James Deane (born 14 October 1991) is an Irish professional Drifter. He is a five-time Formula Drift Champion, four-time Drift Allstars, three-time Drift Masters, and four-time Oman IDC Champion. He has also won multiple National and European titles. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest drift drivers of all time.
Career Deane began his career in competition drifting in 2006, driving, finishing third in the series. In 2007, Deane won his first ever professional event in the main Prodrift series at Rosegreen at the age of fifteen, which is believed to have made him the youngest professional drift event winner in the world at the time. The following season, he won both the Irish series and the Prodrift European series, qualifying him to compete in the Red Bull Drifting World Championship in Long Beach, California.
Deane won the 2010 Prodrift series whilst also competing in some Formula Drift events. The following season, he won the Drift Allstars series for the Low Brain Drifters team, with six podiums including four wins. He won the Irish Drift Championship in 2013 and 2015 and from 2014 onwards, won the Drift Allstars European Series for three consecutive years.
Deane took first place on the podium at the 2019 Oman Oil Marketing International Drift Championship. Representing Worthouse and Falken, Deane dominated the bracket despite an issue he was having due to a flaw with the rack and pinion in his steering assembly. This win at the Oman Drift Championship gives Deane his thirteenth title win.
On 3 March 2021, Deane announced that he would be competing in the 2021 Russian Drift Series with the AIMOL Drift Team. He would compete alongside teammates Daigo Saito and Charles NG.
Formula Drift In October 2016, following his third DA title, it was announced that Deane would return to Formula Drift for a full campaign in 2017. Deane would pilot a Toyota 2JZ powered Nissan Silvia S15 for the Worthouse drift team alongside teammate Piotr Wiecek. Wiecek would pilot an identical S15 converted to left hand drive. His return to competition in the United States was a major success, with him winning the 2017 Formula Drift Championship.
Deane returned to Formula Drift in 2018 alongside Worthouse. He finished the season in first place, successfully defending his title. This would make him the second driver in Formula Drift history to win back-to-back championships, the first being Tanner "The Golden Child" Foust.
Having successfully defended his Formula Drift Championship title, Deane returned for the 2019 season, which would prove to be Deane's toughest Formula Drift season since his return to the series in 2017. On 19 October 2019, Deane was crowned 2019 Formula Drift Champion for the third year in a row, making him the first driver in the sport's history to pull off a 3-peat. Deane tied Chris Forsberg and Fredric Aasbø for three Formula Drift championship titles. However Forsberg's and Aasbø's championships were nonconsecutive, giving reason for many to hail James "The Machine" Deane as the best drifter on the planet.
As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Worthouse Drift Team withdrew from the 2020 Formula Drift championship. In the same statement, it was also announced that Deane would no longer be competing with Worthouse.
On 23 February 2023, Vaughn Gittin Jr. announced that Deane would be competing in Formula Drift 2023 as a member of the RTR Motorsports team. He managed to get 5th place overall with two third place podiums.
On 1 January 2024, Deane returned to Formula Drift with RTR team, he also managed to get a win during the first round of Formula Drift in Long Beach, mark his first win in Formula Drift with RTR Team.
From October 8, 2023–August 10, 2024, Deane had 13 consecutive podiums (longest podium streak in drifting history).
Deane secured back-to-back championship-winning seasons in 2024 and 2025, with four wins and two podium finishes, and three wins and three podium finishes, respectively. Deane became the first four-time and five-time Formula Drift champion with these wins.
