Two Pirelli World Challenge Championship events are in the books, but we’ve got one more coming up today through Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas. Robert Stout and the KSR team are heading back out with the TRD supercharged Lucas Oil/KSR Scion FR-S to make another run at the series’ GTS class.

Photos: Robert Stout and the Lucas Oil/KSR Scion FR-S at the Streets of Long Beach

The car’s development is still coming along at a steady pace and we’re expecting the team to come through with one of their better finishes this season, but the 20 turns of COTA should give them some of one of the toughest challenges they’ve seen yet.  As always, you can catch the race streaming live on the World Challenge TV site at the link below.

http://www.world-challengetv.com/

“Weird” is the only word we can come up with to describe the first leg of how kind it’s been to Scion Racing over the years. With Round 2 now in the books, however, we’re thinking we may have to reconsider after having unusual weather conditions, a blown motor, and some awkward tandem runs thrown our way.

You can never be too surprised about anything when you’re competing in a series as unpredictable as Formula Drift, but the practice sessions leading into the event didn’t give us any reason for concern. The Papadakis Racing, GReddy Racing, and TAngelo Racing teams looked like they had their cars locked in, as Fredric Aasbo, Ken Gushi, and Tony were ripping it around the course.

Fredric and the Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC were first at bat for Friday’s qualifying session and posted the day’s top score with relative ease. The run earned him a well-deserved spot at the top of the bracket for the Round of 32 which we were thrilled to see, but it also made what happened next catch us with our guard down

Ken’s number was called soon after, but he was unable to make it to the line due to an engine issue that arose after the morning practice. Despite all the work that was put into the GReddy Racing Scion FR-S going into the event, the nature of motorsports means that unforeseeable these kinds of issues have a way of turning up at inopportune moments. The GReddy Racing team worked diligently to make the necessary fixes to their FR-S, but were unable to complete the repairs in time for Ken to make his qualifying runs.

Tony fared slightly better when it came his turn to qualify, successfully taking the TAngelo Racing Scion FR-S out for both of his runs. Since departing Long Beach after Round 1, the TAngelo Racing team had been busy making changes to the car to better suit Tony’s aggressive driving style. While he pushed only just too hard in Atlanta, taking two wheels off course, the team nearly has the car all the way to where they want it to be.

Ken and Tony are tasked with representing the best of Scion Racing, and it’s something they’ve done spectacularly well over the years – to the point that it’s almost too easy to take what they do for granted. It’s no secret that we have a vested interest in seeing both of them do well, but even outside of their affiliation with Scion Racing, it was strange watching a main event without two of the series’ top drivers. Both Ken and Tony are among the most driven and competitive people we’ve ever come across, so we’re sure they’ll bounce back stronger than ever when we head out to Palm Beach for Round 3.

Saturday’s competition got off to an early start, with Fredric scheduled to start things off against Walker Wilkerson. Walker’s car unfortunately appeared to be suffering from some major issues that didn’t allow him to get on the starting grid, which gave Fredric a bye into the Top 16. There, he was matched up against his old friend and fellow Norwegian countryman, Kenny Moen.

It was at this point that things really started getting bizarre. Rain began falling as the Top 16 battles started, making for an unexpectedly slick track with extremely low entry speeds. Conditions deteriorated to the point that, during Kenny Moen’s lead run, he was literally sliding all over the track as he tried to initiate in front of Fredric’s Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC. As a result, Fredric moved on to the Top 8, where the bracket had him paired up with Vaughn Gittin Jr.

Fredric seems to be making a habit of turning out memorable battles as of late. At Round 1 in Long Beach, he knocked out 2012 Champion Daigo Saito in what many are calling one of the greatest tandems in FD history. His matchup with Gittin at Formula Drift this past weekend turned out to be similarly memorable, albeit for a far different reason.

You’ve by now noticed that the Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC is running a 2014 Scion tC front end, giving the car a more aggressive look that we think is an improvement on the old setup. Gittin seemed to agree, to the point that in the process of trying to chase Fredric, he ended up climbing the driver’s side fender, ripping off the bumper on the way down to claim it for his own.

The contact was not only a first for us, but also the weirdest we’ve ever seen happen to anyone in Formula Drift competition. In the process of literally running over the Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC, Gittin moved up to the lead position, and Fredric began giving chase without missing so much as a beat.

Gittin was ruled at fault for the contact, which gave the Papadakis Racing team as much time as they needed to get the car in working order. However, the Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC lost 3^rd gear during the course of the run, putting them at a major disadvantage. The issues that resulted caused the Fredric to straighten out twice on Fredric’s chase run, leading to a OMT battle.

