鈥淕oing into my very first drift competition, I was super nervous, and I could feel the adrenaline pumping as soon as I woke up that morning. We started off with the drivers鈥� briefing and track walk, and shortly after, it was time for me to get suited up, warm the car up, and get ready to go.

鈥淎s I sat on the line waiting to head out on track for my first practice laps in front of 13,000 people, I really didn鈥檛 know what to expect.

鈥淪traight after that first lap, the nerves settled and the game head was well and truly screwed on, ready to push as hard as I could. Even then, I still had no expectations – I just wanted to drive my best and see how I got on.”

鈥淎fter practice, we noticed a slight leak coming from the diff, but my amazing team and I instantly got to work and resolved the issue. By this point, it was time for my one-lap super qualifying run. I put everything I had on the line and gave it my all, and shortly after, I found out that it had paid off – I qualified P1.

鈥淲ith all the mixed emotions going through me and knowing I was about to head into my first battle, all I could focus on was remaining calm and reminding myself to drive the way I had been all day.

鈥淎fter pushing myself and the car to the limit in my battle against such an amazing driver, Warren Lee, I genuinely didn鈥檛 know what the result was going to be, as we both put on an incredible battle and real masterclass for the fans.

鈥淭his resulted in a 鈥極ne More Time鈥�, which I honestly didn鈥檛 expect at all. Once again, I did everything I could and drove the best I could, and we managed to take home the win. Wow – what a feeling that was. I鈥檝e never felt anything like it.”

鈥淔or me, the win was an incredible result, and I was extremely proud of myself and my team. But most importantly, this weekend proved something to me – I belong here.

鈥淣one of this would have been possible without the support behind me. Every sticker on the car represents people and businesses who believed in me before there were results, before there was experience, and before there was proof. Your support gave me the opportunity to stand on that grid and fight for something bigger than myself. And this is only the beginning.

鈥淣ow I understand what it truly takes to compete at this level. I know where I need to improve, I know how hard I鈥檓 willing to push, and I鈥檓 leaving this weekend more motivated, focused, and hungry than ever before.”

鈥淭hank you for backing me, believing in the vision, and being part of this journey from day one. We鈥檙e building something real, and I鈥檓 going to keep pushing until we make serious noise in this sport.

鈥淭his first competition lit a fire in me that isn鈥檛 going out. Let鈥檚 keep moving forward鈥︹��

“Drift France Round 1 certainly set the season off with a bang!

“With the car doing double duty鈥擫uke competing in Pro and myself in Elite 鈥� it made for a challenging weekend full of highs and lows. Luke received a wildcard entry to compete at the home track of LM Autosport 86 at Val d鈥橵ienne just a few weeks before the event, which meant a huge push from the whole team to get everything dialled in for the season opener.”

“The event kicked off on Friday with media day. This included practice sessions and passenger runs for sponsors, the public, and championship officials. During testing, I was able to really push the car to its limits, although the day ended slightly early after breaking a lower arm on a rumble strip. The team worked hard that evening to repair and realign everything, getting the car ready for Saturday.

“Saturday consisted of practice and qualifying. During practice, Luke unfortunately bent the steering arm twice, but thanks to support from another driver, we were able to get back out in time for qualifying. With the Pro class running first in worsening weather conditions, Luke delivered a strong performance and secured 5th place.”

“I followed in the Elite qualifying session and managed a solid first run scoring 75 points, placing me 7th. On my second run, I pushed harder and went wider, but a slight wheel drop on clip 5 meant I matched my previous score鈥攆rustrating, as it likely cost a top 3 position.

“Sunday was race day. Luke drove a strong Top 16 battle to secure a place in the Top 8, but unfortunately had to withdraw due to a cracked rear diff plate causing an oil leak on track. Despite this, he finished an impressive 7th place in his first ever CFD event鈥攇reat job!”

“After a rapid repair, the car was ready for my Top 32 battle. However, we quickly discovered a major loss of power. Post-run checks revealed a split inlet plenum, causing a significant loss of boost across the rev range. Up against a 1000hp competitor on one of the fastest tracks of the season, it was always going to be tough. I gave it everything, but multiple corrections in the chase run ultimately cost the battle.

