A few weeks ago the 2013 Formula Drift season took to Wall Speedway in New Jersey for the fourth round of competition this year. While his teammate Vaughn Gittin Jr. failed to get out of the Round of 16, Pawlak was able to take his run all the way into the final round. Despite his best efforts, he had to settle for second place, but now he is a contender to the 2013 Championship.

In case you missed all the tire-shredding, engine revving action, Ford Racing put out this awesome video of Pawlak’s impressive Formula Drift run from New Jersey, which we ran shortly after the race.

Unlike previous seasons, which saw Pawlak finish as high as second place in the overall championship, the young Formula Drift racer has had trouble getting his season into gear. For the first three rounds of the 2013 season, Pawlak couldn’t break out of the Round of 16. Had he won the fourth round, he’d be even happier we’re sure, but as it stands he is once again a contender for the cup.

With his second-place finish, Pawlak moved up the rankings to sit in a solid 5th place. Vaughn Gittin Jr., meanwhile, is holding onto second place behind Diago Saito, who defeated both Gittin and Pawlak in New Jersey and holds a comfortable 61-point advantage over Gittin. With both Pawlak and Gittin close on his tail though, Saito needs to be on top of his game if he hopes to ward off these two Mustang pros.

Pawlak will try to ride his success on the east coast to the west coast for this weekend’s Throwdown in Monroe, Washington. Another podium could help cement his position in the points for the season, and a win could move him into top contention depending on how Gittin and Saito finish. We’ll see what happens, but regardless it should be exciting.