2018 has been another great year of Formula D action and excitement. Now the series heads to the House of Drift Irwindale Speedway yet again to cap out the year and crown a series champion. Will we see James Dean win back to back championships or will Fredric Aasbo play spoiler and take the championship for himself.
With only two rounds remaining in the 2018 Formula DRIFT season there are nine drivers in the Pro category and the entire Pro 2 grid with a mathematical chance to win their respective championships. This meant nobody could afford to relax as the Formula DRIFT Black Magic Pro Championship and Link ECU Pro 2 Championship arrived in Fort Worth, TX for Round Seven: Autozone Showdown presented by Rain X.
After struggling with speed in Round 3, I had a lot of work to do. I didn’t know if the work was needed on the car or my driving style. It turned out to be both.
DriftCup Round 4 at Teeside, I went into this round on a high after my last round at Rockingham getting a podium.
I had a few problems with the car at that round but she pulled through. I have done some mechanical upgrades to make the car better for Teesside because I know it a fast track.I arrived at the track and unloaded the car ready for practice, giving the car a check over as always and after briefing it was time to go out.
It was my first time driving my car at this track so I didn’t know how it would perform so my first lap was a sighting lap to gauge the track and get a feel for it.
It didn’t feel right and I struggled with the car throughout the practice session, it has such long gearing and the car is laggy, perfect for some tracks but for sure not for this one.
I managed 3 good runs in the car and on the rest I was having to fight the car round the first long bend because it would fall out of boost and not have time to regain it. Constantly coming in changing pressures damping etc, then I blew a hole in a boost pipe so brought the car back in.
I sourced one from Steve at HEL Performance, fitted that and went back out, tried flicking into the first corner and the car gripped and I went straight into the tyre bails. The car launched into the air and aero exploded, the car still drove so I went back to the pits stripped the broken parts and noticed I had split the intercooler and x2 boost pipes.
I sourced one boost pipe from Japspeed but had to leave the cooler and other pipe damaged. I went out to get a feel for the car after the accident and practice was unfortunately over. My first qualifying run was first time driving the car after the accident, it didn’t go to plan and scored very low.
On my second run I knew I had to concentrate and pull something out of the bag, it was my best run of the day, a little bit low on the bank but managed to link the whole track. Unfortunately I didn’t qualify but I’m coming into the final round at Driftland harder than ever and taking no prisoners, the car is undergoing some more upgrades to make it a lot more drivable and making her presentable again.
Thanks to everyone who helped and supported me at Teesside. See you at Driftland!
CUSTOM TRACK THROUGH LIVERPOOL STREETS REVEALED AHEAD OF UK’S BIGGEST DRIFTING EVENT
Red Bull Drift Shifters has revealed the course that will test the nerve of 12 of the world’s best drifters as they battle it out this August for a chance to be crowned champion.
The custom track will run through the centre of Liverpool and, at almost three times the size of previous Red Bull Drift Shifters events in New Zealand, will be the biggest yet; incorporating both old favourites and exciting new features throughout the track.
To challenge the drivers’ ultimate skill, the following features will be positioned throughout the course, designed to test their speed, precision and nerve. These include:
The Start Tunnel
Drivers will start their run beneath the city of Liverpool itself, firing out from the Mersey Tunnel, as featured in Fast and Furious 6, and onto the track.
The Pier Head Wallride
The biggest and fastest wall-ride ever featured in a Red Bull Drift Shifters event. At a length of over 80m and the fastest entry speed of any corner on the track, drivers will be trying to slide the rear bumper of their car as close to the wall as possible to trigger the proximity sensors mounted within it.
The Undertaker
A crowd favourite feature from previous events – drivers drift their vehicle around and underneath a fully functional articulated truck. Continue reading
