Irish Drivers Dominate The All-European Formula DRIFT Round 5 Podium In St. Louis

As James Deane grabbed yet another FD win, Jack Shanahan finally had a breakthrough, earning his first-ever Formula DRIFT podium.

The connection between the two drivers, who live just a few miles apart, goes back over a decade. Deane has mentored Jack since his first time behind the wheel of a drift car.

“I’m so proud to share Jack’s first FD podium with him”. “I sat in the seat with him on his first ever day drifting, and to see him go from a 12-year-old little kid to what he is today, I’m just very proud,” Deane said after the win, with the pair both getting visibly emotional.

“It felt like practice day. I was ready for fun,” Deane admitted. On their first run, Deane executed a perfect lead at a pace that caused Shanahan to transition early into outer zone 2 in his effort to maintain proximity. That single mistake decided the outcome.

Regardless, Shanahan was left positively stunned and teary-eyed, stating, “I never thought I’d get to hold one of those carbon trophies”.

Although Jack has had his fair share of success across the globe (despite being just 25 years old), it was clear just how much his first step onto the Formula DRIFT podium meant to both him and James Deane.

Norway’s Fredric Aasbo, who was top of the championship rankings going into the round, occupied the third spot to round off the all-Euro podium.

Deane’s Win Propels Him Back To The Top

Deane’s victory now sees him tied with Fredric Aasbo with 180 points at the top of the 2025 championship standings.

Aasbo’s title defense took a hit when he spun out during their semi-final battle, despite delivering a strong lead run.

Meanwhile, Jack’s breakthrough result launched him from 19th to 8th in the championship and cemented his lead in the Rookie of the Year chase. He now sits 24 points ahead of Connor O’Sullivan, making him the current heavy favorite for the rookie honors.

Adam LZ, who took the win in Englishtown, was knocked out in the Top 8 by Shanahan after a close battle. He remains third in the championship but now sits 60 points behind the leaders on 120 points.

The Weather And Track Drama Continues

While it wasn’t quite as crazy as what we saw in Englishtown last round, St. Louis still managed to serve up its fair share of weather-related carnage. Heavy rain preceded the PRO Seeding Bracket, then the heat and humidity kicked in, with drivers sweltering in their cars for 90 minutes between sessions as the temperatures soared.

The revised track layout didn’t help matters, either. Minor changes to the outside zones improved the flow, but multiple drivers found themselves airborne after dropping wheels in OZ1, with several suffering tire debeads that ended their weekends.

PROSPEC Paves The Way For The Ultimate Season Finale

Nate Chen finally broke through for his first Formula DRIFT victory after years of showing potential, after Cole Richards sent his Toyota GR86 airborne in the final after an OZ1 mishap, handing Chen the victory.

This outcome creates a three-way championship tie at 100 points between Chen, Richards, and Dmitriy Brutskiy heading into the Utah finale on August 28-30.

The rookie class continues dominating PROSPEC seeding brackets, having won all three this season. Ryan Kaufman took the latest bracket win in his Mazda RX-7 FC, a rare sight in competition drifting these days!

Meanwhile, A Huge Story Unraveled Off-Track

Social media was buzzing with what happened before any cars even hit the track. Japanese drifting legend Daigo Saito, who’s making his highly anticipated return to Formula DRIFT after a 10-year absence, never even made it out of the airport.

Saito was denied entry to the United States due to visa complications with his ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) Visa Waiver Program.

US immigration officials found that competing professionally violated his tourist visa status. This meant a 60-hour ordeal that included being detained and forced to fly to Europe before returning to Japan.

Needless to say, he wasn’t too delighted about the situation and expressed his thoughts on Instagram. However, the post has since been removed, so we’re feeling hopeful that it’s a sign he may be able to resolve the visa issues and continue with his 2025 FD plans. Fingers crossed!

The only positive aspect of the situation was seeing Hiroya Minowa’s father, drifting legend Shinji Minowa, handed the opportunity to put on a show for the fans in Daigo’s car. Unfortunately, he wasn’t eligible to compete in FD.