Though Fredric gamely went right back at Vaughn for their follow-up battle, the problems were just too much to handle, and the judges gave Gittin the win. For his part, Fredric was exceedingly gracious about the turn of events, refusing to cast blame elsewhere and even joking about the entire ordeal afterwards. If you missed the battle, you can catch it in the YouTube clip above.

That all said, Fredric still earned a second straight Top 8 finish, which allowed him to move up to 6^th place in the 2013 Formula Drift Pro Championship standings. His work on the track also moved Scion up to 2^nd place in the new FD Manufacturer’s Cup, and within 27 points of 1^st place. With Ken and Tony ready to bounce back for Round 3 in Palm Beach, we’ll be looking to narrow that gap even further.

We’ll be bringing you all of our video highlights from the weekend in our Road Atlanta episode of Driven 2 Drift 2013, so be sure to stay tuned!

We were back in Road Atlanta over the weekend, supporting Fredric Aasbo, Ken Gushi, and Tony Angelo as they took on the 2^nd Round of the Formula Drift season. The high-speed track, unpredictable weather, and intense competition helped us produce some great photos of the Hankook Tire Scion Racing tC, GReddy Racing Scion FR-S, and TAngelo Racing Scion FR-S. Check out our images in the gallery above, and don’t forget to check back in for the next episode of Driven 2 Drift, dropping later this week!

Related: Photos from Formula Drift Round 1 – Long Beach

There are a few reasons why Road Atlanta is one of our favorite tracks – its high speed entry gives drivers the chance to show what they can do when pushing their cars to the limit, while the close, technical corners give the crowd a chance to see some of the finesse that separates the pros from the rest. Oh, and it also happens to be where Fredric Aasbo eliminated eventual 2012 Champion Daigo Saito in the Hankook Tire/Papadakis Racing Scion tC to earn a spot on the podium last season.

Related:Gushi&Aasbo Finish Top 8 at FDLB, Tony Angelo Debuts New FR-S

Fredric and GReddy Racing Scion FR-S driver Ken Gushi will both be looking to make serious pushes at Road Atlanta this year, as their matching Great 8 finishes at Long Beach have put them in prime position to be legitimate title contenders. Similarly, Tony Angelo is a guaranteed bet to go in hard in the TAngelo Racing Scion FR-S and put his first points of the season up on the board.

Photos: Formula Drift Round 1 – Streets of Long Beach

Road Atlanta also marks the second round of the Formula Drift Manufacturer Cup, which we’ll be keeping an eye on going into the weekend. During each round of the FD Pro Championship Series, the top two drivers behind the wheel of a car that matches a chassis with a motor from the same manufacturer will contribute points to the Manufacturer Cup. This means that  after Round 1, Scion is currently sitting 4^th in the standings thanks to the contributions of Ryan Tuerck and his 2JZ powered Scion FR-S, and of course, our own Fredric Aasbo and the 2AR powered Hankook Tire Scion tC.

As always, if you can’t make it out to the track, you can watch the Scion Racing drivers in action at the Formula Drift Driftstream, a link to which we’ve provided below. Stay tuned for more news and info surrounding Round 2 in Road Atlanta!

http://formulad.com/live/

Video: Driven 2 Drift 2013: Streets of Long Beach

The MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championships returned to Willow Springs International Raceway for Rounds 3 and 4, where Michele Abbate and the Dynamic Autosports Scion tC continued their run through the season. Michele submitted a best time of 1:34.00 during Saturday’s session which had her set for a big weekend.

Unfortunately, some major issues kept the team from getting through Sunday’s Round 4 with the finish they wanted, but some time in the garage should have the car good to go for the next event at Auto Club Speedway. In the meantime, check out some of our photos of Michele on the track in the gallery above.

Nothing comes easy in rally, and that was especially true for the Scion Racing Rally xD at this weekend’s Oregon Trail Rally. From the start of Day 1, and right up through the moment Andrew Comrie-Picard and co-driver Jeremy Wimpey crossed the finish line, the car was plagued with issues that threatened to derail their run at the Rally America 2WD Championship.

The problems first began appearing during Friday’s night stages, when the Scion Racing Rally xD was hit with some relatively minor brake issues, compounded with the relatively major issue of a turbo pipe coming off during their run. Though they were able to get the issues sorted out in time for Day 2, it left them at 5^th in the standings going into the ensuing stages.

Fortunately for the team, Saturday’s stages passed by far more smoothly, without any unforeseen problems turning up. As a result, ACP helped the team climb its way back toward the top of the 2WD class, ultimately finishing the day in 2^nd. Though the Scion Racing Rally xD sustained some body damage in the process, it gave the team the huge leg up that they would need on the final day.

