A dramatic finish to the 2021 season.
Jon Shaffer and the No. 926 Nissan 240SX took the win at Willow Springs over the weekend, besting defending champ Aaron Parker and the No. 300 Mazda RX-7 in a dramatic finish to the 2021 season of The Drift League. In addition to bragging rights, Shaffer walked away with $1,500 and a Formula Drift license.
Shaffer qualified seventh in the 16-team single-elimination shootout, facing off against Eric Welch in the No. 120 Chevy Corvette, Devyn Bloch in the No. 31 Nissan 240SX, and RJ Contreras in the No. 12 BMW 325 before meeting Parker in the finals.
The fight between Shaffer and Parker was fierce as the two traded barbs in a close tandem battle, with Parker leading the first run. Unfortunately, Parker broke an axle while charging through Outer Zone 4, resulting in the No. 300 Mazda RX-7 straitening and colliding with the wall, turning the front end of the rotary-powered sports car into a tangled mess of pink metal and handing Shaffer the win.
Luckily, Parker was unhurt, stating that his Hans Device provided critical protection in the crash. Notably, Outer Zone 4 collected several other competitors during the event, including Richard Advani and the No. 74 Chevy Corvette. Despite numerous incidents, no injuries were reported over the weekend, a credit to the The Drift League's meticulous safety tech inspections.
"Always wanted that top spot on the box and we finally did it at The Drift League!" Shaffer posted to his Instagram feed (@instashaffed) following the event. "Wasn't the way I wanted it to end when Parker broke an axle and slammed into the wall in front of me."
Shaffer was composed throughout the weekend, taking minimal practice laps while many of his fellow drivers either crashed out or broke down.
"Once I got in the car to drive I tried to block it all out and do what I needed to do," Shaffer said in his social media post. "Luckily everyone walked away okay and we were able to hang on all the way to the top."
Although the No. 300 Mazda RX-7 was heavily damaged, second-placed Parker didn't walk away completely empty-handed, taking home $1,000 and another Formula Drift license, having previously secured a license with a first-place finish at The Drift League Round 1 in May. Taking third-place in Round 2 over the weekend was RJ Contreras, who walked away with $500 and the final Formula Drift license.
Keep it on Tuner Fan, as we'll have plenty more content from The Drift League Round 2 served up in no time, including an avalanche of photos and video captured at the event. Stay tuned.
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