FROM PRO-AM TO PRO AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Photo courtesy of DRIFTEM Correspondent Lars Faria.
How Drivers Make All The Leaps In Formula DRIFT.
While it’s true that you can’t just wake up one day and decide you’re a professional drifter, there are steps that anyone can take to make that dream a reality.
Most professional motorsport series have something called a ‘feeder’ series that drivers are required to progress through to qualify for the next tier in their genre of racing. For North American professional drivers, that process typically starts with grassroots-level competitions that may lead them into competing in an annual PRO-AM licensing series. These series serve as a proving ground for drivers to hone skills, consistency, and professionalism before moving up to the next competition tier in professional drifting, which is the PROSPEC circuit, operated Formula DRIFT N.A. (FD).
Photo courtesy of DRIFTEM Correspondent Ethan Roels.
“As I progressed through PRO-AM, I saw how much discipline, preparation, and teamwork it takes to compete at a higher level and that challenge motivated me,” said inbound PROSPEC driver Braden Lons, who at the tender age of 15, recently won his PROSPEC license and all three rounds of the 2025 Full Lock Drift PRO-AM series in Oklahoma. “Earning my professional license felt like the natural next step to keep growing as a driver and to see how far I could push myself in this sport.”
And, it is drivers like Lons that keep the FD pipeline flowing, so it’s understandable why FD takes these drivers and their PRO-AM circuits so seriously.
“Entering our 23rd season, we’re intently focused on ensuring we have the best drivers in the world competing for our championships and entertaining the fans throughout our highly-competitive eight-round series,” commented Formula DRIFT president and co-founder Ryan Sage on recent changes made to the organization’s PRO-AM Affiliate Program. “We’re particularly proud of the multi-round championships, which are designed to help drivers prepare for the demands of a full season in Formula DRIFT in terms of driver skill, car preparation, finances, and logistical support.”
Photo courtesy of DRIFTEM Correspondent Tim Jarvis.
Getting Your License To Drift Professionally.
When a driver earns the highest points for a season in a PRO-AM series, they’re granted a license to enter into the Formula DRIFT PROSPEC series the following season, but rest assured, doing so takes a lot of grit, strategy, and skill.
“The challenge in PRO-AM is the level of cars are very mixed. One minute, you're driving with a low horsepower stock car and the next battle could be a full-blown PROSPEC car. However, they all have a few things in common. You need a reliable car, a solid team, consistency, a bit of luck, and a whole lot of hard work,” commented PROSPEC driver Chellee Hansen, the 2024 Full-Lock Drift PRO-AM champion and first woman to win a license through PRO-AM.
Nate Chen, one of three PROSPEC drivers moving to PRO this season and an original member of the Jerry Yang Racing team, echoed Hansen’s sentiments. “It’s really hard making the jump from PRO-AM to PROSPEC for a number of reasons, including driving a significantly more powerful car (I had 480hp in PRO--AM and made 835hp in PROSPEC), getting that car to actually work, and then driving in front of one the world’s biggest stages for drifting; it can be intimidating.”
Photo courtesy of DRIFTEM Correspondent Samantha Frazelle.
Of course, once you earn that license, there’s a great deal more that goes into a successful FD professional driver program - and it goes far beyond just showing up and driving. 2025 PROSPEC Series Champion Cody Buchanan explains it this way.
“PROSPEC is absolutely a ‘learner’ series into professional drifting. It is 100% a professional series - do not get me wrong - but it is where you learn how to drive at a professional level on professional tracks and build your program to be more professional,” Buchanan stated.
Lons anticipates nothing less. “I expect the competition level to be the biggest challenge. Everyone in PROSPEC is fast, experienced, and hungry, so there is very little margin for error,” he said. “I am also preparing for new tracks, longer events, and higher expectations overall. They push me to improve as a driver and as a person, and that is exactly why I wanted to take this step.”
If you think you’ve got what it takes to hang with the big dogs, you too, will need to take a few steps to get there. Thankfully, you also have multiple options at your disposal. And, despite a few ‘competition deserts’ throughout the country, the number of PRO-AM series have expanded to now serve drivers in the United States and Canada on the east coast, west coast, and most places in between.
OPTION 1 : PRO-AM LICENSING SERIES
As discussed earlier, one option is to place first in a PRO-AM competition. This is the most common way drivers move up the ranks, and if it’s the route you plan to take, it’s important to keep an eye on the FD website for any annual changes they might make to their licensing affiliate network.
This season, FD welcomes two new PRO-AM series to the table, along with the recently reprogrammed KlutchKickers series, that has now moved from an official scouting program to a multi-event PRO-AM licensing series. Here’s a snapshot of all your PRO-AM options this season:
East Coast/Southern U.S.
Great Lakes Drift (Pennsylvania/Ohio/New York)
East10Drift (Georgia/Tennessee)
US Drift Circuit/USDC (Florida)
KlutchKickers (Alabama)
Midwest/Middle U.S.