“Overall, Round 1 was an incredible start to the season and a true team effort under pressure. It鈥檚 shaping up to be one of the most exciting CFD seasons yet.

“As always, thank you for your continued support鈥攚e look forward to seeing you all at the next event. Round 2 is just two weeks away, featuring an all-night battle at Vesoul.”

鈥淲ell鈥� I’ve finally settled back into reality, wiped the tears away, and said goodbye to another amazing season of Drift France.

鈥淭he final took us to a brand-new circuit 鈥� and what an experience it was! The track was absolutely breathtaking: a sweeping layout with banked corners, fast inclines, and steep declines. It was quick, intense, and honestly聽terrifying聽for the first few laps!

鈥淲e kicked off the weekend strong 鈥� first lap as a feeler, then two solid push laps. Unfortunately, just as I was going out for a fourth lap, the battery voltage dropped to zero and the car lost all power. Limped it back to the pits and found the alternator had failed.

“What followed was a mad scramble: found a loaner (huge thanks to the community!), took a 2-hour drive to a nearby workshop, and just barely made it back in time for one last lap of final practice.

鈥淢ade some last-minute changes to prep for Sunday 鈥� we knew the weather was going to be bad 鈥� and tried to get some rest.”

鈥淲oke up to the heaviest rain I鈥檝e ever seen in France. The pits looked more like a lake. Gazebos were down all around us, but thankfully ours survived 鈥� albeit soaking wet.

鈥淲armed the car up and headed out for a very limited, wetter-than-wet practice session. The loan alternator held up (despite everything running: wipers, fans, lights, heaters 鈥� the lot), and we got some valuable laps in.

鈥淪traight into Top 32 battles 鈥� my opponent: FIA Swiss driver聽Jahan. First time driving with him, so I wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect. I’d seen his battles 鈥� big angles, a flashy style similar to mine 鈥� but this was our first head-to-head.

鈥淚 led the first run and felt strong through the first five clips, but pushed a bit too deep on the final hairpin and lost traction on the rumble strips 鈥� giving Jahan the upper hand.

鈥淐hasing, I threw down everything I had 鈥� close proximity and solid mirroring despite the awful conditions 鈥� but that鈥檚 where my 2025 season ended.”

鈥淲hat. A. Season! From mechanical failures to torrential rain to unforgettable battles, it鈥檚 been emotional. It鈥檚 been epic.

鈥淚鈥檓 proud to say I finished聽Top 20 overall: something our small team can truly stand tall about. I鈥檝e made lifelong friends, locked in my spot for 2026, and opened the door to potential new opportunities in France and across Europe.

鈥淢assive thank you to everyone who鈥檚 been a part of this journey 鈥� whether in the pits, on the track, or supporting from afar. You made this season unforgettable.

鈥淗ere鈥檚 to 2026. Let鈥檚 see what鈥檚 next鈥︹��

鈥淲here do I even start? Round 5 of Drift France took us deep into another idyllic French mountain setting 鈥� Calmont. The recipe? Winding mountain roads, scorching southern sun, stunning views鈥� and mosquitos.聽Lots聽of mosquitos!鈥�

Saturday 鈥� Slippery Start

鈥淪aturday鈥檚 practice kicked off under wet conditions, which actually played in my favour thanks to plenty of previous experience in the wet. I was feeling confident and pushing the car hard 鈥� maybe a little too hard at times! The rear bumper was the first casualty, followed by a piece of the rear light, and eventually the full lens met the barrier. Whoops!

鈥淎s the day went on, the track dried up and we got back to full-speed, high-commitment drifting. It was game on!

鈥淪traight after lunch, we headed into the One-Shot battles. I drew Jeremy Germain 鈥� a super competitive match-up 鈥� and despite a power steering failure that made the car a total handful up the hill, I managed to hold it together and take the win, securing a place in Sunday鈥檚 Top 32!

