By SEMA News Editors
Formula DRIFT Changes Qualifying Format for 2026 Season
Formula DRIFT will change its qualifying format for the 2026 season following driver feedback and the introduction of a new telemetry-based scoring system, the series announced.
After two seasons using the all-tandem seeding bracket format to set the Top 32 grid, most PRO Championship drivers voted to eliminate it, while PROSPEC drivers voted to retain the format during two summits held with series drivers. As a result, PRO will return to a two-run qualifying format, while PROSPEC will continue using seeding bracket qualifying.
Series officials said reverting to two-run qualifying created scheduling challenges, particularly on combined weekends when both championships share track time. To address this, Formula DRIFT partnered with Australian company Race Data Labs to implement its Universal Drift Scoring Method (UDSM), a telemetry-driven judging system.
Under the new structure, approximately 80% of a PRO driver's qualifying score will be generated automatically. The UDSM system will fully score drift line and angle using vehicle data. The remaining 20%, covering style, will continue to be judged by Formula DRIFT's three-judge panel. Style scoring has been separated from the other categories to allow judges to weigh difficulty and driver errors independently.
The Race Data Labs system will be installed in all competition cars throughout each event weekend. In addition to qualifying, judges will be able to reference telemetry data during tandem battles, including proximity between cars, comparative angle and speed, deceleration patterns and off-course excursions. The system is also designed to clarify fault in contact incidents.
"We're finally able to give our judges the tools they've been asking for, empowering them to make the right decisions with greater certainty and in a shorter time," said Formula DRIFT President Ryan Sage. "In partnership with RDL, we're able to provide information about the incredibly complex dynamics of 1,200hp PRO drift cars at high speed that's invisible to the naked eye and has been extremely difficult to analyze and interpret despite the help of our multiple camera angles."
Formula DRIFT plans to integrate portions of the telemetry data into its livestream broadcasts beginning with the season opener in Long Beach on April 10–11.
For more information, visit formulad.com.
Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Announces 30th Anniversary Ride Route
Former NASCAR driver and current racing analyst Kyle Petty today officially announced the complete route and overnight stops for the 30th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America (KPCRAA). For the milestone edition, the 30th Anniversary KPCRAA will truly cross the United States, starting in Sonoma, California, on May 1, 2026, and concluding in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 9, 2026.
The 30th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America will be book-ended by trips to two iconic Speedway Motorsports (SM) racetracks, Sonoma Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, and will see Petty lead roughly 150 motorcycles over 3,400 miles across 11 states in just nine days to raise funds and awareness for Victory Junction--a camp dedicated to providing life-changing camping experiences for children with serious and chronic medical conditions. Since 1995, more than 9,575 riders have logged 13.3 million cumulative motorcycle miles and raised more than $23 million for Victory Junction and other children's charities.
Spectators and race fans along the 2026 route are encouraged to attend one of the Ride's nine overnight stops or daily pit stops to greet Petty and the riders, purchase memorabilia, collect autographs and make donations to Victory Junction.
The start and end points for the 30th Anniversary Ride also replicates the first route taken by Kyle Petty and friends during the initial Ride in 1995. The first Ride kicked off May 8, 1995, following the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway, and wrapped up in Charlotte eight days later.
Applications for the 2026 Ride are closed, and all riders have been selected. The Ride accepted 26 new riders, and applications for the 30th Anniversary Ride filled up in record-setting time--less than 72 hours after applications were distributed. All told, there will be riders from 35 different states, plus two Canadian provinces, taking part in this year's Ride.
For more information about the Ride or to donate, please visit www.kylepettycharityride.com.
