Kumho Tire U.S.A. announced that Formula Drift driver Jack Shanahan earned the 2025 Rookie of the Year in the Formula DRIFT PRO Championship. Competing on Kumho Ecsta V730 tires, Shanahan claimed his first career victory at Round 8: Shoreline Showdown in Long Beach, California. He finished sixth overall in his debut season with two podiums.
“Jack Shanahan had tremendous success in his rookie year of Formula DRIFT. It was highlighted by a first-place podium finish,” said Ed Cho, CEO of Kumho Tire U.S.A. “Kumho had a great second season as an official tire of Formula DRIFT, and we look forward to expanding our presence even further in 2026.”
Round 8 of the 2025 FD PRO Championship took place on a new technical course through Long Beach. Kumho said Shanahan secured the Rookie of the Year title after defeating Adam LZ in the Top 16. He continued his run in his BMW 1 Series on Kumho tires.
A mechanical issue with Hiroya Minowa’s Toyota ended the Final Battle early. This gave Shanahan his first first-place podium finish.
“It’s been a hell of a season fighting to get the first win. We’ve struggled with the car, but it was better than ever this past weekend,” said Shanahan. “I can’t thank Kumho Tire enough for supporting me throughout the year and taking a chance on [me].”
The post Kumho Driver Jack Shanahan Named 2025 Formula DRIFT Rookie of the Year appeared first on Tire Review Magazine.
