“RS-R racing” is more than a search query — it is part of how we validate hardware. Working with elite drift programs, including Fredric Aasbø and Papadakis Racing, puts RS-R dampers and springs under loads no street commute will ever see.

## From podium to production

Data from competitive use informs valving, spring rates, and durability expectations for street lines like Best-i Active — the same family enthusiasts buy for [Civic Type R](/product/honda-civic-type-r-2023-best-i-active-coilover) and [IS 500](/product/lexus-is-500-2022-besti-active-coilovers).

## Celebrating the culture

Events like RS-R’s Drift Festival anniversary gatherings keep the brand connected to the community that made Japanese suspension tuning a global language.

Explore more on the [Motorsport hub](/motorsport) or revisit our [20th Anniversary Drift Festival announcement](/blogs/rs-r-drift-festival-20th-anniversary).

RS-R motorsport: Formula Drift collaboration with Fredric Aasbø and Papadakis Racing, and how racing programs shape street coilovers and springs.

RS-R Formula Drift & Papadakis Racing | Motorsport

How RS-R’s partnership with Fredric Aasbø and Papadakis Racing feeds street suspension development — and why fans search “rsr racing.”

RS-R in Formula Drift: Track Development with Papadakis Racing

_[Check out the video form of this blog post here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImZpMJ7zfRA&ab_channel=RS-RUSA)_

**Fredric Aasbø:**

23 championships has been kind of a roller coaster ride. It's not like it just happens like that. It's been up and down and some great seasons and some terrible seasons and some crashes and some jubilations, you know? It's been 12 years now here in FD working with the team, working with RSR for many, many years, improving the shocks that we have in the cars, improving our general cars set up, working on myself, building our racecraft, and eventually becoming back-to-back Champion over the last couple years. And it's one of those things where it felt great to earn the third championship, and we celebrated it for a good while, but now that's all in the past, and the focus is on this season.

After Irwindale, RS-R hooked me up with the sports-I coilover kit for my GR-86. Went to their shop and had the boys from Japan install it, and we celebrated there. And RS-R is like a family to me, so we ate lots of cake that day and really soaked it all up. And then the off-season came around. I went back to Norway. We fired up the ice practice cars and went to the frozen lakes, went up north, went deep into Sweden, deep into Norway, and I think I longed 18 days of ice practice this winter. A lot of that is just having fun with friends, but there's also a serious component to it where it's where I sharpen my skills and get ready for a new season.

RS-R is one of the companies here in the U.S that has had the longest history in drifting. They put on one of the first-ever drift events at Irwindale Speedway. They've been a major supporter on the sport and Formula Drift for many years since 2003. And I've been a driver on RS-R products since 2012, so that's a good 11 years.

**Stephen Papadakis:**

As the crew chief on the car, you know, we really have to make sure the car is set up in a way that's easy and competitive for Fredric Aasbø to drive. So obviously, make sure that it's reliable, making sure the engine is making the right power, and then we'll work on the suspension a lot as well, making sure it's handling the way that he wants, so it's quick, has a lot of steering angle, and then he can do what he wants and adjust the car so he can drive really competitive and close in tandem competition.

Because customers, whether it's the spring rates or the damping in the shock, and sometimes we'll need some engineering help. And they've been really good about even bringing engineers in from Japan, helping us get the car set up exactly the way that is competitive and Fredric likes it, and that helps us win more events.

**Fredric Aasbø:**

RS-R provides product support, on-track support. They're a solid spawn center of our program, and most importantly, they got our backs no matter what we do. I've competed with them in Japan, in Australia, in Malaysia, in Thailand, in Europe, and here in FD, and they're being part of the successful ad on track.

Here is a video showing Fredric Aasbø's gearing up for the 2023 Formula Drift Season. With a podium finish this past weekend, it must have worked! Big thanks to Papadakis Racing.

Gearing up Formula Drift's 2023 Season with Fredric Aasbø & Papadakis Racing!

From Formula Drift to track-day development — how RS-R racing programs shape street suspension.

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RS-R in Formula Drift: Track Development with Papadakis Racing

Gearing up Formula Drift's 2023 Season with Fredric Aasbø & Papadakis Racing!

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