The last stages of the Oregon Trail Rally are long and fast stages that ACP and the Scion Racing Rally xD team looked to take advantage of with their GReddy turbocharged motor. However, a final setback made an untimely appearance in the form of a blown head gasket that nearly threatened to derail the team for good.

However, hard work put in by the team, combined with some generous assistance from friendly teams and drivers in the Super Production class allowed the Scion Racing Rally xD to finish the race and come away with 3rd Place for the event. With the Oregon Trail Rally in the books, the Scion Racing Rally xD continues to hold on to the lead in the Rally America 2WD Championship Race.

Related: Scion Racing Rally xD takes 2^nd at Oregon Trail Rally 2012

Next up for the team is the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally on May 31^st, followed by a quick detour to Colorado for 91^st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Stop by the Scion Racing Rally xD site for all the latest news and info about the team.

http://www.rallyxd.com/

Video: Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 2012 – Part 1

The MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Championships are returning for Round 2 this Saturday and Sunday at Willow Springs International Raceway. Michele Abbate and the Dynamic Autosports team are going to be back in action at the event, looking to get their championship defense back on track after taking some rough hits during Round 1.

Related: Dynamic Autosports Scion tC Specs and Info

An extended break between rounds gave the Dynamic Autosports team a chance to fit the car with new axles as well as a new motor. The 350 horsepower that their tC is pushing out should give them an advantage on the long straightaways at Willow Springs, while Michele’s pedigree as a driver will be instrumental in shaving precious seconds off the clock.

Related: MotoIQ Round 2 2012 Recap from Michele Abbate

Michele and the team are currently tied for 3^rd place in the MPTCC Tuner Under division, but sit only 12 points behind the series’ current leader. With a little luck on their side, they’ll be able to regain pole position in the race for the 2013 championship.

Video: Michele Abbate Scion Racing Team Day Interview

Round 3 of the NHRA Summit Series kicks off this weekend at the Irwindale Dragstrip, and there’s a lot at stake for the Scott Kelley Racing team. The Top 5 finishers at the event will be moving on to Summit Series finals in Las Vegas, and you can bet that Scott will be doing everything to get his Scion Bullet xB drag car there.

Related: Kelley Racing – 1^st Place at NHRA Summit Series

Scott and the team managed to secure a Top 7 finish at Round 2, competing in a field of 56 cars. They’re currently sitting 4^th in the standings, just a single point out of 3^rd place, and only 43 points out of 1^st. A solid run this weekend will give them a chance to make another run at the top of the podium and show the competition why their Scion xB is a car to be feared on the track.

We’ll be bringing you news and results next week after the race, so be sure to stay tuned to the Scion Racing blog!

Video: Scion Racing Team Day 2012 – Scott Kelley Interview

It’s been more than a month since Andrew Comrie-Picard and the Scion Racing Rally xD team took 1^st Place at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, a win we documented in our second Rally America video of the season. The team’s been itching to get back in the saddle because of all the time off, but they’re finally going to get their chance this weekend at the Oregon Trail Rally for Round 3 of the 2013 season.

Related: The Scion Racing Rally xD Wins the 2WD Class at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood

ACP is entering the event as the favorite, having driven the Scion Racing Rally xD to overwhelming victories during the first two rounds. With the extra downtime giving the team more opportunities to test their setup and get everything geared up, it’s looking increasingly like they’ll be making it 3 for 3 on the year.

Video: The Scion Racing Rally xD at the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood

The Oregon Trail Rally starts tomorrow, May 3, in Portland Oregon. ACP and the Rally xD team will be updating live from Twitter throughout the race, so be sure to follow them at the links below before the event kicks off!

https://twitter.com/acpracing
https://twitter.com/RallyxD

Video: ACP and the Scion Racing Rally xD win Sno*Drift 2013

Robert Stout and the Ken Stout Racing team made their way to the Streets of Long Beach last weekend for the 3^rd Round of the Pirelli World Challenge Championships. The supercharger they’re developing in conjunction with TRD is still in its testing phases, but the results they’ve pulled in the Lucas Oil/KSR Scion FR-S look more and more promising with each successive event.

The KSR team has just under a month off between now and their next race, which takes place May 17^th at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. In the meantime, they’ll be in their home garage getting the car fine-tuned for the rest of the World Challenge season. Check out some of the photos we captured of the team at Long Beach in the gallery above, and head over to Robert Stout’s site for all the latest news and info on his team.

http://www.robertstoutracing.com