Fredric Aasbø (born 18 August 1985) is a professional drifter and stunt driver originally from Siggerud, Norway.[1] He currently competes in the Formula Drift Championship.
| Fredric Aasbø | |
|---|---|
 Aasbø in 2015 | |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Born | 18 August 1985 Siggerud, Norway |
| Formula D career | |
| Current team | Papadakis Racing |
| Championships | 3 |
| Wins | 18 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2015, 2021, 2022 |
| Championship titles | |
| 2007 2008 2014 2015 2021 2022 | Nordic Drifting Championship Nordic Drifting Championship Formula D Asia Formula D Formula D Formula D |
| Awards | |
| 2010 2015 | Formula D Rookie of the Year FIA Norway Driver of the Year |
Aasbø is a three-time Formula Drift champion, having won the title in 2015, 2021, and 2022.[2][3] He also holds claim to the most wins of any driver in series history, with 19 (as of May 2024).[4] He also finished as runner-up in the 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 championship chases.
Career
edit
Aasbø started his career as a privateer racer driving a Toyota Supra. He won the 2007 and 2008 Nordic Drifting Championship titles competing in his native Scandinavia before making his U.S. debut at a global drifting invitational in 2008.[5]
In 2012, he won the "Pro" category of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race.[6]
Formula D
editIn 2010, he ran his first full season of U.S. competition as a privateer and won the Formula Drift 'Rookie of the Year' award.[7]
He joined the Papadakis Racing squad in 2011 as a replacement for driver Tanner Foust (who had announced his departure from drifting).[8] From 2011 to 2016, he drove a Scion tC in the United States and later, a Toyota GT86 in Europe.[9][10]
In 2014, he won the Formula Drift Asia title, and finished runner-up in the U.S. Formula Drift Pro Championship.[11]
He won his first Formula Drift Pro Championship title in 2015 with a record of four wins in seven rounds, as well as the Formula Drift World Championship in the Papadakis Racing Scion tC.[12][13][14] The same year, he was also awarded FIA's Driver of the Year for Norway – an honor he accepted from Norwegian World Rally Champion Petter Solberg.[15]
Aasbø finished as championship runner-up in 2016 after winning two rounds.[16]
From 2017 to 2018, he debuted two different Toyota hatchbacks in the Formula Drift series. In 2017, he finished second in the championship in a Toyota Corolla iM.[17] In 2018, Papadakis Racing introduced the Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla Hatchback and again finished as the championship runner-up.[18] - For the fourth year in a row, Aasbø finished as the championship runner-up in Formula D for the 2019 season.[19]
In 2020, Aasbø and Papadakis Racing launched their new Toyota GR Supra for the 2020 Formula D season onwards.[20] The GR Supra is powered by a B58 engine producing over 1000 horsepower while still utilizing the stock block.[21][22]
In 2021, Aasbø won the Formula D championship titles in 2021, after having a podium finish or win in all but 2 rounds of the season.[23]
Aasbø won the Formula D championship title for a second consecutive year in 2022, with 2 wins and 2 podium finishes during the season.[24]
Other work
editHe is also a stunt driver whose work has most notably been featured in the Norwegian action film Børning and advertisement campaigns for Toyota.[25]
His wife Hunter Taylor is now a rookie drifter as well.[26]
References
edit- ^ "Fredric Aasbo - Scion Racing Blog". Scion.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Aasbo, Scion take Formula Drift Championship in Irwindale". Autoweek. 2015-10-11. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Formula DRIFT World Championship - Standings". Formulad.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Aasbo drops the hammer on the field to win Long Beach Formula Drift opener in a new Toyota". Autoweek. Retrieved 2018-08-04.
- ^ "A Message To Fredric Aasbø". Speedhunters. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Toyota Pro/Celebrity race will feature Rutledge Wood, Cain Velasquez". Autoblog.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Fredric Aasbo". Papadakis Racing. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Siu, Jason. "Tanner Foust Temporarily Retiring from Formula DRIFT » AutoGuide.com News". Autoguide.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Formula DRIFT - Drivers - Fredric Aasbo". Formulad.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Interview - Scion Racing's Fredric Aasbo & Ken Gushi". Superstreetonline.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Australia - Standings - 2014". Formula DRIFT Asia. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Drifting-Aasbø knuste alle: – Den villeste dagen i mitt liv - Motorsport - VG". Vg.no. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Fredric Aasbo wins Formula Drift series and Irwindale Speedway titles". Sgvtribune.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Fredric Aasbo is the 2015 Formula Drift Champion!". DrivingLine. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ "WOW!!! I'm speechless right now: Guess who won the Norwegian FIA Driver of The Year Award and was handed it by last years winner Petter Solberg (@petterwrc03)!!! Thank you all so incredibly much!! #ÅretsBilsportutøver –". Drifting.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Formula DRIFT Irwindale 2016". MotorTrend Magazine. Oct 12, 2016.
- ^ Choy, Danny. "How Fredric Aasbo's 1000-HP Corolla iM Formula D Drift Car Was Built". The Drive. Retrieved 2018-08-04.
- ^ Lee, Kristen. "This 1,000-HP RWD Toyota Corolla Is One Of The Most Extreme Drift Cars Ever Built". Jalopnik. Retrieved 2018-08-04.
- ^ "Formula D Irwindale Is 2019's Final Stanza, Filled With Drama". Front Street Media. 2019-11-06. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
- ^ "2020 Toyota GR Supra". Papadakis Racing. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ "Ready For Racing: Fredric Aasbo's 1000hp Papadakis-built 2020 Toyota Supra Formula Drift Car". DrivingLine. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Clifford, Joe (2020-04-06). "Fredric Aasbø reveals his new 1000bhp GR Supra". Toyota UK Magazine. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ FormulaD (2021-10-25). "SERIES NEWS: AASBO AND BRUTSKIY WIN 2021 FORMULA DRIFT PRO & PROSPEC CHAMPIONSHIPS AT THRILLING IRWINDALE FINALS". Formula DRIFT BLOG. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ FormulaD (2022-10-17). "AASBO IS CROWNED 2022 FORMULA DRIFT PRO CHAMPION AND WINS IRWINDALE ROUND 8". Formula DRIFT BLOG. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Jan Gunnar Furuly (2014-01-31). "Norsk bilstjerne i USA lånte bil og gjorde stunt - Aftenposten". Aftenposten.no. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ Ljadov, Vladimir. "Interview with Fredric". Wheelsbywovka. Retrieved 2017-07-14.