ENEOS is gearing up for the 2024 motorsports season. As the supplier of motor oil and transmission fluids to the majority of Asian vehicle manufacturers, and producer of specialized fluids for electric vehicles, the company is continuing its North American drift program.
It will encompass both the Formula DRIFT PRO and PROSPEC championships as well as incorporating the IMSA racing series and will even take a trip Down Under for the World Time Attack Challenge in Sydney.
The 2023 season proved very successful, with ENEOS-sponsored drivers claiming the PROSPEC Championship and finishing second, fourth and sixth in PRO using ENEOS lubrication throughout the year. For 2024, Team ENEOS will again be represented by an all-star cast of six highly experienced drivers competing at every level, from grassroots to international championships.
2024 TEAM ENEOS:
- Fredric Aasbo
- Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis
- Simen Olsen
- Faruk Kugay
- Rich Whiteman
- Dai Yoshihara
- Evasive Motorsports
FREDRIC AASBO
Following a challenging 2023 season that saw the three-time Formula DRIFT Champion Fredric Aasbo finish sixth overall in the FD PRO Championship series, the Norwegian Hammer (with support from Papadakis Racing) is eager to march Team ENEOS back to the podium in 2024 driving the recently-revamped Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra with its new livery.
Claiming FD PRO Championship titles in 2015, 2021 and 2022, Fredric joined a small and elite club of drivers with three titles. And while three drivers have an opportunity to claim a record-breaking fourth title, Aasbo will be determined to claim the 2024 season for himself and create history in the sport.
ODI BAKCHIS
One of Aasbo’s main rivals throughout his FD career has been Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis. The Lithuanian-American driver has been an incredibly strong and consistent contender since joining the series in 2011. Throughout that time, his Feal Race Team has been a regular in the top ten standings, finishing third in the Championship in both 2019 and 2021. In the process, Odi has accumulated numerous podium finishes and is always an imminent threat, long overdue to win his first Championship title. Joining Team ENEOS in 2023, Odi had his best season yet, finishing second in the overall Championship standings driving his Feal Suspension Nissan S15. This year, Odi will again be running ENEOS motor and gear oils in his Feal Suspension / GT Radial Nissan S15, which was fully refreshed during the off-season to prepare for another highly competitive season.
SIMEN OLSEN
While Ben Hobson has departed Team Feal following his FD PROSPEC Championship win in 2023, teammate Simen Olsen will remain by Odi’s side for 2024. The Norwegian driver had an equally explosive 2023 season, piloting the Feal Suspension Nissan S14.9 despite no prior experience behind the wheel after switching from the A90 Toyota Supra he drove in 2022. Undeterred, Simen impressively finished fourth overall in the PRO Championship and is certainly hoping to maintain his momentum this year.
Simen will again pilot the Feal Suspension / GT Radial Nissan S14.9 in 2024, powered by a 1175hp Vortech-supercharged 7.0L Texas Speed LSR engine with Holley engine management, similar to the one found in Bakchis’ competition car.
FARUK KUGAY
Faruk has been a key component of Team ENEOS for several years, using ENEOS motor and gear oil both in drift competition and a string of SEMA projects cars he built for the Japanese company’s booth.
Born in Poland, Faruk started drifting in 2002, organizing his own drift events in Europe from 2007 where he also announced, judged and even taught drifting to other enthusiasts. Returning to the California Bay Area in 2012, Faruk dedicated himself to professional competition, earning his Formula DRIFT PRO2 (PROSPEC) license in 2015 and unlocking his PRO license the following year. After completing the 2020 PRO season, Faruk took a sabbatical but returned to the PROSPEC Championship in 2023 with ENEOS Motor Oil and the “de-tuned” PRO-spec ENEOS / Pedal Commander Nissan S14. Faruk will return to the 2024 PROSPEC Championship in the renamed ENEOS / DEVSPEED Nissan S14, powered by a 900hp Toyota Supra 2JZ engine.
RICH WHITEMAN
As the fifth member of Team ENEOS, Rich is continuing to pursue multiple grassroots drifting competitions, such as Gridlife, Final Bout, Drift Appalachia, Gambler and HyperFest. He competed in Formula DRIFT PROSPEC in 2021 and 2022 with an impressive history of claiming podiums in his Toyota JZX100, placing 11th and 12th overall, respectively.
With the goal of stepping back into Formula DRIFT in the near future, 2024 is focused on fun, collecting more podiums, and competing on tracks in Japan, Canada and Australia!
In this unique role, Rich will continue to be a crucial member of Team ENEOS as he demonstrates the superior engine and transmission protection provided by ENEOS engine and gear oils in a number of vehicles, including his SR20DET-powered Nissan S13 and S15.
DAI YOSHIHARA
Undoubtedly, one of the Team ENEOS favorites is Daijiro Yoshihara, who not only worked at a Japanese ENEOS gas station in his youth, but was a founding member of Team ENEOS back in 2017. Although the 2011 Formula DRIFT Champion retired from the series at the end of the 2021 season, he continues to be a valued ENEOS ambassador on and off the track.
Dai’s 2023 highlights included a debut season in the TC America racing series, competing in the Pit+Paddock Civic Type R TCX. He also continued the “Ride with Dai” program, where drift fans were able to purchase or win a seat alongside the former Champion in his modified FD PRO Subaru BRZ. And to top it off, Dai returned to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, piloting the Evasive Motorsports Honda S2000RS.
In 2024, Dai will compete in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, co-driving with Karl Wittmer on behalf of Montreal Motorsport Group in the Pit+Paddock Civic Type R TCR. With the first couple of races already in the books, the Japanese driver will embark on his first race in Australia this summer with Evasive Motorsports, again driving the ENEOS-lubricated Honda S2000RS, confident he can clock the fastest lap time for an American-built S2K.
EVASIVE MOTORSPORTS
Evasive Motorsports needs no introduction: the aftermarket parts retailer and race team with an affinity for time attack competition has always been considered family, but it’s long overdue to officially induct them into Team ENEOS.
Established in 2002 as a side hustle to sell aftermarket parts online, co-owners Mike Chang and Tony Kwan grew the business into a 12000 sq-ft brick-and-mortar facility, where they built their first Mitsubishi Evo time attack car, adding race car preparation and parts installation to the list of services offered, complementing their parts sales.
In 2021, Evasive moved to its current 18000 sq-ft facility in Cerritos, CA, adding more workshop space and parts storage. The expert staff continues to deliver premium on-site services including engine/chassis tuning, race prep, fabrication, dyno testing and regular servicing. The team has track-tested an extensive range of parts over the years and provides recommendations to customers who seek to improve their vehicle’s performance and balance.
As an authorized ENEOS dealer, ENEOS high-performance lubricants go hand-in-hand with Evasive’s racing exploits. The high-performance engine and transmission oils have been used in a number of record-breaking Evasive project vehicles driven by ENEOS ambassador Dai Yoshihara at events including the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and Global Time Attack.
