Community - Team Falken Takes First Place Again With ‘Odi’ Bakchis At Formula Drift Final Round In Irwindale | Falken Tires

Team Falken Takes First Place Again With ‘Odi’ Bakchis At Formula Drift Final Round In Irwindale

Matt Field Finishes Second In Driver’s Championship, Bakchis Third

IRWINDALE, CA – Team Falken Driver Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis made it two-in-a-row with his victory at the 2021 Formula Drift finale at the “House of Drift,” Irwindale Speedway. In doing so, Bakchis earned third place in the Driver’s Championship for the season. His Falken teammate, Matt Field, who sat in either first or second place in the driver standings all year, finished in second place overall.
 
Bakchis did everything he could to stay in contention for the 2021 Driver’s Championship, including qualifying in the second spot, which earned him a bye in the first round. His Falken teammates qualified in 6th (Justin Pawlak), 7th (Daijiro “Dai” Yoshihara) and 22nd (Field).

“Both Bakchis and Field – our two title contenders – fought their way through the field and ultimately had to compete against each other in the Top 4,” said Steve Wong, Falken’s Supervisor, Passenger Car Motorsports and Events. “Odi came out on top and Matt had to settle for fourth overall in Irwindale, which kept him in second place for the Driver’s Championship. Odi’s performance moved him from fourth in the standings to third, so Falken did take two out of the top three, and we’re definitely proud of their accomplishments.”
 
But it was a bittersweet celebration. Team Falken’s longest tenured driver, Dai Yoshihara, announced his retirement at Irwindale after 18 years in Formula Drift. Yoshihara started his career with the series in 2004 and won the 2011 Driver’s Championship as a member of Team Falken.

“I am retiring tonight happy with the performances I have achieved throughout the years, and especially the friendships I have made during my time in Formula Drift,” Yoshihara said. “Falken and our Azenis RT615K+ tires have been the perfect partners and it has been an honor to represent them for so long.”
 
The sold-out crowd cheered on their favorite drivers for every run throughout the evening, and the drivers delivered incredible performances. Bakchis won three rounds during the 2021 season en route to his victory at Irwindale, just 31 points out of first place in the championship.
 
“This track is just nuts,” Bakchis exclaimed. “You have to put it all on the line and rely on the lead driver and I did exactly that with everyone I battled tonight. I just pushed as hard as I could and my car and my Falken Azenis RT615K+ tires responded perfectly. The finish was a great way for me to round out the season. Like all of us who do this for a living, we have to thank the fans for supporting this sport. We can’t do it without them. And to Falken Tires for all their efforts. It’s been a great year.”
 
Field jumped in to echo that feeling. “We started off really well and the momentum pushed us throughout the season,” he said. “I had a few bumps along the way, but I pushed hard to stay in contention for that Driver’s Championship. I know we’re capable of getting it – just like Odi is. So, hopefully, we’ll come right back next season and keep pushing to victory.”
 
Final driver standings placed Field in second, Bakchis third, Pawlak 14th and Yoshihara, 17th.
 
“It’s such an exciting night when we come to Irwindale as you can feel the electricity in the air,” added Wong. “Perfect weather, incredible crowd, tough competition. We knew we were going to have to face a strong couple of drivers. Odi brought home the win, but we need to get that Driver’s Championship back in our hands.
 
“So, we’re even hungrier to win it next season,” he continued. “We’ll be back and Team Falken will be as strong – if not stronger – in 2022. With our Azenis RT615K+ tires pulling their weight, we’ve got the performance we need. Now, we’ll just push that even harder.
 
“I also want to thank Dai Yoshihara for his many years of devotion to Falken Tires. Even though he may be retiring from the sport, you can’t take the drifting out of the man. I know he’ll still be sweeping through corners whenever he can – safely of course – and riding on Falkens. Thank you, Dai, for taking Falken on your incredible journey.”