2024 FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2ND ROUND AND 1ST ROUND OF PROSPEC CHAMPIONSHIPS STANDING BRACKET RESULTS AT ROAD ATLANTA

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday May 9, 2024
Location: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia
Event: Formula DRIFT PRO Championship, Round 2: Type S Road To The Championship presented by AutoZone and Round 1 Link ECU PROSPEC Championship

RESULTS FROM FD PRO SEEDING SUPPORT

1. Jeff Jones (USA) – Evol Auto Works / Prisma Labs / BIG Drift Energy Nissan 370Z
2. Dan Burkett (USA) – RAD Industries Mk4 Toyota Supra
3. Diego Higa (Brazil) – Higa Toyota GT86

REMARKS

• Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta hosted the first round of Formula DRIFT competition in 2004 and has been part of the championship throughout its 21 seasons.
• Heavy rain ahead of the PROSPEC sowing created difficult conditions for the early runners until conditions improved. The track was dry for the K&N PRO Seeding Bracket, which took place under floodlights in the evening. All PRO cars must use Type S under-car lighting for evening events.
• New for 2024, solo qualifying races have been replaced by competitive tandem races once the top positions have been determined by the previous round. For PRO, this meant the first round in Long Beach, while PROSPEC was based on the final 2023 standings.
• In the PRO Championship, the top 24 positions were determined by the Long Beach results, with the remaining 13 drivers competing in a ranking bracket to earn the eight remaining Top 32 spots.
• In PROSPEC, the top 16 positions were predefined, with the remaining 29 drivers competing in a ranking bracket to win one of the 16 spots in the Top 32. With so many participants, the PROSPEC ranking is sudden death, with the loser of each tandem race being eliminated.
• The benefits of the new Seeding Bracket format are that drift fans can watch competitive tandem races Thursday through Saturday, while new and emerging drivers can compete in each round, rather than being eliminated after qualifying races alone.
• Judges for Formula DRIFT in Atlanta were Vernon Reese Marin (USA), Brian Eggert (USA) and Robie Nishida (Japan). They can no longer call One More Time (OMT), where drivers repeat races. Instead, they must make a decision based on the first two points during the ranking brackets. OMT is still permitted in competition. Drivers can also no longer appeal a decision during a race weekend.
• 2024 Link ECU PROSPEC Championship rookie drivers include Adam Heishman (USA), Allen Boss (USA), Brian Wills (USA), Clarke Hatton (Ireland), Coty Demster (USA), Jayce Habich (United States), Josh Stuart (United States). ), Lee Yearwood (Trinidad and Tobago), Luis Lanz (Venezuela) and Nik Jimenez (United States). All have earned Formula DRIFT licenses thanks to their successes in Pro-Am competitions
• Of the 29 PROSPEC drivers competing for 16 competition spots in the Seeding Bracket, 13 drivers were eliminated. Three competitors advanced with points bye after their opponent failed to start the round. The names of advanced or eliminated drivers are listed in the PROSPEC table below. The winning drivers will compete in the competition rounds tomorrow (Friday)
• The Top 16 Seeding Bracket of the PRO Championship was an exciting event. And with 13 drivers competing, only five would be eliminated.
• The final position of the top 8 drivers determines how they face off in Saturday’s tandem competition rounds. Moving up the ranking bracket also gives them more track time to refine their lines and technique.
• The top three drivers in the K&N PRO Seeding Bracket were Jones, Burkett and Higa. They triumphed despite the presence of top drivers like 2023 PROSPEC champion Ben Hobson (USA) and his RTR Motorsports teammate, two-time FD PRO champion Vaugh Gittin Jr (USA). Gittin placed eighth in the Monster Energy Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD and will compete Saturday. However, Hobson narrowly missed. Placed ninth, he has not yet qualified for a 2024 PRO Championship event at the wheel of the Pennzoil / BC Racing Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD.
• Drivers eliminated from the PRO Championship were Andy Hateley (USA), Ben Hobson (USA), Derek Madison (USA), Federico Sceriffo (Italy) and Rudy Hansen (USA)

ROUND 2 PRO SEEDING SUPPORT

SUPPORT FOR PRO ROUND 2 COMPETITION FIELDS

PROSPEC TOWER 1 SEEDING SUPPORT

PROSPEC TOUR 1 COMPETITION FIELDS SUPPORT