Great news for Northeastern Drift fans: Formula Drift has confirmed it will continue at Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut With a newly signed three-year contract. This weekend’s inaugural event broke records with a stunning layout, a capacity crowd and an all-Irish podium finish.
Most people who are into cars are familiar with drifting by now. But for the uninitiated, Formula Drift (FD for short) is a bracket-style head-to-head competition based on four key elements:
- Speed: How quickly and easily a driver can traverse a route
- Row: Can a driver follow a pre-determined ideal path mapped out by judges
- Angle: The ability to maintain a significant angle during drift. The greater the angle, the better.
- Style: Demonstration of driver technique, proximity to obstacles or competing cars, and mastery of the course.
At the end of the weekend, drivers are given a numbered score based on their finishing position, which contributes to their overall season ranking. At the end of the season, the driver with the most points is crowned “Pro Champion”.
Formula Drift had a lot to prove this weekend as it unveiled the first of three new stops in its eight-round series this year. This meant abandoning famous venues such as Old Bridge Raceway Park, the birthplace of drifting in the United States, as did New Jersey track owners. unable to commit For a contract, possibly due to recent zoning issues the track is facing. It opened the door to New England, long deprived of a vibrant car culture, and closer lock city driftOne of the largest grassroots change communities in the country.
“We want to make this track our new home for the Northeast”, said Brian Olfert, Director of Sales and Partnerships at Formula Drift, when stating his excitement to sign a 3-year contract with Stafford Motor Speedway.
“We will identify areas, whether it’s on the track, or off the track, to develop a more dynamic course and create a better fan experience or a better paddock for our teams or our partners.”
Formula Drift has continued to grow over the years as it sits at the intersection of car culture, fan-relatability, social media virality and grassroots motorsport accessibility.
During race weekend, I had a chance to see the RTR team famous for their ready-to-rock Mustangs. “I am extremely excited that this track is a level playing field for all drivers,” said Cody Pennell, Director of Motorsports at RTR.
A new track meant that new drivers like RTR’s Ben Hobson (who has faced an uphill battle for points this season) had a better chance of scoring high against seasoned veterans who have the seat-time advantage of having been running the same track for over a decade.
This hope paid off with several upsets in the driver field and Ben Hobson making the final-four, his highest finish to date in his PRO career. We also saw an all-Irish podium, with RTR driver James Dean now leading the season with a 22-point advantage:
- First Place: James Dean, driving a Pennzoil Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD
- Second place: Jack Shanahan, driving a Pulsar Turbos BMW 1-Series
- Third place: Connor Shanahan, driving the Red Bull/GT Radial/JYR Toyota GT86, and younger brother of Jack Shanahan.
We’re officially at the halfway point of the 2026 Formula Drift season with the next stop another new track At the end of July.
Full disclosure: Pennzoil, a sponsor of both Formula Drift and RTR, invited me to this weekend’s event and paid for my ticket.
