Team ENEOS Invades GridLife Laguna Seca 2023

Although the 2023 competition season is about finished, there’s no shortage of events for Team ENEOS before the year ends. Following an intense conclusion to the Formula DRIFT PRO/PROSPEC Championships and Dai Yoshihara’s inaugural TC America TCX campaign, Feal Race Team and Dai/Evasive Motorsports loaded their cars and gear to tackle something fun for a change: a rare opportunity to race and drift the world famous Laguna Seca circuit for GridLife.

Dai Yoshihara drifts the Ride With Dai BRZ at Gridlife Laguna Seca 2023.

Evasive Motorsports / ENEOS Oil Honda S2000RS attacking the Corkscrew at Gridlife Laguna Seca 2023.

For Dai, GridLife Laguna Seca would be a two-for-one combo: drift his “Ride With Dai” Subaru BRZ down the Corkscrew and grip race the Evasive Motorsports / ENEOS Oil Honda S2000RS. Drifting was the easy part, but in the S2000RS, Dai managed to clock an official lap time of 1:25.526, making it one of the fastest production cars to lap Laguna Seca!

Dai Yoshihara staging in the Evasive Motorsports / ENEOS Oil Honda S2000RS.

Evasive Motorsports / ENEOS Oil Honda S2000RS lapping the Laguna Seca circuit.

“Living the dream of drifting the Corkscrew has been a goal of mine since playing Gran Turismo, I’m so happy it finally became a reality,” Yoshihara said. “Drifting and racing at Laguna Seca was one of the best weekends I’ve ever had at a race track!”

Feal Race Team brought its entire driver roster to Laguna Seca, including team captain, 2023 FD PRO runner-up Odi Bakchis, 2023 FD PRO fourth-place Simen Olsen, and 2023 PROSPEC Champion Ben Hobson. Odi and Simen drifted their PRO S-chassis competition cars while Ben had a back-up missile car to take turns ripping the Corkscrew.

Feal Race Team smoking tires down the Laguna Seca Corkscrew.

“We went straight from Irwindale to Laguna Seca with battled-out cars for GridLife and ripped it,” Bakchis said. “Drifting was fancy, such a good time.”

Odi Bakchis drifts the legendary Laguna Seca circuit.

“It’s hard to put into words how it feels to drift such an iconic track, especially down the Corkscrew,” Olsen exclaimed. “GridLife Laguna was INSANE.”

“I had to go full send at Laguna Seca,” Hobson said. “Being one of the first drivers to drift the entire circuit, epic!”

If you’re heading to the 2023 SEMA Show, you can catch these Team ENEOS drivers at the ENEOS booth #24233 in the Central Hall on November 1, 2023 from 2p-245p for a special autograph signing.