FORMULA D LONG BEACH 2024
Where to even begin with FDLB 2024? By most accounts the story actually started on Tuesday at Media Day when James Deane’s RTR mustang burst into flames. The car was significantly damaged and for most teams the round would have been over before it started. RTR is no ordinary team though and this simply lit the proverbial fire under their asses to try to achieve greatness this round. TLDR: They did.
The actual event began on Friday with the first ever Seeding Battles taking place to determine which drivers would compete in the main competition on Saturday. This new format replaces the dull single qualifying format with a series of tandem battles to fill out the bottom 8 drivers in the Top 32. Time will tell how this format plays out from a driver and vehicle attrition standpoint, but from a spectating standpoint it is far more entertaining. 14 year old phenom Hiroya Minowa made his FD debut and came out swinging, beating Adam LZ and becoming the first ever Seeding Battle winner.
Irish driver Conor Shanahan also made his Formula Drift debut this round and his presence was immediately felt. Unfortunately a surprise ruling brought on a re-run of his Top 32 battle against Ryan Tuerck who won the second time around. Despite that I am confident that Shanahan is force to be reckoned with this year.
Ken Gushi and Odi Bakchis went on to take 4th and 3rd places respectively. As the Top 16 began, rain descended on the California coast and played havoc on the drivers and conditions. Debatably the drivers with some of the most experience in slick conditions are Simen Olsen and James Deane and it was no surprise to me that they rounded out the Final 4.
In the end James Deane proved unstoppable and took home the top honors. It was a truly emotional turn of events and really set the stage for an interesting and exciting 2024 season. As usual, more photos in the gallery below.
