Formula DRIFT Teases Long Beach 2025 Final – ‘Shoreline Showdown’
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Although James Deane has already wrapped up his record-breaking fifth Formula DRIFT championship this year, the battle for second place remains wide open heading into the new-look Long Beach finale on October 17-18.
The new ‘return’ to Long Beach marks the first time in 22 years that the FD championship won’t conclude at the ‘House of Drift’ following Irwindale Speedway’s devastating closure last year.
The fight for second
With second-place Matt Field sitting on 190 points, Adam LZ and Fredric Aasbo closely behind, tied at 180, and Hiroya Minowa at 150 going into the final, the remaining podium spots remain anyone’s game.
Where better for a final battle than an even playing field with a brand new layout?
Here’s the latest teaser:
What we know about the course so far
‘Shoreline Showdown’ promises to be something special. Ryan Sage and the FD team have gone all-out to create what they’re calling a “game-changing” replacement. The brand-new street layout in Long Beach is completely separate from the usual Round 1 GP course.
Formula DRIFT hasn’t shaken up its locations much in recent years, so this breath of fresh air might be exactly what the series needed. And, with championship positions this tight, nobody has a home advantage with the entirely new track configuration.
Details have been vague so far, with only gradual trickles of information being released. But what we do know is that this custom-built street layout should look dramatically different from the majority of tracks on the calendar.
Here’s the best teaser we’ve seen to date on what to expect:
As FD puts it: “New layout. No excuses.” With Deane already crowned, expect the remaining drivers to throw everything they’ve got at securing those final championship positions.
Needless to say, we expect this to be an epic way to close out the season!
Seeding bracket and Top 32 battles
Here’s the Seeding 16, taking place on Friday, October 17:
This is how the Top 32 looks for Saturday, October 18:
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Bill is a writer and photographer who has been part of the Drifted team since 2015. His work extends to various print and online publications, including Wangan Warriors.
As part of the King of Nations team, he traveled extensively for several years, capturing top-tier international drift events worldwide. His hands-on experience, including rebuilding his own Nissan Silvia S15 drift car, gives him unique insights into drift car building and global drift culture.
When not behind the lens or keyboard, Bill can be found browsing classifieds for his next JDM project or shredding virtual tires on popular simulators like Assetto Corsa, CarX, and Forza.
You can learn more about Bill’s story here or follow his socials on X (formerly Twitter), Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram.