ND Drift (North Dakota)
Full Lock Drift (Oklahoma)
Gateway PRO-AM (Missouri/Indiana)
West Canada
East Canada
OPTION 2 : SANCTIONED SCOUTING PROGRAM
You can also place high in one of FD’s sanctioned “scouting” programs. According to FD’s website, “these are events and programs not beholden to PRO-AM rulebook guidelines,” but are approved, ”to ‘scout’ drivers that are interested in a Formula DRIFT license.”
If a driver passes muster at the scouting level, the program can file a petition on the driver’s behalf for entry into PROSPEC, but the petitioner is not guaranteed a license and the decision is based on a strict review by FD.
Currently, there are three FD PROSPEC scouting programs across North America:
Drift School USA events conducted in the surrounding communities of Los Angeles and San Bernardino, California
Evergreen Drift events at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash for drivers in Pacific Northwest regions
U.S. DRIFT events offered in the states of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey.
Here’s the full 2026 visual on all PROSPEC licensing organizations in the FD partner network.
OPTION 3 : PERSONAL PETITION
You can also petition your own way into FD. This method was originally established for accomplished drivers from other countries to petition to enter the North American PRO series, but it’s also been used in recent years to help capable drivers who do not have access to a PRO-AM or sanctioned series petition for a PROSPEC-level license. Obviously, you’ll need to back your petition up with an impressive competitive drifting resume, so this option is not for the faint of heart.
And, while some of you may remember single-round Shootout events as another option for gaining a PROSPEC license, Sage noted this option has now been discontinued in favor of recruiting the highest quality of drivers into FD’s professional lineup through multi-event series. He explained these series hold drivers to the highest quality standards and require them to maintain consistency across several competitive rounds.
Photo courtesy of DRIFTEM Correspondent Taylor Fitzgerald.
You Have Your PROSPEC License - What’s Next?
FD drivers will also confirm the jump from PRO-AM to PROSPEC can be a challenge. In order to be competitive and meet FD’s PROSPEC requirements, teams often must upgrade engines, suspension setups, and more. This essentially means getting used to driving a completely different car.
Depending on how much seat time and testing you get before your rookie FD season, you may have a little or a lot of time to address the gremlins and/or tweak your setup before the competition season begins.
Yet, despite PROSPEC being a more ‘smaller-budget-friendly’ series compared to PRO, it’s definitely the next step for the drivers who crave competition on a large scale. This means your first few years are all about seat time, getting your car dialed in, and establishing the mental toughness that it takes to win.
“PROSPEC is all about consistency and dedication to the sport,” continued Buchanan. “As long as you put your ‘all’ into your program and can remain consistent, you can do well. The hard work comes from off the track SIM practice, car maintenance, and visualization. Everything else is up to being a decent driver and consistent enough to not make dumb mistakes.”
Photo courtesy of DRIFTEM Correspondent Tim Jarvis.
The Professional Drifting Climb From PROSPEC To PRO.
Once you’ve proven your chops in PROSPEC, you’re ready for PRO, if you want it. And, if you think the jump from PRO-AM to PROSPEC can be drastic, the jump from PROSPEC to PRO is literally on another level.
Prior to earning her PROSPEC license, Hansen traveled alongside teammate and PRO-driver husband Rudy Hansen throughout his FD progression. She recalled what it was like for the team to make the jump from PROSPEC and PRO. “You go from three or four events to eight, with a lot more travel and tire costs, and more time being away from work. The level of driving in PRO is also a big difference versus the level of driving between PRO-AM and PROSPEC.”
Rising costs of travel and tires with double the events in PRO means double the hotel stays for the team, food, media, spare parts, spare engines, and more; all just to be competitive in the series and push a racing program forward. Racing isn’t cheap, regardless of what motorsport you're involved in, so many of these teams rely on their sponsors and partners - as well as their full time jobs or businesses - to float the season. This means, not only being good at driving, but also being able to market yourself.
The PROSPEC series gives drivers a true taste of what it entails to be at this level of competition with four rounds per year scattered around the United States. You need to compete in all four to have a chance at winning, which means making sure you: 1) Show up, and; 2) Have your car ready in time and running at the starting line.
Photo courtesy of DRIFTEM Correspondent Tim Jarvis.
Professional Drifting Means Business… And Marketing.
If you think you’re going to get by competing at the PROSPEC and PRO levels just by ‘driving well’, you’re missing a crucial part of the picture. Driving any race series costs money, and as we noted already, drivers need partners to contribute to their season to be successful. That doesn’t always mean money, but it can mean discounted or ‘free’ parts in exchange for branding on your car and high-quality media content.
Drivers and teams in FD have to be just as concerned with their competition program as they are with ways to shine light on those brands that help make it all possible. This means, keeping social media accounts fluid and relative, learning to be professional on camera, showing up for autograph signings, and producing or hiring competent help to produce high-quality content.
In a world driven by social media, partners and sponsors are also looking for ROI (return-on-investment) in their drivers, and it’s important for those coming into PROSPEC to evaluate how they can provide value and increase the overall success of their race team so those backing them see the ROI.
