Photo Courtesy of Andrew Donaldson | @valera.ajd
Geoff Donati again advanced to the round of 16 at Formula Drift ProSpec Round 3 in St. Louis before being knocked out of competition by Conor O’Sullivan. With only four rounds on the calendar for the ProSpec season, the standings are all set for a really competitive final round in Utah.
Ahead of Round 3, FD elected to add a wall in Outer Zone 1, a decision that confused spectators and drivers alike. The wall, made of k-rails and placed with the intention of protecting the grass, turned out to be a little on the dangerous side. Donati said that while he didn’t feel it affected his driving much, he wasn’t interested in writing off his car for negligible gain. “FD is all about knowing when to take risks and when not to,” he said.
While he had hoped to podium in St. Louis for the second season in a row, Donati came away from the round feeling positive. He considers it his home track, and said he enjoyed getting to spend time connecting with fans.
“The team did great in St. Louis, everybody’s doing their jobs, the car’s doing its job, it was business as usual on those fronts,” he said. His loss to O’Sullivan marks the second time this season he’s been knocked out by the round’s eventual winner. Coming up against a killer early in the bracket is a rough prospect in any sport, let alone one as unpredictable as drifting.
Photo Courtesy of Andrew Donaldson | @valera.ajd
Still, Donati finds himself in 17th overall ahead of Round 4, a similar spot to this time last season when he secured fifth overall with a second straight podium. There’s a five-way tie for eighth and a six-way tie for 13th at the moment, so he has a very real chance of making the leap up the rankings.
Donati won’t be returning to FD next season, so he’s looking to finish the season on a high note. “I’m just going to drive hard and have fun,” he said, adding that he’s excited for the announced changes to the track layout in Utah. “It’s a good round to just close everything out.”
He and the team are planning on celebrating the end of another successful season and his time in FD ProSpec Saturday after the conclusion of the competition.
