Formula Drift round 6 - Throwdown in Evergreen Speedway (Seattle)
Formula Drift round 6 aka "Throwdown" took place in Monroe, Washington at Evergreen Speedway just outside Seattle. This is 6th round of 8 of 2017 Formula Drift championship. It was also 3rd round of Formula D Pro2 championship but no 86/BRZ cars participate in Pro2.
Ken Gushi / Team Greddy Racing
Ken Gushi qualified in 14th position and went against 19nd position qualifier, also Toyota 86 driver - Cameron Moore. In first two battles drivers had similar runs and judges voted for One-more-time. In OMT battles Ken gushi was struggling with the course and judges voted for Cameron Moore to move to Top16.
Cameron Moore / Nameless Performance
Cameron Moore qualified 19th and won Ken Gushi in Top32. In Top16 Moore went against top qualifier Odi Bakchis. In follow run Moore makes contact with Bakchis which cost him this battle. Odi Bakchis moves to top8
Ryan Tuerck / Nameless Performance
Ryan Tuerck continues his success with qualifications this year and gets 2nd best score so no fight in Top32. In Top16 Tuerck meets 18th qualifier Justin Pawlak. In follow run Tuerck touched Pawlak's car and spun out himself. Judges were discussing who's at fault and while one judge voted for Ryan Tuerck, other two judges voted for Justin Pawlak to move to top8.
Jhonnattan Castro / Toyota Racing
Jhonnattan Castro qualified 23rd and went against 10th qualifier Chris Forsberg. These were fun battles to watch as judges decided for one-more-time twice. In the last of 6 runs Chris Forsberg pushed too hard and stalled before the last run. Castro moves to Top16.
In Top16 Castro went against Fredric Aasbo. In follow run Castro makes contact with Aasbo. This wasn't really a decceleration zone and it could be argued that Aasbo slowed down, but after both runs judges vote for Aasbo to continue to Top8
Dai Yoshihara / Turn14 / Falken Tire
Only Subaru BRZ driver Dai Yoshihara qualified 20th and went against his teammate and friend Matt Field in Top32. Field spins out and Yoshihara moves to top16. In Top16 Yoshihara wen't against Michael Essa. In first battles both drivers lost ground on the follow runs and judges voted OMT. In second battle Essa struggles in follow run and Yoshihara moves to TOP8.
In Top8 Dai Yoshihara battled with Matt Coffman. Yoshihara makes an impressive lead run and judges vote Yoshihara to advance to Top4 to meet championship leader James Deane. After first two runs judges voted for one-more-time. In second battle Deane shows much better follow run and advances. Deane ends up winning the event in finals as well.
Podium: 1st James Deane, 2nd Fredric Aasbo, 3rd Odi Bakchis
Next round - Formula Drift ROUND 7: Texas Motor Speedway
Photography: Valters Bože
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