Formula DRIFT, the American professional drifting series, has chosen Long Beach as the home of its inaugural Hall of Fame monument.
Ryan Sage, president and cofounder of Formula DRIFT, unveiled the monument outside the Long Beach Arena during media day for the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Tuesday, April 7, just days before the drifting teams go head-to-head through the streets of downtown Long Beach.
Formula DRIFT will open its 2026 season on Friday and Saturday, April 10-11, before continuing its schedule during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, which will take place April 17-19.
Formula DRIFT chose Long Beach for its Hall of Fame monument because of the city’s rich history with motorsports, Sage said.
“I’ve actually been here since the very beginning of Formula DRIFT in Long Beach,” Tasha Day, manager of special events with Long Beach, said during a press conference. “So, it’s been amazing to watch the sport grow as it has. I know how much it means to the city.
“The city is so honored to have you here,” she added to Sage, “and have this monument as part of the city.”
The monument, designed and built by Formula DRIFT technical director Kevin Wells, conceptualizes the history of Formula DRIFT. Four tire replicas stacked on top of each other bear an accurate representation of the treads of original tires used by the series. Atop the tires is a replica of the carbon fiber Formula DRIFT trophy.
Etched in the base of the monument are the names of the Formula DRIFT Hall of Fame inductees, and surrounding the monument are white and red flowers – the colors of the series’ logo.
“Kevin spent two years trying to put this together with all of the constraints that come about from building a monument in a downtown city area,” Sage said. “He’s proven not only his creativity and his commitment to the sport, but also how hard he’s willing to work.”
Sage said he wished late Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian could be present for the unveiling. Michaelian died at 83 on March 21 and has since been succeeded by Formula DRIFT cofounder Jim Liaw.
“The very first call that I received when we announced this was from Jim Michaelian, who emphasized to me how important this was for marrying together Formula DRIFT and Long Beach,” Sage said. “He expressed to me the development of the sport and things like this are really important in carrying on the legacy of not only the series, but also of drivers. I was hoping that he would be able to be here today and I know that it would have meant a lot to him.”
Sage also announced this year’s inductee to the Hall of Fame, Formula DRIFT driver Dai Yoshihara.
“I want to thank the City of Long Beach,” Yoshihara said. “I still remember the first event. Since then, Long Beach has been a great supporter of Formula DRIFT. So, having this here and then having my name here is amazing.”
The monument, Sage said, is reminiscent of the history of drifting as a sport and how far Formula DRIFT has come since its inception over two decades ago.
“Twenty-four years ago, Jim and I were sitting in a rig with a very influential person in motorsports who essentially said, ‘This sport will never work because the drivers are just kids and they’re totally out of control,’” Sage said. “And 24 years later, I say, ‘Exactly.’”