AEM® Intakes Sponsored Driver Kristaps Blušs Tops Podium at Road Atlanta

May 18, 2018

Three rounds into the 2018 Formula Drift season, AEM® Intakes sponsored racer Kristaps Blušs dominated the podium at Road Atlanta.

Fredric Aasbo, Kristaps Blušs, and Chris Forsberg on the Round 3 podium

Blušs claimed his first-ever Formula Drift win on May 12, edging out Fredric Aasbo—the most winningest driver in FD history—and Chris Forsberg, a three-time FD Championship winner who has also claimed the most podium finishes in FD history.

The competition this season is tighter than ever, with remarkably close point margins within the top 12. Blušs had to fight hard for his first FD win—battling against Kevin Lawrence, Forrest Wang, James Deane, and Piotr Wiecek before finally defeating Fredric Aasbo for the top spot on the podium. “Atlanta was a rollercoaster for me and the team,” he commented. “Through numerous One More Times, we fought hard to the very end. Thanks to AEM® Intakes for supporting us this round and throughout the season.”

Kristaps Blušs’ AEM-sponsored BMW E92 “Eurofighter”

Blušs, originally from Latvia, began his Formula Drift career in 2015 and currently races for HGK Motorsports. He pilots the BMW E92 Eurofighter—complete with a custom carbon kevlar body—powered by a 7.0-liter V8 engine that provides 900-horsepower. The car features a custom AEM® Intakes panel filter, which utilizes the same technology available in the AEM® Dryflow® Air Filters—available for your vehicle at www.aemintakes.com. Blušs has great confidence in his AEM® products. “The service, the quality, and the performance are perfect,” he commented.

The Eurofighter wasn’t originally intended to hit the drifting track so soon—oddly enough, it was intended to appear at the AEM® Intakes display booth at Irwindale 2017 instead of in the competition—but it hit the pavement as a pinch hitter after a major mechanical issue forced the HGK team to sideline the BMW E46 Blušs had intended to pilot. The Eurofighter has continued to prove its mettle as a powerful competition vehicle this season.

Under the hood of the E92 Eurofighter, which features a custom AEM® Intakes panel filter

Fredric Aasbo continues to lead the pack with 260 points—with Forsberg a close 37 points behind. Blušs commands 174 points—87 points behind the top position. If the competition continues to be as close as it was at Road Atlanta, Round 4 will be an event not to miss.

You can see Blušs compete in Round 4 of the Formula Drift Pro Series at Wall Stadium Speedway in Wall Township, New Jersey on June 1-2.