Formula DRIFT stars splash through qualifying at Stafford

With Stafford Motor Speedway appearing on the Formula DRIFT schedule for the first time, all teams faced the uphill task of setting up the cars as the drivers learned the new track. Adding to the pressure, a heavy rain shower before qualifying soaked the track, with large puddles remaining throughout the session. Fortunately, with 30 drivers competing for a Top 32 Competition place, they only had to complete one of their two allotted qualifying runs to advance

Formula DRIFT PRO qualifying utilizes UDSM (Universal Drift Scoring Method) technology from Race Data Labs. The telemetry and data system has automated the objective aspects of scoring individual qualifying runs with up to 80% of each PRO driver’s qualifying score for drift Line and car Angle quantified and scored entirely by UDSM. Driving Style – the remaining 20% – continues to be assessed and awarded by the panel of three Formula DRIFT judges

An advantage of UDSM is that it can place the cars precisely on the track, allowing the judges to examine car placement even when water plumes might otherwise obscure their view

Widely recognized as a rain master, Dylan Hughes (pictured above) topped the standings with a score of 84.13 points thanks to his precision in the challenging conditions. He was awarded four championship points for his qualifying efforts

Branden Sorensen was close behind with 83.6 points as he continues to present a major threat in the 2026 title race. He gained three Championship points

Conor Shanahan claimed third place with 82.33 points thanks in part to his familiarity with wet conditions. Fellow Irishman and five-time FD PRO champion James Deane fared less well after he spun out on his second run and placed 12th, while Conor’s brother Jack qualified seventh

Championship leader Aurimas Bakchis qualified sixth in his Feal Suspension / GT Radial / Subimods Subaru BRZ and will be hoping to build on his momentum in Saturday’s Competition heats

While drivers only had to complete one run to qualify, two drivers failed to do so and were eliminated. These included Trenton Beechum, who hit the wall hard on his first run and didn’t re-appear. Rookie Cole Richards hit the wall hard in practice and struggled with the car in qualifying. His failure ended an incredible run that saw him podium at Round 1 and lead the Rookie of the Year chase

With only 28 drivers qualifying for the Top 32, the four leading drivers will receive bye runs through the first Competition heats

The top qualifier receives four championship points, while second place receives three, third gets two points and all other drivers receive one point

The Formula DRIFT Link ECU PROSPEC Championship retained its competitive tandem Seeding Bracket Qualifying format, providing lower ranked drivers with additional competitive track time to increase their experience level

With 24 of the places in Top 32 Competition determined by the championship standings from Round 1, the remaining eight places would be filled from among the 13 drivers competing in the Seeding Bracket

The top three finishers were all rookies, with Ayden Copham claiming first place after a hard-fought final against Levi Wait. The 20 year-old took the victory despite suffering a hand injury in a traffic collision on his way to the track. His reward was a place in Top 32 Competition and 12 championship points (three for each heat win) to help his 2026 aspirations. Third place went to Sean Booth who lost to Wait in the Final 4

With only eight Competition places available, five drivers were eliminated including Christian Cotrone, Kelsey Rowlings, Luis Lanz, Dustin Miles and Kabott Cardoso. They will get another chance to qualify through the Seeding Bracket at Round 3 at Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 30-Aug. 1.

• Catch all the action from Stafford Springs Friday night at 8:00pm ET on RACER+ and Saturday on RACER Network and RACER+ starting at 3:00pm ET.

• Bundle and save to get 6 print issues of RACER Magazine, unlimited digital access to the RACER archive, and 24/7 motorsports streaming on the RACER+ App for just $129.99 for one year. CLICK HERE and subscribe now for the ultimate motorsports fan experience.