Team Driftworks kicked off the 2015 season in commanding style at the weekend, taking the top qualifying spot and the overall win in the Pro class, along with the Constructors trophy at Round 1 of the British Drift Championship.
Held at Lydden Hill circuit in Kent, Driftworks drivers Phil Morrison, Rich Grindrod and Jack Shanahan were representing the team in the Pro class, while Chris Smith flew the flag for Driftworks in the Pro-Am class.
Saturday was reserved for the Pro-Am half of the competition, with Chris putting in some good runs and securing 18th place in qualifying. After a fantastic lead run in his Top 32 battle, Smiffy’s gearbox blew while chasing hard once the positions had been reversed, bringing his day to an unfortunate end.
Sunday morning was set aside for a lengthy Pro practice session which was perfect for Phil and Rich, who spent the time fine tuning their cars and dialling them in prior to qualifying. The DW86 in particular was looking great, with Phil having no issues at all sticking the car on all seven clipping points.
Unfortunately for Jack he was dogged by issues early in the day, resulting in him having to line up for qualifying having never driven the car. He needn’t have worried however, as he easily secured 7th place.
Phil netted the top qualifying spot in convincing style with an outstanding 94 point run, while Rich battled car issues on his way to taking 29th.
Come the battles and Rich fought his way past Matt Carter in the Top 32 before succumbing to Danny Eyles in the Top 16. On the other hand, Phil and Jack picked off the competition one by one before facing each other in the final.
Phil led the first run in commanding style but, with the roles reversed, span as the two approached the hairpin and handed the win to Jack – the second year in a row he has won the first round of the BDC at Lydden Hill. Check out footage of the pair’s first battle below:
As a result of the team’s overall performance, Team Driftworks also took home the Constructors trophy for the event.
Thanks to everyone who has been supporting us and let’s hope we can continue our good form!
