Formula Drift 2022 - Washington

Qualifying

Entering Round 6 with a first-place position and massive points lead in the PRO standings, the pressure was high for Forgestar sponsor Matt Field entering the weekend. Switching it up for the 2022 season, points leaders run first in qualifying, making Matt Field the man to kick off our weekend with an impressive 90-point qualifying run. A seemingly strong start to the weekend, however Fields fellow Forgestar sponsors Dylan Hughes and Chris Forsberg would follow suit with pair of 90-point qualifying passes. In the case of a points tie in qualifying, placement is determined by style points, leaving Forsberg, Field, and Hughes with qualifying positions of 3rd, 4th, and 5th, respectively.

Top 32: Rubbing Is Racing

Facing off with Odi Bakchis, Field put down a solid lead run with his opponent making minor mistakes in maintaining line position. Field attempted to gain proximity in his chase run but made wheel-to-wheel contact with Odi on his Forgestar F14s. With each driver making similar errors throughout OZ1 and OZ3, judges called for OMT. Luckily for Field, he set a high standard with his OMT lead, one Odi could not replicate, rewarding Field advancement into the Top 16.

On his home turf, Washington native Dylan Hughes laid out a legit lead with his opponent Simen Olsen following closely behind. After swapping to chase position, the battle was close enough to call for an OMT. That is until Olsen’s car expectedly decelerated near OZ4, causing Hughes to take a hard hit into Olsen and skyrocket the front half of his E46 into the air. Due to the vehicle failure, judges awarded Hughes the advancement, and his crew got to work repairing the Royal Purple Bimmer. Similarly, in Chris Forsberg’s chase run, his opponent Jonathan Hurst took a hard-hit into the wall in OZ4, giving Forsberg an immediate advancement into the Top 16.

Top 16: Time to Throwdown

Facing off with yet another Falken sponsor, Field’s C6 Corvette matched with his opponent Justin Pawlak’s S550 Mustang. Much like the cars they race, Matt and Justin were perfectly paired in performance as both drivers failed to fill the boxes in the lead position and wavered in the chase. After a close side-by-side examination, the judges awarded advancement to Field. Staying true to his reputation as a strong chase driver, Hughes kept composure through his chase run, earning him the win into the Top 8 over his opponent Jhonattan Castro.

In a battle of the Zs, Forsberg took on fellow Nissan driver Jeff Jones in Top 16, where judges called for yet another OMT to declare a distinctive winner. Chasing Jones, Forsberg navigated past bits and pieces of 370 after Jones’ rear bumper broke off in OZ1. Jones continued laying out a clean lead run with his hatch wide open and debris in his wake, given the FD Rules judges were forced to count this pass as incomplete. Judges gave Forsberg advancement, moving him into the Top 8.

The Great 8: Forgestar Face-Off

Forgestar sponsors battled head-to-head, with points leader Matt Field facing off with Dylan Hughes. Field kicked off the battle in lead position while Hughes dove straight into the chase, maintaining proximity to his fellow Forgestar driver. Swapping roles, Field put up a fight, refusing to give Hughes the win. Both drivers put down strong lead runs and followed each other’s movements so well in the chase that judges had to call for a One More Time… not once, but twice! The first OMT was a rewind of our initial battle, with both Forgestar drivers mirroring the movements of the other. In our final shakedown, Hughes’ bumper slid into the wall in OZ1, causing Field to spin out behind him. The judges awarded Field advancement, assigning fault to Dylan Hughes. Chris Forsberg shut down his opponent Taylor Hull in both the lead and chase position. Forsberg’s performance made for an easy judgment call sending him straight to the Final Four!

Formidable Four

Facing off with Chelsea DeNofa in the final four, Forsberg put up a powerful performance. Unfortunately, Forsberg lost too much speed in the bank, causing the judges to give the win to DeNofa. Field took on Dan Burkett in another close-call battle. With each driver performing relentlessly in both lead and chase positions. It was a difficult call for judges who ultimately gave the win to Field, citing a no compromise-performance in his chase run as the differentiator.

Finals: For All the Marbles

With the afternoon sun setting over a smokey track and wits wearing throughout the hot summer day, top contenders DeNofa and Field lined up for our final race of Round 6. With each driver receiving podium placement throughout the 2022 season but evading 1st place, DeNofa and Field both had plenty to lose in this high-stakes final battle. DeNofa kicked off in lead where Matt would tail behind a little too closely, sliding into the Mustang’s bumper in OZ3. Assigning fault to Field, judges ruled the performance as an incomplete. Following up the race with a perfect chase run, judges would award DeNofa his first victory of the 2022 season, with Forgestar sponsors Matt Field and Chris Forsberg assuming 2nd and 3rd on the podium. Maintaining his rank as 1st in the PRO standings, Matt Field widens his gap with Fredric Aasbo leaving Washington with a whopping 506 points. Formula Drift continues for Round 7 in Grantsville Utah. It’s anyone’s game as the 2022 season has continued to produce a different winner in each round, a Formula Drift record!