Formula Drift Announces Partnership with Drift Masters European Championship
With so many European drivers coming over to the American series, Formula Drift creates a partnership to strengthen the bridge.
This weekend is the return to Formula Drift with the first round of 2018 competition at Long Beach, California. Along with the return to action, Formula Drift recently announced that it would be entering a strategic partnership with Drift Masters European Championship (DMEC).
FD officials say the overall reason for the partnership is to open a dialogue between the two series for better alignment and collaboration. “The aim is to bring the drifting world closer together by aligning the two series and our methods of operation,” said FD co-founder Jim Liaw. “We all agree that by working together, we can expand the sport globally.”
From a high-level perspective, DMEC appears queued up to be a European feeder series for FD. The top eight drivers in the DMEC series will earn pro licenses if they have not already acquired one. The top three drivers in the series will even get a scholarship from both FD and DMEC. On the other side of the coin, all FD pro level drivers will be able to compete in DMEC events.
“I’ve been watching Formula Drift for years and always respected its professionalism,” said Arkadiusz Dudko, CEO of the Drift Masters European Championship. “From the moment I became CEO, my goal was to reach an agreement with FD because the most important aspects for the future of global drifting is to create a coherent driver’s licensing system, understandable judging system and appropriate regulations that can be used around the world. I’m very happy we have signed this partnership with Formula Drift.”
European drivers have excelled in Formula Drift. Frederic Aasbo, Kristaps Bluss, Dean Kearney, Piotr Wiecek, and 2017 Formula Drift champion James Deane have all left their mark. Federico Sceriffo with his Ferrari drift car hopes to be the next European driver to leave an impact on the series as this freshly-strengthened relationship between FD and DMEC brings about a new wave of drifters from across the pond.