Day 2 of Formula Drift Round 1 was one to be remembered. With previous winners and champions looking to secure a win, no one would ever have predicted a Driver from Ireland James Deane to take the 1st place podium. Not until the Great 8 that you kinda knew it would either be Matt Coffman, Alex Heilbrunn, Chris Forsberg, Ryan Tuerck, Odi Bakchis, Dean Kearney, or the 2015 FD Champion Fredric Aasbo.
With all drivers on High Alert that it could be anyone’s chances of winning. The Streets of Long Beach and it’s killer walls have been known to change the path to the podium so fast and claim their cars. The early runs, Aasbo vs. Pro 2 champ Heilbrunn looked to be in Aasbo’s favor, as history has shown that they have never matched up. However, they got an OMT in which Aasbo had a worse mess up out of the 2 runs and to settle the score, the Peruvian Drifter Alex Heilbrunn advanced. The next battle between 2016 FD Champ Forsberg vs. James Deane, it was the second run where Deane was the chase car and just sticked to Forsberg so well that Deane got the win. Tuerck and Coffman lined up, but Coffman miscalculated his distance and hit Tuerck on their first run. The second run was obvious as Tuerck had no errors and advances.
Bakchis vs. Dean “Karnage” Kearney was an obvious win for Odi as Kearney had an error. Tuerck and Deane went at it to determine who will take 3rd place, and quickly James Deane was too fast as he escaped Ryan on their first run, and Tuerck couldn’t reflect the same to Deane on their Second run which put James Deane in the finals. Bakchis and Heilbrunn went at it, but ended up getting an OMT, as it was too close to determine. But it was Heilbrunn that went to the finals as Odi had an error.
The finals was set as Alex Heilbrunn would go against James Deane and what would be a perfect final to a beautiful story. Alex was not fast enough to get away from James as their second run it was obvious James Deane was set to be the FD Round 1 Winner. Till next time.. -Rommel Estrada #fdlb #drifthookers
