James Deane gave RTR a winning finish to the 2026 Formula Drift season, taking his No. 130 Mustang to victory at Long Beach on October 24. The final battle carried more than an event trophy: Deane and Jack Shanahan were also fighting over second place in the championship.
For the Mustang team, it was a welcome response to a difficult outing in Las Vegas. Deane and Ben Hobson had both been eliminated in the Top 32 there, leaving the season finale as their last opportunity to turn things around. Long Beach delivered that opportunity, and Deane made it count.
The Weekend Started With Strong Qualifying
Formula Drift’s official event results list Shanahan as the top qualifier with a 91.5, followed by Deane at 90.4. Conor Shanahan qualified third, Adam LZ fourth, and Branden Sorensen fifth. Deane had put himself near the front of the bracket before Saturday’s battles began.
Hobson qualified 16th with a 78.5, while Vaughn Gittin Jr. started from 24th. Having all three RTR Mustangs in the field gave Ford several chances at a strong result, although their evenings would take different paths.
Deane Works His Way to the Final
According to Ford Racing’s race recap, Deane advanced through the opening rounds, won his Great Eight matchup, and reached the final after his semifinal opponent could not complete the second run. Waiting for him was Jack Shanahan.
Deane came out ahead in that deciding battle, collecting his second event win of the season and the runner-up championship position. Adam LZ completed the event podium behind Deane and Shanahan.
The result is a useful reminder of how much separates a strong qualifying run from an event win. Qualifying earns a place in the bracket; every subsequent matchup brings another opportunity to be eliminated. Deane converted his early pace into the result that mattered at the end of the night.
A Turnaround After Las Vegas
Before Long Beach, Ford’s event preview described an RTR team looking to recover. Deane had qualified seventh in Las Vegas but finished 19th, while Hobson qualified 15th and finished 24th. Gittin, competing on a part-time schedule, joined them for the finale.
At Long Beach, Hobson’s opening battle required a rerun before his evening ended in the Top 32. Gittin reached the Top 16. Ford listed their event finishes as 22nd and 15th, respectively.
Deane’s win gave the team a much better final memory of the season. For RTR and its Mustang fans, leaving Long Beach with the event trophy was a strong way to close out the year.
Featured image credit: Ford Racing. Original source.
