FD Long Beach 2026: Conor Shanahan Is Your Champion

Conor Shanahan entered Saturday’s Shoreline Showdown needing just one Top 32 victory to secure the 2026 Formula Drift championship. Having qualified third on Friday, he would have to wait through most of the opening round before facing Jhonnattan Castro in his Jerry Yang Racing / Red Bull Racing / Enjuku Racing / BC Racing GT86. The wait got even longer when Wataru Masuyama and Ryan Tuerck were sent to One More Time. Masuyama eventually took the win, eliminating Tuerck in his final Formula Drift season in the Top 32.

There was already some championship news before Shanahan took to the track. Branden Sorensen, the only driver outside of Conor and James Deane who still had a mathematical shot at the title, withdrew with mechanical problems before finishing his Top 32 battle against Rudy Hansen. That guaranteed Conor, Deane, and Jack Shanahan would finish in the top three, although the final order was still to be decided. Elsewhere in the opening round, Vaughn Gittin Jr. eliminated ninth qualifier Dylan Hughes, Dan Burkett knocked out tenth qualifier Aurimas Bakchis, and Ryan Litteral beat Ken Gushi.

Formula D Long Beach Shoreline Showdown Day 2

When Shanahan and Castro finally lined up, Castro wasn’t about to make it easy for him. Despite struggling with his car during Friday’s qualifying, Castro put up a good fight, knowing what was at stake for Shanahan. While waiting for the judges’ decision, Castro told Shanahan he had earned the win, and the judges agreed. Conor Shanahan was officially the 2026 Formula Drift champion, and the celebration with the Jerry Yang Racing crew and the Shanahan family followed immediately. Jack was the first to congratulate his younger brother, with James Deane, a five-time champion, fellow Irishman, and friend, right behind him.

With the championship decided, there was still plenty to fight for, especially with second and third place in the standings up for grabs. Conor’s weekend ended in the Top 16 when Simen Olsen eliminated him. Jack Shanahan continued through the left side of the bracket, beating Jeff Jones, Rome Charpentier, and Adam LZ to reach the final. On the other side, Deane defeated Andy Hateley, Wataru Masuyama, and Fredric Aasbø before advancing past Matt Field in the semifinals. Field had beaten Trenton Beechum, Tommy LeMaire, and Olsen, but suspension damage to his Corvette prevented him from continuing against Deane.

That left Jack Shanahan and James Deane to battle for the event victory and second place in the championship standings. Jack put together an excellent lead run, but pushed a little too hard during his chase, resulting in a spin that handed Deane the win. Adam LZ finished third on the night and later announced he wouldn’t be returning to Formula Drift next season. He joins Olsen and Tuerck as drivers who don’t plan on returning to Formula Drift in the near future.

Conor Shanahan finishes the 2026 season with 224 points, followed by James Deane with 218 and Jack Shanahan with 206. Branden Sorensen finished fourth with 165 points, while Matt Field rounded out the top five with 150.

Congratulations to the Jerry Yang Racing team, Red Bull, Enjuku Racing, and BC Racing on the championship. With the Shanahan brothers and Deane continuing to compete at such a high level, it’ll be interesting to see if anyone outside of Ireland can take the title in 2027.

Our coverage of the Shoreline Showdown weekend was sponsored by Enjuku Racing, who now has a championship to celebrate.