Branden Sorensen Kicks Off 2025 FD Season with Strong 4th Place Finish
Branden Sorensen Kicks Off 2025 FD Season with Strong 4th Place Finish
Formula Drift • Round 1 • Streets of Long Beach
Branden Sorensen, driver of the No. 513 U.S. Air Force Formula Drift car, kicked off the 2025 Formula Drift season with an impressive 4th place finish on the iconic Streets of Long Beach.
Formula Drift drivers were greeted with perfect racing conditions in sunny California, setting the stage for two action-packed days of Formula Drift competition. Branden took full advantage of the great weather, charging his way through the brackets against some stiff competition—placing him in a tie for third in the championship standings heading into Round 2 at the legendary Road Atlanta Raceway.
Practice sessions leading up to competition ran smoothly for Branden, who completed all 12 laps early and was making improvements with every run. The car was solid, and the newest members of his crew stepped up in a big way for their first FD event—helping the team run flawlessly from start to finish.
Heading into the Top 32, Sorensen was paired with Andy Hately. With the pressure of making it into Opening Ceremonies, Branden stayed calm and focused, while Hately made significant mistakes in both lead and chase runs. This allowed Sorensen to advance into the Top 16, where he faced off against Formula Drift veteran Matt Field.
The Opening Ceremonies were amazing, with Sorensen's introduction being one of the most memorable—joined by the U.S. Air Force Color Guard standing behind him, saluting behind Sorensen as they waved to the cameras. With the opening ceremonies coming to an end, the fight was on against Matt Field.
As the battles resumed, Sorensen delivered exactly what he said in his pre-run interview:
"I think the key to doing well in this event is to focus on one battle at a time, try to be as consistent as possible, and let the other drivers make the mistakes."
Matt Field did just that—making contact with the wall on his lead run and mistiming a transition during the chase. Branden, on the other hand, laid down an almost flawless lead run and followed it up with a clean, low-risk chase. The result: a unanimous decision from the judges advancing Sorensen into the Great 8.
There, Branden faced off against a tough competitor, Odi Bakchis, a tough competitor known for his unpredictability and multitude of tactics used to gain a competitive edge. Sorensen stuck to his game plan—being consistent and “hitting his marks” in the lead, but knew he couldn’t play it safe in the chase, where he had to take risks to win. His close proximity and high angle in the chase, paired with his consistent lead, impressed the judges yet again, earning him another unanimous win and a ticket to the Final 4.
In the Final 4, Branden faced off against three-time champion Fredric Aasbo in what turned out to be one of the closest battles of the night. Despite pushing hard, Branden narrowly missed a spot in the finals after a tight set of runs.
The 4th place finish puts Branden in a strong position early in the season, currently tied for 3rd in championship points with plenty of momentum heading into Round 2.
Next up, Branden will head to Atlanta for Formula Drift Round 2: Road to the Championship. He’ll be joined by his siblings Amanda Sorensen and Camren Sorensen, who are both competing in the Pro Spec division.
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2025 Sorensen Sponsors:
U.S. Air Force, VP Racing, Comp Cams, Enkei Wheels, Odyssey Battery, RockfordFosgate, Spyder Power Tool Accessories , Motion Control Suspension, OMP Racing, Extreme Sim Racing, Radium Engineering, 3M Wraps, 6and Whipple Supercharger