15-Year-Old Driver Makes Formula DRIFT History on GT Radial Tires

ORLANDO, FL (June 2, 2025) -- Fifteen-year-old Hiroya Minowa, competing on GT Radial tires, made history at Orlando Speed World on May 31 as the youngest ever winner in Formula DRIFT competition.

Teenager Minowa of Japan claimed the historic first win in only his 11th Formula DRIFT PRO Championship Round, improving on his two second place finishes in St Louis and Seattle in 2024. The 15-year-old is the youngest winner of any Formula DRIFT Round in the series’ 22-year history. He drives a Toyota GT86 on GT Radial Champiro SX2 RS tires for Enjuku Racing / BC Racing / Jerry Yang Racing.

Another GT Radial driver, Aurimas Bakchis, joined Minowa on the Orlando podium with a third-place finish. Bakchis drives a Nissan S14.9 for Team Feal Suspension.

“We are very proud to be part of Formula DRIFT history”, said GT Radial Motorsports Manager Mike Meeiem. “Based on Hiroya’s two podium finishes last year, we knew it was only a matter of time before he stood atop a podium. Congratulations to his entire team and to our South Carolina plant associates who produce our highly competitive drifting tire”.

On his march to the final in Round 3 of the Formula DRIFT PRO Championship in Orlando, Minowa conquered double FD PROSPEC Champion Dmitriy Brutiskiy, Conor Shanahan (Ireland), three-time FD PRO Champion Fredric Aasbo (Norway) and Bakchis. Every driver who wins a heat in Formula DRIFT competition receives 10 points, so Minowa’s 50-point haul saw him leap from eighth in the PRO standings to third overall. Bakchis is now in fifth place in the PRO standings.

GT Radial is now in second place in the 2025 Formula DRIFT Tire Cup standings. The brand won the Tire Cup in 2023. The Champiro SX2 RS tires, which are available for street use, are produced at the company’s passenger/light truck tire manufacturing facility in Richburg, SC.