The Formula DRIFT season is here and the Pro class got things started this weekend. This weekend’s event is the preamble to the larger event next weekend which will feature Formula DRIFT, IndyCar and IMSA. The weather was mostly cloudy with some breaks but ultimately the conditions worsened to rain. James Deane took advantage where others struggled. He was able to secure the win in the opening round of the season for the PRO class. The win was an important one for Deane as he missed out on championship contention last which was supposed to be “his year”. Deane will be looking to continue this form moving forward this season.
Deane’s RTR Motorsports team had to overcome a catastrophic fire that engulfed his Mustang during a Tuesday demo run. After they worked tirelessly to repair the car, Deane handled the weather conditions like a pro and now leads the Championship heading into Round 2 upcoming in Atlanta. His path to the win wasn’t an easy task. At the Round of 16 Deane had to “One More Time” 6 times against Jonathan Hurst and then again versus Fredric Aasbo. The Irishman fought through and never wavered in the final. “P1 BABY! I’m filled with pride on what this team did,” he said. “Nobody gave up, everyone had my back no matter what happened and I wanted to make them proud for what they did for me!
Courtesy: Formula DRIFT
Round 1 FD PRO Top 16 Driver Championship Standings
| Position | Drive | Points |
| 1 | James Deane | 101 |
| 2 | Simen Olsen | 88 |
| 3 | Aurimas Bakchis | 78 |
| 4 | Ken Gushi | 64 |
| 5 | Fredric Aasbo | 48 |
| 6 | Rome Charpentier | 48 |
| 7 | Nick Noback | 48 |
| 8 | Hiroya Minowa | 48 |
| 9 | Matt Field | 35 |
| 10 | Ryan Tuerck | 32 |
| 11 | Chris Forsberg | 32 |
| 12 | Kazuya Taguchi | 32 |
| 13 | Jonathan Hurst | 32 |
| 14 | Branden Sorensen | 32 |
| 15 | Robert Thorne | 32 |
| 16 | Trenton Beechum | 32 |
2024 Auto Cup Top 5 Standings
| Toyota | 126 |
| Ford | 114 |
| GM | 84 |
| BMW | 70 |
| Nissan | 42 |
2024 Tire Cup Standings
| Nitto | 156 |
| GT Radial | 154 |
| Kenda | 126 |
| Vitour | 84 |
| Nexen | 70 |
| Kumho | 56 |
Round 2: Type S Road To The Championship presented by AutoZone will take place at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta will on May 9-11 as well as Round 1 of the Link ECU PROSPEC Championship.