Japspeed Named New Maxxis Drift Partner

Maxxis has announced that it will be supporting Team Japspeed in the British Drift Championship (BDC), European Drift Championship (EDC) and Pro Drift Series this season. All of the team’s cars will carry Maxxis livery and will be using the MA-ZI Drift tyre, based on the road-going version but incorporating a specially developed high temperature silicone rubber compound for long life and the all-important smoke that increases the number of points scored.

“We’re aiming to capitalise on the growing enthusiasm for drifting in the UK to build awareness of the Maxxis brand and promote the quality, performance and value of our high performance range,” says Maxxis International UK’s managing director Derek McMartin. “This season our partners will be using the MA-Z1 Drift tyre, which has been developed specifically for the sport, but is also street legal, and we are looking forward to some good performances across the country’s premier drifting series.”

Japspeed specialises in aftermarket performance parts for Japanese road and track cars and has been a key player in UK drifting since 2005. Owner Paul McCallum says, “For the first time a major tyre manufacturer is backing a full team in UK drifting and that’s excellent news for our sport. We’re delighted to report that our hard work from previous seasons has paid off and we are really excited about the support that a key player like Maxxis will bring to the UK drift scene, especially since the MA-Z1 Drift tyres we will be using this season have proven to be such a resounding success in US competitions.

“There’s no denying 2009 will be challenging, because the competition has improved enormously, but with new cars and tyres we certainly aim to contest some of the silverware on offer across the UK’s three premier drift series.”

Team Japspeed’s driver line-up for 2009 features experienced drivers Paul Smith, Danny Eyles and Shane Lynch – better known in some circles as a member of pop group Boyzone. Paul gained valuable experience in the UKD1 Autoglym Clubman Championship and Euro Drift Pro/Am Championship before moving up to the European Drift Championship. In 2009 he will once again be competing in the EDC and BDC driving the Nissan S15 Silvia which took him to joint tenth overall in last year’s EDC – a good result for his first full year in the series.

Danny Eyles finished third overall in the Eurodrift Pro class in 2007 and then teamed up with Shane Lynch to take the European Drift Championship’s first team drift competition for Team Japspeed at the penultimate round of the 2007 season. Like Shane, Danny got his full EDC licence for 2008 and, competing in an R33 Skyline, finished fifth overall, an excellent result in his first year at the top flight. He lines up alongside Paul and Shane for the 2009 BDC, EDC and Pro-Drift Series.

Having competed in the British GT Championships for a number of years, Shane Lynch is now a keen drifter. He seized the chance to drive for Japspeed in the 2007 British Drift Championship, although Boyzone’s comeback meant he was unable to commit to a full season last year. Shane missed three rounds but still finished in overall sixth and went drifting during the concert tour on his days off such is his passion for the sport. 2009 sees Shane competing in Team Japspeed and Maxxis colours in the BDC, EDC and Prodrift Series.

Anthony Cahill took up drifting in 2004 and after giving demonstrations at Santa Pod and entering a few competitions in a Nissan 180SX he upgraded to a 300bhp Nissan Sil80 to compete in the 2008 British Drift Championship. Nominated the Most Entertaining Driver of the Year last season, Anthony is back for more BDC action when the series launches on April 11.

Stephen Biagioni learnt the basics of drifting in 2007 and then took part in various ‘drift what ya brung’ days at Santa Pod. Swapping his Volvo 340 1.7 for a Nissan S13, which he immediately set about modifying, Stephen improved his skills at track days and then entered the 2008 British Drift Championship. He finished eighth overall, a fine achievement for his first season, and will be campaigning a new S13 in the 2009 series.

Building on their successful association last year, Maxxis and the SVA Imports team are joining forces once again for the 2009 European Drift Championship. The company, which imports and tunes high performance Japanese cars, is well established in drifting circles and should be one of the teams to beat when the five-round series gets underway at Oulton Park on April 25.

Experienced drifter Mark Luney – who clinched fourth place in his Nissan 350Z last season – will be spearheading SVA’s 2009 EDC campaign. He will also be competing in JDM Allstars, a four-round series which gets underway in Newcastle on April 4/5, and the Pro Drift Super Series. Contested over five rounds at venues throughout the UK and Ireland, this championship opens at the International Styling and Tuning Show at Donington Park on April 12.

For 2009 Maxxis is also supporting two privateers, renewing its associations with Declan Hicks and Tom Yates who competed in Maxxis colours last season. Declan’s 500bhp Toyota Soarer GZ20 is sure to turn heads as it is understood to be one of only four to exist in the UK and is therefore “rarer than hen’s teeth” as he puts it. After finishing in ninth place last year, Declan returns for the 2009 EDC campaign and is also competing in the JDM Allstars and Pro Drift Series.

Tom Yates came to drifting in late 2006, via the SVA Challenge, and within a year had gained top 16 finishes in every event he entered. With the experience of running Maxxis tyres in last year’s JDM Allstars under his belt, Tom is a long standing member of the Drift Republic, a group of largely self-financed drift drivers. This season will see Tom campaigning his 400bhp Nissan Silvia PS13 in the JDM Allstars, Pro Drift and IDS Drift Series.