Photos courtesy of Formula Drift
2026 Formula Drift PRO Championship Round 2 Results – Road Atlanta
Vaughn Gittin Jr takes surprise victory over James Deane as the championship standings tighten after Round 2.
Date: May 9, 2026
Location: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – Braselton, GA
FD PRO Round 2 Results
1. Vaughn Gittin Jr (USA) – Monster Energy Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD
2. James Deane (Ireland) – O'Reilly / Pennzoil Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD
3. Branden Sorensen (USA) – Sorensen Motorsports / Quad Lock BMW
Formula Drift returned to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for Round 2 of the 2026 PRO Championship season, delivering one of the biggest shakeups of the year so far. Vaughn Gittin Jr emerged with the win after defeating RTR teammate and five-time Formula Drift PRO Champion James Deane in the Final following an uncharacteristic mistake from the Irish driver.
The victory marked Gittin’s first win over Deane in four competitive meetings and added another chapter to one of Formula Drift’s most recognizable rivalries. Although Gittin now competes part-time, the Road Atlanta win immediately pushed him into fifth place in the championship standings while taking valuable points away from several title contenders.
For Deane, Atlanta represented a strong rebound after an early Top 16 exit during Round 1 at Long Beach. His second-place finish moved him from ninth to second overall in the standings and quickly put his championship campaign back on track.
Branden Sorensen continued his impressive start to the 2026 season with another deep competition run in the Sorensen Motorsports / Quad Lock BMW. The 21-year-old narrowly missed advancing to the Final after a close Final 4 battle against Deane, but his podium finish elevated him to fourth in the championship standings.
Conor Shanahan entered Road Atlanta carrying momentum from his Round 1 victory but struggled in qualifying, placing 24th overall in the Red Bull / GT Radial / JYR Toyota GT86. Despite the difficult start, Shanahan fought back through the bracket and defeated his brother Jack Shanahan in the Top 16, marking the first competitive sibling battle in Formula Drift PRO history. His weekend ended in the Great 8 after a clutch issue forced him to withdraw, but he still leaves Atlanta leading the championship standings.
Several major contenders suffered difficult weekends. Fredric Aasbo was eliminated in the Top 32 following contact with Rudy Hansen during initiation, dropping the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra driver from second to ninth in the standings. Adam LZ was also eliminated early after debeading a tire during his battle with Trenton Beechum.
Matt Field’s weekend came undone after contact from Ken Gushi damaged the steering rack area on his Corvette during the Top 32. Although repairs were completed within the allotted time, officials deemed the car unsafe to continue, ending Field’s weekend prematurely.
The leading rookie once again was Cole Richards in the Richards Racing Toyota GT86. Richards finished 11th overall in Atlanta and currently sits eighth in the championship standings.
In the 2026 Formula Drift Auto Cup standings, Ford overtook Toyota for the overall lead, while GT Radial continues to lead the FD Tire Cup.
Next Round
Round 3 of the 2026 Formula Drift PRO Championship heads to Orlando Speed World on May 29-30. Round 2 of the PROSPEC Championship takes place at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut on June 18-20.
For tickets, livestream coverage, and additional event information, visit formulad.com.
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