Kenda Tires roared into the 2025 Formula Drift season with a landmark victory at the Long Beach Grand Prix Circuit this past Saturday, April 5th, as Fredric Aasbo, driving for Papadakis Racing, powered his Toyota GR Supra to a first-place finish on the newly reformulated Kenda VEZDA UHP MAX+.
The win, earned in front of a sold-out crowd and a massive global streaming audience, marks a major milestone for Kenda in the sport’s premier drifting series—and serves as a real-world validation of Kenda’s latest advancements in ultra-high-performance tire technology for its Vezda brand.
“Winning Long Beach is never easy, and this year’s field was incredibly competitive,” said Fredric Aasbo. “The new Kenda VEZDA UHP MAX+ gave me the edge I needed—from qualifying to the final battle. The grip, the feedback, the predictability—it was exactly what I needed to execute at the highest level. Big thanks to Kenda and Papadakis Racing for their support.”
Precision Performance: VEZDA UHP MAX+ Delivers Under Pressure
The Kenda VEZDA UHP MAX+, reformulated for 2025, was built from the ground up to dominate on the track and inspire confidence on the street. Its key performance features include:
- A high-silica compound designed for maximum grip and optimal heat cycling.
- An asymmetric tread pattern that enhances lateral stability and quick steering response.
- A reinforced internal structure to ensure durability and consistency during high-load transitions and extended tire wear cycles.
Fredric Aasbo’s performance showcased how this tire translates engineering into results—holding its grip through tight transitions, aggressive throttle inputs, and tandem battles in the unforgiving street course of Long Beach. The Vezda UHP MAX+ also has exceptional wear with multiple drivers able to run the rear tires for four or more laps when typical use is for only two laps. This translates to exceptional value for grassroots and weekend use for consumers and demonstrate Kenda’s mantra of Podium2Pavement!