PROSPEC driver Hooman Rahimi weighed in on this topic. “The biggest need most drivers have is funding. I am not sure what can be done to help that arena, except getting more non-endemic brands involved in the sport and supporting drivers.”
And, with companies who support racing tightening their belts every day, professional drifting teams also need to be capable marketers in the area of attracting and keeping sponsors. Moreover, once sponsors have signed on, it’s just as important to follow through with every promise made - particularly on the marketing front. The more drivers build trust with partners, the more these companies will stand behind them and support the growth of drifting as a motorsport.
Photo courtesy of DRIFTEM Correspondent Tim Jarvis.
Advice For The Next PROSPEC Generation.
Many of us old heads here at DRIFTEM have our own advice - gained from either serving as media for the teams or driving ourselves - but we thought this message would be best coming straight from those in PRO-AM and PROSPEC today.
“I think the biggest challenge that licensees face when moving up to PROSPEC is putting together a race program and team that works for them,” shared Scott Petty, drift event manager at Great Lakes Drift. “Driving is the easiest part of competition drifting. Everything leading up to a car driving to the starting line is where new teams will struggle. PROSPEC involves more travel, a higher level of car, and more crew.”
This highlights the challenge that new drivers encounter coming out of PRO-AM. They might find themselves asking, “Ok, I got my license, what now?” and they may not understand they can’t be a one-or-two-man (or woman) show anymore when it comes to PROSPEC-level competition. All of a sudden, they’re faced with figuring out the logistics of who’s going to be on the team, what’s essential, and what it’s going to roughly cost per round to show up.
Rahimi and Buchanan both commented on what new drivers should consider coming into the 2026 season.
“New drivers should expect that everything they thought would go a certain way, won't. If it does, then that is great, but we have seen many teams come in and start the season with things like a blown engine Round 1, a totaled car, or missing practice chasing gremlins. Try to have spare parts (as you can afford) for anything that is a fail point, especially the easy cheap stuff,” Rahimi said.
As far as advice from the pits, Rahimi added, ”The best advice I could give them is try to be ready 60 days prior, and get a few practice/test sessions in before the season starts. Try to drive tracks that will put the car through the same strain it would go through on a competition. If you are expecting to spend X, accept that you will spend 2X. You will have something go horribly wrong. Be mentally ready for the unexpected.”
Buchanan’s advice is just as salient and even more direct. “Simply brunt advice? Spend less time worrying about car setup and more time learning how to drive the tracks/with other drivers. As long as the car isn't completely off with setup, don't worry about changing every little thing. You don't need to be the ‘fastest" to win, you just need to not blow off track or crash into people.”
Petty had similar advice for both PRO-AM and PROSPEC drivers and emphasized that driving as much as you can before a competition and talking with other drivers and teams helps a driver dial into what works. He also noted that some PRO-AM drivers, “will drive multiple series and switch focus to the series they are doing better in after a couple rounds which betters their chance of getting a license. Those same drivers are on a racing SIM multiple times a week.”
In a similar vein to marketing yourself, Petty also mentions that connections in industry and working on communication skills are important. You’ll be often talking to fans, as well as series officials and sponsors, so it's important to practice conducting yourself professionally.
Photo courtesy of DRIFTEM Correspondent Ethan Roels.
Locked-In For The 2026 Professional Drifting Season.
The reigning PROSPEC champ doesn’t mince words when it comes to PROSPEC’s place in professional North American drifting.
“PROSPEC is absolutely needed,” Buchanan added. “Without it, you would have drivers showing up to PRO that get absolutely wrecked by the field and burned out within two years. You even see that currently with PROSPEC drivers coming up from PRO-AM without the proper driving prowess and program commitments.”
So, assuming none of this has scared you away from competition, it’s time to evaluate where you are and where you want to take it. Some drivers get through PRO-AM and call it good enough. Others have a thirst for the bigger stage right off the line. Still, others play the long game, biding time to do it right.
Pacific Northwest driver and two-time license winner, Tyler Mayer, has been playing his version of the long game for a few years now. As he gears up for his first PROSPEC season, Mayer explained his own journey like this.
“Back in 2021, when I first got licensed, Formula DRIFT felt like a dream, but realistically, my car was basic and my driving was still developing. I knew if I went to FD, I wanted to go to stay in it. I didn’t want to do one season, go broke, and be done,” Mayer shared. “Since then, I’m easily ten times the driver I was back then. I’ve gained a lot more seat time, consistency, and confidence. I’ve also learned what it really takes to be professional in this sport; especially on the business and marketing side.”
Wherever you stand on the path to professional drifting, there’s a place for you. At the end of the day, the sport grows by getting more people into it, having fun, and putting on a good show for all of the drift enthusiasts. And, without the PROSPEC series, our PROs wouldn’t be here for you to cheer them on.
Have your own take on the competition path from PRO-AM to PRO? Leave us a comment below!
