After a long break, it is now time to get sideways because Formula Drift’s 2023 season is about to start. This new season is exciting for us at Pedal Commander because more drivers will be joining our ranks, and it should be exciting for you because this Formula Drift season comes bearing gifts, more on that later.
What’s New With the 2023 Formula Drift Season?
Ahead of its 20th Anniversary, Formula Drift will bring some changes to make the events more fun and engaging to watch. Before all that, though, it isn’t changing significantly. You’ll still see your favorite drivers sideways. The eight-round PRO Championship schedule remains unchanged, with events taking place across the United States, including Long Beach, Atlanta, Orlando, Englishtown, St Louis, Seattle, Utah, and Irwindale.
On more significant changes, Formula Drift will remove the 37-driver cap on both the PRO and PROSPEC Championships, allowing more teams to enter the series. However, only 32 drivers will be able to compete in the head-to-head competition, making qualifying more crucial. The stakes for qualifying will also be higher because the PRO Prize Purse will double from the 2022 season.
Formula Drift will gather a lot more telemetry data to improve the viewing experience and judging. They will also be going to change their “Decel light.” It will have more colors and will provide the drivers and the fans with more information.
Another significant change is being made for the fans. According to Formula Drift’s The Outerzone Podcast, Formula Drift is working on a new mobile app to change how their streams will look. Also, they are working on a new judging system to improve the pacing.
Formula Drift will announce more news once we are closer to the 2023 season, but we know they’ll announce a Hall of Fame in celebration of their 20th year and history. The HoF will be announced in the 2023 season opener in Long Beach.
UPDATE: Formula Drift President Ryan Sage just announced their plans for the 2023 season. If you want to learn what's new in the 2023 Formula Drift Season, you should click the video below to watch the video.
When Will The 2023 Formula Drift Season Start?
The 2023 Formula Drift season will start with the PRO race at Long Beach, California. It will happen between 7-8 April 2023. Formula Drift seasons have started on the streets of Long Beach for a while now, so there are no real surprises there. However, this year Formula Drift will hold a Hall of Fame event, which is a first for the sport.
The first PROSPEC race of the season will be in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 11-12, so if you want to watch the successful Pedal Commander S14.9 in action, you will have to wait a bit longer.
Why Are We Excited for the 2023 Formula Drift Season?
As Pedal Commander, we’ve been a long-time supporter of Formula Drift and the racers. We have a long-running partnership with Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis. He has been a force to be reckoned with all his experience. In 2022, we sponsored a car in the PROSPEC series, too. This year, we will be expanding our reach with three more drivers. So, if you are a Formula Drift fan, keep an eye out for Pedal Commander on track because you’ll see our brand a whole lot more.
This year, we will work with Odi Bakchis, Rome Charpentier and Branden Sorensen in the PRO series and Ben Hobson, Faruk Kugay, and Amanda Sorensen in PROSPEC series.
Odi Backhis, Ben Hobson and Faruk Kugay will be racing with S-series chassis cars. Branden and Amanda Sorensen will use a BMW M4. Rome Charpentier will race in E36 BMW 3-Series. With some fresh blood and experience on our side, the 2023 Formula Drift season will be one to remember for all the members of the Full Throttle Nation. If you want to see our exciting lineup in action and happen to be a SoCal resident, you can enter our giveaway to win two tickets to Formula Drift’s 2023 season opener in Long Beach, California.
If you are interested in seeing Odi Bakchis, Rome Charpentier and Branden Sorensen and all the breathtaking action Formula Drift has to offer, click here to enter our giveaway!