鈥淭hat evening, a聽massive聽crowd of over聽7,000 fans聽met us on the hill for autographs, photos, and a few unicorn encounters. The support and energy from the crowd were unreal!鈥�

Sunday 鈥� Heat, Horsepower & Head-to-Heads

鈥淪unday was a scorcher 鈥� temperatures pushing into the mid-30s. After a short morning practice and parade lap, I faced my Top 32 battle against none other than former champion,聽Steve Lieber.

鈥淪teve laid down a near-perfect lead run with an insane smoke screen. Chasing him in the intense heat, with almost no airflow and rising intake temps, my car struggled to keep pace. I knew my lead run was decent, but not my best of the weekend.

鈥淭o my surprise, I was announced the winner! After chatting with Steve, it turned out his car had thrown a belt mid-run, forcing him to shut it down. Not the way I like to win, but a win nonetheless 鈥� on to the Top 16!鈥�

Top 16 鈥� The Battle of the Orange War Paint

鈥淣ext up:聽Ben Vavasseur. I鈥檝e driven with Ben before, but never in a competition setting. I knew he鈥檇 be fast and aggressive 鈥� I half expected some orange war paint and love taps!

鈥淏en put down a strong lead and I chased hard, staying tight throughout. Then it was my turn to lead, and honestly, I think I put in my best run of the entire weekend 鈥� hit all the clips and zones, giving Ben a clean, fast line to follow. Surprisingly, we both crossed the finish line clean 鈥� no paint traded!

鈥淭hat鈥檚 where my weekend ended, bowing out in the Top 16. But what a weekend it was!鈥�

Final Thoughts

鈥淩ound 5 at Calmont was easily one of the best Drift France events yet. Epic location, top-tier driving across the board, an electric atmosphere, and thousands of fans showing us love 鈥� it doesn鈥檛 get much better than this.

鈥淣ext up:聽The Grand Finale at Charade聽鈥� a former F1 track nestled in the mountains of Auvergne. I鈥檝e never driven it before, but I鈥檝e heard nothing but good things. Surrounded by forest, history, and fast technical corners鈥� I can鈥檛 wait.

鈥淟et鈥檚 finish 2025 strong鈥︹��

鈥淲e went into our first battle in Top 32 and got a rematch from Round 2 with Allen Boss and took home the win. We ended up getting hit pretty hard while in the lead and destroyed another door on the car. (that is two doors this year and counting). We hammered the door the best we could and got the car aligned again and then went into our Top 16 battle.

鈥淲e had a great battle with Cole Richards but unfortunately, he just had the slightly better run. I left the battle proud we laid down a great run and put up a good fight and know I gave it my best. Now we work on improving my best and making the best from the car even better.”

鈥淲e left the event in 11th place, and are sitting in 12th in points out of 38 drivers. We have one more round to step up and put some bigger points on the board. We are heading to Utah next week and made a few changes to the car to get better chases. We are excited to try it out verse the field at a really fast track.

鈥淲e had a few events these past few weeks from Import Alliance in Nashville to National Corvette聽Museum in Bowling green where we were able to do some testing while also putting on a show for the fans.

鈥淥ur next few weeks will be even busier as we go across country to Utah for the final round of Formula Drift, then LS Fest back in Bowling Green, and then Slush Motorsports in Nashville all back to back. It should be fun, but hectic!鈥�

鈥淲e went back to pits and took the time to diagnose and swap out our fuel pressure sensor which was the fix, but we did not pay attention to the alignment of the car and unfortunately we went into battle with our car toe knocked out about 1/4″ on one side. This made the battle a bit more challenging than we wanted and we lost forward bite. We also made some contact in our first half of the battle and we should have asked for inspection on the toe. I personally didn’t think it was that much contact but afterwards we saw the wheel was knocked out and fully black (wheel to wheel).”

鈥淭he lesson learned here is double check alignment before going into battle and ask for inspection if the rules allow! We aren’t sure when we had the toe knocked out but we definitely will go away with the lesson learned!

鈥淣ext stop: St Louis鈥︹��