UK Competition Date for Champion Drifter Fredric Aasbø and the Mighty Toyota 86-X
Drift-king Fredric Aasbø will be bringing his tyre-smoking precision driving skills to the streets of Liverpool in a head-to-head contest with some of the sport’s greatest names. He will be at the wheel of his fearsome Rockstar Energy Drink/Icom Toyota 86-X, a custom-prepped version of the Toyota GT86 coupe, to compete in the UK’s first Red Bull Drift Shifters event on August 19.
His machine is the first GT86 drift car in Europe and the first in its class to sport a Rocket Bunny V1 body kit. It is powered by a stroked, 3.4-litre Toyota 2JZ motor with a BorgWarner EFR 9180 turbo and MaxxECU engine management, and runs on Maxxol Boost race fuel. It was built by VTS Racing and tuned by Jonus Racing in Norway to produce 900hp and 1,120Nm of torque at the wheels.
Known for his flat-out style, Aasbø has achieved more than 100 podium finishes across three continents during the past decade of competition. His achievements have made him the most successful driver in Formula Drift history. He claimed the world championship in 2015 and finished runner-up in the title race in 2016 and 2017.
As a Toyota ambassador, he has demonstrated his speed and precision in the GT86, notably scorching the ‘86’ logo on a British skid pan for the Donuts From Space film, which can be seen here.
The Red Bull Drift Shifters event promises plenty of heart-stopping action as the world’s top drift stars demonstrate their supreme car control in high-speed power slides around a specially designed circuit. It differs from traditional drifting competitions in that the judging is based on data from high-tech speed and proximity sensors around the course; the drivers must demonstrate skill, speed and precision, drifting as close as possible to the features lining the track.
The driver line-up confirmed so far for the Liverpool contest, part of the city’s Liverpool 2018 cultural programme, includes Aasbø’s principal Formula Drift rival, the 2017 champion James Deane. Also on the cards are top UK drift race Matt Carter and international pro-drivers Gaz Whiter, Forrest Wang and Masato Kawabata, plus ‘Mad’ Mike Whiddett, who had the original inspiration for the Red Bull Drift Shifters concept.
The event will be run on a street track in the shadow of the famous Liver Building, along the Strand and the George’s Dock Gates. For full details and ticket information visit the official website at www.redbull.co.uk/driftshifters.
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