I joined PRI's editorial team on Tuesday, April 2, at the Formula DRIFT and Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach media day, and it was the perfect kickoff to two full race weekends in the streets of downtown Long Beach, California.

The media event offered motorsports media members an up-close (and in-seat) experience of the high-octane action of drifting. The drifting demos were intense—watching the pros shred tires never gets old, and neither does sitting in the passenger seat of a run. But just prior to the demos, we had the chance to hear from the top drivers during the press conference, and you could feel the energy building for this weekend's events.

"This weekend, in particular, is special because we will kick off at Long Beach with our first-ever Hall of Fame inductee, who is not a driver (industry photographer Larry Chen)," said Formula DRIFT co-founder Ryan Sage. "And we are announcing where our final round of racing will be. In the past year, we've thought about (the now-closed) Irwindale; it evokes a particular sentiment. So, we will announce the new location during halftime this weekend."

[Editor's note: the final round of the 2025 PRO Championship will take place in the City of Long Beach using large portions of Shoreline Drive. And for the first time, Formula DRIFT will have its own unique and independent street course venue, making the event different from Round 1: Streets of Long Beach, which is based on the Acura Long Beach Grand Prix layout. The "Shoreline Showdown" takes place on October 17-18. Pre-sale tickets are available at formulad.com/lb2.]

"We had a great season last year where we were clawing our way back up after the 2023 season. We were looking for something new [in 2025], so we made a big change. We had five great years with tire maker Nitto, but this year, we went to Kenda. We did some testing, and it feels great. So that brings a revitalized feeling," said three-time Formula DRIFT PRO Champion Fredric Aasbo, who went on to capture the overall win of the weekend. "And going ice drifting over the winter; those things combined help me stay excited about being here, getting back behind the wheel to take on the season."

Meanwhile, four-time and reigning champion James Deane shared his excitement about starting the season in Long Beach. "It's great to be back out here at Long Beach. It's the best way for a season to open," said Deane. "I'm going to just try and enjoy it. It can get very stressful, and you just need to try and remember that I dreamed about doing this when I was a kid. I am very lucky to be in the position that I am, and I remind myself that I don't have to prove anything, and nothing is guaranteed in this sport."

I was lucky to land a seat alongside Deane for the media demos. Riding left-side shotgun with Ireland's Deane was absolutely unreal—he's so calm behind the wheel, even when we're sideways at full throttle. During the tandem run, we were just inches from Aurimas Odi Bakchis' car, and the precision between them was insane; it was the very definition of controlled chaos. You could smell the tire smoke, feel every flick of the car, and honestly, it was over way too fast.

All in all, what really stood out was how closely Formula DRIFT and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach teams are working together to make this 50th-anniversary grand prix a standout year. Organizers shared the history of racing in Long Beach and how they're leveling things up with new cars, fresh tech and an even more fan-focused schedule. There were also updates on the track layout and how everything's coming together behind the scenes.

To summarize, the media day proved that 2025 will be a banner year for racing in Long Beach.