago, in Long Beach. And yet here we are, getting ready for Round 6! After Kazuya Taguchi scored his maiden win in Saint Louis about two weeks ago, drivers are now headed to Monroe, Washington. Evergreen Speedway has been part of the calendar since the early days of the series and there are just two events left for 2022 after this one is over.
This race used to go by the name of "Breaking Point", at least up until 2010 when it was changed to the "Throwdown". Back in 2008, Rhys Millen was still competing in FD and won the race driving his Pontiac Solstice. But he would only take third overall that year, as Samuel Hubinette was second and Tanner Foust took top honors.
Chris Forsberg won the race in 2009, and he also took home his first Championship title that same year. Looking at the list of drivers that have been victorious at the FD event in Evergreen Speedway, it looks something like this:
Just four of those drivers are still actively competing in the series these days: Forsberg, Aasbo, Backchis, and Denofa. Forsberg has three titles to his name, which he scored in 2009, 2014, and 2016. Aasbo is closely behind with two titles, one in 2015 and one in 2021.
But both Backchis and Denofa are still looking forward to their first season victory after more than a decade of going sideways. They will be fighting hard this weekend to secure more vital points for their ongoing race for the championship.
Photo: Larry Chen / Formula Drift
Of course, it won't be easy for them as each driver aspires to finish on the top step of the podium regardless of their experience or vehicle setup. And that's the beauty of drifting. Even if you're the underdog, you can still win against a team with a budget that's 10 times bigger than yours.
As of now, Matt Field is leading the championship with a total of 415 points even though he hasn't won any races this year. Meanwhile, Aasbo and Tuerck are right behind him with one victory each. From a mathematical point of view, there is still a long way to go before anyone can make any accurate predictions as to who will be crowned Formula Drift champion this year.
With a total of three races left, there are just over 300 points that are still up for grabs. Kyle Mohan is still driving a rotary and he is down in P34, some 293 points behind Matt Field. This kind of situation does put a lot of pressure on the drivers, but it's good for the fans watching the series.
As opposed to the FD event in July, this one will be dedicated to the Pro drivers only. That means it will kick off on Friday, August the 5th. The venue will be open to the public starting at 11 AM PDT. After practice and warm-up in the afternoon, drivers will be going through the qualifying session.
Photo: Larry Chen / Formula Drift
As always, this will be broadcast live starting at 5.45 PM PDT. On Saturday, the action starts at 10 AM. But the Top32 battles are scheduled to begin two hours and 45 minutes later. The most exciting part of the race is scheduled for the second part of the day, and we'll probably be getting three hours of non-stop tandem drifting before the winner is decided.
Tickets for both days will set you back $55, while kids can get in for free. We'll be reporting back with more info from the race as it unfolds. And we'll also give you an inside perspective from one of the main judges, Ryan Lanteigne. Until then, you can enjoy some action from last year's event below:
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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