The Formula Drift Pro Championship season had an amazing start at the Streets of Long Beach, California on April 6, 2012 and was finally back in full swing making it on Road Atlanta. It goes without saying that both rounds were a huge adrenaline rush to watch from the sidelines. While the streets of Long Beach were filled with roaring sound of high horsepower engines and the smell of burning rubber, there were numerous crashes that made this event a real thrill. As for Road Atlanta, it was a home of the inaugural Formula Drift event back in 2004 and therefore the Road to Championship was one of the most anticipated events of the season. This weekend drivers had to show what they got when they were tested on the fast entry and tight turns of the road course. The cars were eliminated one by one and then the best of the best driver has taken the championship.

The victory belonged to Justin “JTP” Pawlak and his Falken Tire Ford Mustang RTR. It was 2008 when Justin competed full-time in the Formula Drift Championship and well… this time he sent a message that his second place he got last year wasn’t just a matter of fortune. Justin returned with a new 2013 Ford Mustang boasting a powerful Ford Racing/Roush Yates engine and Falken Azenis RT-615K Tires to prove that he has what it takes to reach the podium. The second place went to Daigo Saito (the 2011 Formula Drift Asia champion) and his 1,200hp 2JZ-powered Lexus SC430. Fredric Aasbo was ranked third, being behind the wheel of Team Need for Speed Scion tC. We don’t know was it the tC equipped with 2.7 Inline four 2AR-FE turbocharged engine and Motegi Traklites wrapped with Hankook 18 inch Tires or Fredric’s car control skills, but he really made his presence felt.

The first two rounds showed that drivers keep drifting fun and made us expect the craziest things to happen in the upcoming events. We promise to provide you with video and photo coverage from the next 5 rounds. Just stay tuned!

• If you missed all the fun at Formula Drift 2012, but hungry for some adrenaline rush, see the super sick vids of epic battles and thrilling drift from Round 1. Scroll down for more vids from Round 2.

Round 1: Streets of Long Beach, CA

Round 2: Road to the Championship at Road Atlanta

• The 2.54-mile, 12-turn track is the road course where cars slide sideways through the turns, then hit the loop and come back, drifting uphill on an incline. Watch the video to understand what’s what!

Here you can check out how the championship stacks up with the first two rounds being behind.

3. Fredric Aasbo – 152 points

2. Daigo Saito – 157.50 points

1. Justin Pawlak – 209 points

Image Credit: HPR56.com, Canibeat

Even though the battle was tough, JTP took one run at a time, one corner at a time and moved passing every opponent to break through at the season opener. The season couldn’t have started off better for Justin. We’re impatiently waiting to find out what happens in the next rounds. What about you motorsports enthusiasts? Do you support any drivers? What do you expect to see on Palm Beach International Raceway?