We’re a few rounds into the 2026 Formula DRIFT championship, and I wanted to talk a bit about it. For some context, I follow the FD season as one of their official photographers, documenting what is essentially a rolling circus around the US, with drifting instead of dancing elephants. Round 3 of 8 happened last weekend at Orlando Speed World in, you guessed it, Orlando, Florida.
Given it’s still quite early in the season, there are a few developing stories that are worth touching on.
Formula DRIFT has been visiting Orlando for the last 10 years, and it’s easily produced some of the best driving each season. On paper, it’s a pretty basic track with two turns and a single transition in the middle. In reality, though, the drivers say it’s a lot more difficult. Coming off the bank, your suspension slams on the ground into the infield, before jumping through the transition that almost lifts the car (at least that’s what it looks like in photos).
The relatively simple layout makes for some tight tandems and equally amazing drift photos in my opinion. However, the downside to all that is the weather. Not only is it hot and humid, but rain is all but guaranteed during the FD Orlando weekend. This year, it rained on us five times in the two days. And this is not light rain you imagine yourself dancing in, but more of the torrential kind that plays at the climax of a romantic comedy movie where the protagonists profess their love for each other. Or if you’re in a serious mood, it’s the type of rain that comes down during a video game boss fight where you die 12 times before ultimately calling it quits for the night…
The rain came in so dramatically and heavily that I made the mistake of placing my camera in a less-than-optimal location and dropped it. My Canon R3 was mounted with a 400mm lens, and as I picked it up, I immediately noticed that the camera was dangling. Unfortunately, the drop broke the RF-to-EF adapter and the lens mount on my R3, but luckily, the most important part of the setup – the lens itself – was fine. I usually run three cameras at FD, so being down one camera body wasn’t as bad as being down my only telephoto lens.
Continuing with the cameras, the humidity in Orlando is so bad during this time of year that I have to keep my cameras outside rather than inside with air conditioning, or my lenses will fog over. It was a battle I faced right through the weekend as I would forgetfully step in and out of the production office at the track. Some of my photos in this gallery have funky flare because of it.
The weekend starts with a day of practice and qualifying. I love to use the first part of practice to step away from photographing the drifting on track. The opening hour is usually less exciting than the later sessions, so I stay back in the grid where drivers line up, waiting for their turn to take to the circuit. It’s a good opportunity to capture images of crew members making final adjustments to the cars, while drivers stretch before putting on all their safety equipment.
New this year is the return of qualifying. Over the past few years, FD has used a seeding bracket format, in which the lower-ranked 16 drivers competed in a ‘Bottom 16’ bracket to determine their positions for the main competition day. While this system had its pros and cons, the return of traditional qualifying has brought back its own strengths and weaknesses. The biggest downside was the time it took.
With a qualifying session that went from hot and humid to cold and wet, we ended up with quite a unique Top 32 bracket. The biggest battle was that of James Deane and Conor Shanahan.
These two drivers came into the season ranked first and second in the championship, so we knew whoever won this battle would most likely go to the finals. Not just that, but the losing driver would have a massive ladder to climb for the rest of the season. Everyone knew it would be a battle worthy of the finals, and that’s exactly what we got. Ultimately, Deane took the win over Shanahan.
Another interesting battle in Top 32 was Jack Shanahan and Derek Madison. Jack, like his younger brother, Conor, is a menace behind the wheel of a drift car, and Derek is no slouch, so this was definitely a “David vs Goliath” type match-up. The battle went to a “One More Time” decision not once, but twice. Jack eventually took the win, but it was nice to see Derek’s progression.
I’m always excited for Top 16 Opening Ceremony, as it’s the primary opportunity for fans to see the drivers out of their cars and without helmets. For some folks, it’s also a chance for them to say hi and take photos with their favorite drivers. The ceremony takes place at sunset, and the first battle starts at dusk. The track lights and headlights of the cars slowly turned on, and we dove into the business end of the event.
I prefer to shoot the beginning of Top 16 from the same spot every year because I like taking these photos of the two cars side-by-side, post-battle, awaiting the final results from the three judges. It honestly feels quiet during this moment since both drivers just sit and stare at the replay on the Jumbotron while the commentators on the stream break down what just happened. On occasion, some of the drivers will hop out and chat with each other, but those moments are rare. It’s actually something I am envious of in Formula DRIFT’s European equivalent, Drift Masters.
The final battle came down to James Deane and Odi Bakchis. Odi has always been a bridesmaid but never the bride, usually hovering around second to fifth in the championship standings. While he always tends to have strong starts to each season, around the sixth or seventh stop of the year he hits a wall (figuratively), and another driver takes charge and carries it to a championship win. The fans all know Odi has a championship in him, but as he debuted a new car this season – a Subaru BRZ – after always driving a Nissan S-chassis, I’ve been sceptical it could happen for 2026. Once the smoke settled in Orlando, however, Odi stood on the top step of the podium, beating the defending champion.
Odi is now leading the championship with five rounds left. Formula DRIFT is heading into the unknown for the next two tracks, one in Connecticut and another in Indiana. Will Odi be able to hold off James? Will Conor be able to claw his way back on top? Branden Sorensen, who hasn’t had a single podium this season, is sitting third in the championship, so could he sneak his way to the top and win the championship if some of the top contenders have similar weekends as Conor had in Orlando? Let’s check back in October when the 2026 FD season comes to a close.
