FORMULA DRIFT REVEALS RADICAL VENUE CHANGES IN ITS 2026 COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Las Vegas, Boston, and Indianapolis join the eight-series Competition Schedule for the 2026 season

The 2025 Formula DRIFT season was undoubtedly the most successful in its 22-year history. The series saw records shattered across the board in terms of spectator attendance, audience viewership and fan engagement. It also crowned the first five-time PRO Champion – who achieved that feat in the shortest time ever – and celebrated the youngest event winner in its history. And before the dust can settle, Formula DRIFT is announcing its most dramatic change to the Competition Schedule, with three new tracks joining the 2026 calendar

PROVISIONAL 2026 FORMULA DRIFT PRO & PROSPEC CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

After months of meetings and negotiations with the existing venues as well as new track owners, we can reveal the 2026 Schedule for the Formula DRIFT PRO and Link ECU PROSPEC Championships, which will undoubtedly surprise many people. 

“After the most successful season in our history, we’re embarking on our most ambitious schedule with three new venues,” Ryan Sage, President of Formula DRIFT explained. “We’ve come to some hard decisions but we’re confident this will strengthen the series as we strive to develop and promote the best drifting competition in the world. We proved last month with our new Long Beach venue for the PRO Championship Final, developing new venues can allow us to do something really special. And it’s with this in mind that we’re approaching Las Vegas and Indianapolis, in particular, where we have the opportunity to create venues that will highlight the sport and provide superb facilities for the fans.”

The first new venue on the schedule is Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, CT, which was selected in part for its proximity to Boston, allowing the series to reach a new East Coast fan base.

“As everybody knows, the arena at Englishtown Raceway was built for Formula DRIFT and it was always our intention to remain at the track. However, the facility is going through an acquisition process and we were unable to secure a commitment to our 2026 event date,” Sage explained. “With teams needing to budget for the 2026 season and our deadline to secure an alternative long-passed due, we knew a difficult decision had to be made. So, our major North-East event will be relocated to Stafford Speedway. We made the decision with sadness and not fully aware of the fate of Englishtown Raceway. But because we were unable to contract a date with E-Town, we were left with no choice but to ensure we could secure an East Coast event. And with Stafford Speedway, we have full confidence in the venue and staff to provide everything the teams, drivers and fans require for a killer event. Stafford already has the infrastructure to host Cleetus McFarland events and we’re happy to continue supporting a pillar of the US racing community, which relies on the existence of these regional tracks.”

Stafford Speedway will host both the Formula DRIFT PRO and Link ECU PROSPEC Championships on June 18-20 before all the teams head to Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 30 - August 1.

“We’re really excited to bring the series to the home of North American motorsports,” Sage continued. “The City of Indianapolis and the surrounding area supports a strong Mid-West racing community and we can’t wait for them to see world-class drifting in their town.”

Opened in 1960, the venue boasts an NHRA drag strip and short course oval. It even had a road course, which is no longer used. And with generous seating capacity as well as facilities and parking to match, Indianapolis Raceway Park is set to become another memorable partner for the 2026 Formula DRIFT season.

The final addition is The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which will host Round 7 on September 24-26, which includes the Final Round of the PROSPEC Championship. This will be a return for the series, which previously held events in the Speedway parking lot from 2009-2012. However, the series has grown considerably over the years and has signed a three-year contract, which will provide investment to overhaul the track and update it for drift-specific events by adding pavement and updating infrastructure. 

Deals such as this have become increasingly common during Formula DRIFT’s tenure. Allowing the series to invest in a venue for the long-term benefit of both parties means FD events have become a viable way to help rebuild, grow and promote tracks that have played such an important role in the development of motorsports across North America.  

“Las Vegas has huge potential for Formula DRIFT and we’re excited to return,” Sage said. “We’re coming back under very different circumstances than before, and will invest in the infrastructure to ensure teams and fans can fully experience an FD event as it should be. Vegas has always been on our radar but up until now, there have been challenges in making our return. Conversations started when we were exploring options to replace Irwindale have led to an exciting opportunity for the PROSPEC Final and the development of the entire facility.”

Besides the new tracks, Formula DRIFT is looking forward to continue working with the venues that remain on the calendar including Streets of Long Beach, Road Atlanta, Orlando Speed World and Evergreen Speedway. It will also continue to work with the City of Long Beach and the Mayor’s Office for the 2026 season finale on the Long Beach Shoreline Showdown street course. The new track, developed and constructed by Formula DRIFT, was a massive success and will continue to close out the PRO Championship in dramatic style. It should also be noted that FD has left the door open to alter the track layout year-after-year, just as it did with Irwindale. 

“Change can bring challenges, but the entire Formula DRIFT team is relishing the opportunity to collaborate with the new tracks, welcome new fans and continue to develop the best drift series in the world,” Sage concluded. “It’s always a major decision to move venues and we only do it when we feel confident that we’re improving the overall experience of the series. And we’re excited about what the 2026 season will bring.”

NEXT ROUND

The 2026 Formula DRIFT season will open on The Streets of Long Beach course on April 10-11. Please visit formulad.com for ticket information, driver profiles, special content, and the event livestream.