James Deane signed off the 2026 Formula Drift PRO season the only way he knows — with a win. The Irishman took Round 8 on the Long Beach street circuit in his Ford Mustang, beating countryman Jack Shanahan in a tight final and finishing the year second in the championship, just six points behind the new champion, Conor Shanahan.
The final rounds
Deane’s path to victory was not clean. In the Final 4 he met Matt Field’s Chevrolet Corvette, and their battle ended when the two cars made contact in Zone 1, sending Deane through. On the other side of the bracket, Jack Shanahan edged LZ in a close semi-final.
The final was decided in the second run. Chasing Deane, Jack pushed hard to stay tight and spun in Zone 6, handing the win to the Mustang driver. Jack summed it up afterwards: he believed the win was his — right up until it wasn’t.
Round 8 podium
- 1st: James Deane – Ford Mustang
- 2nd: Jack Shanahan – BMW
- 3rd: LZ
- 4th: Matt Field – Chevrolet Corvette
An Irish one-two-three
Deane’s 50 points lifted him to 218 for the season, behind Conor Shanahan’s 224 and ahead of Jack Shanahan’s 206. Deane called the all-Irish championship podium unbelievable, and said the depth of the field means every win has to be fought for.
His results also carried Ford to the 2026 Auto Cup with 346 points, ahead of Toyota (287), BMW (244), Chevrolet (151) and Nissan (120). Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s Round 2 win added to the manufacturer’s haul.
Lead image is illustrative. Photo: Chris Valle / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).