Formula Drift Achievements
1 of 3 drivers to qualify with a perfect score of 100 points (Tanner Foust - Justin Pawlak - James Deane) The first and only driver in the FD's history to pull off a 3-Peat The first and only 4-time FD Champion The first and only 5-time FD Champion
Event wins Drift Masters wins # Event Season Car 1 Round 3, Stadion im. Kazimierza Górskiego 2016 Nissan 180SX 2 Round 9, Gdańsk 2016 Nissan 200SX 3 Round 11, Stadion im. Kazimierza Górskiego 2016 Nissan 200SX 4 Round 1, Stadion im. Kazimierza Górskiego 2017 Nissan 200SX 5 Round 3, Bikernieki Race Track 2018 Nissan 200SX 6 Round 4, MotoArena Toruń 2018 Nissan 200SX 7 Round 5, Hockenheimring 2018 Nissan 200SX 8 Round 6, Mondello Park 2018 Nissan 200SX 9 Round 5, Ferropolis 2019 BMW E92 10 King of Riga, Bikernieki Race Track 2020 BMW E9211 Round 2, Mondello Park2024Nissan S14.9
Formula Drift wins # Event Season Car Team 1 LBH 2017 Nissan S15 Worthouse Drift Team 2 ATL 2017 Nissan S15 Worthouse Drift Team 3 SEA 2017 Nissan S15 Worthouse Drift Team 4 TEX 2017 Nissan S15 Worthouse Drift Team 5 WNJ 2018 Nissan S15 Worthouse Drift Team 6 EVS 2018 Nissan S15 Worthouse Drift Team 7 WWT 2019 Nissan S15 Worthouse Drift Team8LBH2024Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DRTR Motorsports9ENG2024Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DRTR Motorsports10WWT2024Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DRTR Motorsports11IRW2024Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DRTR Motorsports12ATL2025Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DRTR Motorsports13WWT2025Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DRTR Motorsports14UTA2025Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DRTR Motorsports15STA2026Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DRTR Motorsports
Career results Oman IDC results YearTeamCar R1 R2 R3 2018Falken TireNissan S14 1 1 1 1st2019Falken TireNissan S14 1 1 2 1st2020Falken TireNissan S14 1 9 1 1st2024Fmic.aeNissan S14.9 1 2 1 1st
Formula Drift results Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Points 2010 Falken Tire Nissan S14 LBHATLWTSEVS LVS SON IRW 24th 202 2017 Worthouse Drift Team Nissan S15 LBH ORL ATL NJ CAN EVS TEX IRW 1st 651 2018 Worthouse Drift TeamNissan S15 LBH ORL ATL WNJ EVS GAT TEX IRW 1st 595 2019 Worthouse Drift TeamNissan S15 LBH ORL ATL WNJ EVS WWT TEX IRW 1st 565 2023 RTR Motorsports Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-D LBH ATL ORL ENG WWT EVS UTA IRW 5th 413 2024 RTR Motorsports Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-D LBH ATL ORL ENG WWT EVS UTA IRW 1st 6662025RTR MotorsportsFord Mustang RTR Spec 5-D LBH ATL ORL ENG WWT EVS UTALBH23 1st 3002026RTR MotorsportsFord Mustang RTR Spec 5-D LBH ATL ORL STAINDC4EVSLVSLBH2
Drift Masters European Championship/Drift Masters results Year Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Points 2018 Nissan 200SX POL1 HUN LAT POL2 GER IRL 1st 591 2019 BMW E92 AUT FRA POL LAT GER IRL 1st 381 2020 BMW E92 LAT 1st100 2021 Nissan S14.9 AUT1 AUT2 LAT1 LAT2 9th 128 2022 Nissan S14.9 IRL AUT SWE LAT GER POL 4th 373 2023 Nissan S14.9/BMW E92 IRL SWE FIN LAT GER POL 23rd 104 2024 Nissan S14.9 ESP IRL FIN LAT HUN POL 3rd 4092025Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DITA ESP FIN IRL LAT GER POL5th3232026Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-D ITA ESP IRL FIN LAT GERPOL
World records On 14 December 2014, Deane and Jordanian drifter Ahmad Daham set a new Guinness World Record for the world's longest tandem drift, 28.52 kilometres.
From October 8, 2023–August 10, 2024. James went on the longest podium streak (13) in drifting history in three different championships, the Oman International Drift Championship, Drift Masters and Formula Drift.
Story of starting number 130 Popular actor from Los Angeles James Dean loved racing and his Porsche "Little bastard", on which he died in a car accident, had number 130 on board. James Deane hoped that he could make number 130 more successful.
Personal life Deane was in a relationship with Becky Evans until some time in 2025, an automotive presenter and YouTuber who stars in the Red Bull series 'Drift Queen'.
References