8 Points Separate Top 4 Before Maxxis British Drift Championship Finale

Maxxis’ MA-Z1 Drift tyre has been on show this month in the third and fourth rounds of the British Drift Championship that also bears the brand’s name as title sponsor. The company said the tyre has delivered consistent performance in the changeable weather it has encountered. Through a day of alternating torrential showers and bright sunshine the MA-Z1 Drift’s performance at Lydden Hill, Kent, during round three helped Team Japspeed driver Shane Lynch take victory and with it the championship lead in the pro class. After round four, last year’s European Drift Champion Mark Luney stormed into the lead.

When the series moved on to Donington Park for round four, Maxxis said its tyre “coped better than most” with the heat levels generated by the challenging track layout and the high temperatures of the meeting. The action took place on the Donington Launch Pad, a huge area of smooth tarmac with a few drops and dips, where the organisers had designed a testing circuit. Drivers took their vehicles into a long right hand turn before tightening into a sharp hairpin, followed by a left transition and a third gear S section to finish, meaning the tyres had to cope with high temperatures, rapid acceleration and hard cornering.

Throughout the day there were numerous spins, as drivers pushed that little bit too hard, and calls for One More Time to separate some of the pairings, especially in the final stages of the competition, as nobody was prepared to give an inch. Round four saw some of the closest battles yet this season, leaving Maxxis “delighted that the MA-Z1 Drift came up trumps once again”. Mark Luney chalked up the win – his first in this year’s Maxxis British Drift Championship – over Simon Perry and took the lead in the pro class.

With a 36 point lead over his nearest rival John Glaister, and one round still to go, Ian Phillips has got the semi pro class wrapped up. All the drivers are aiming for a top eight position because this will give them a place in the pro class for the 2011 season. For the professional drivers there is still everything to play for, since just eight points separate Team Japspeed’s Shane Lynch in fourth and new championship leader Mark Luney going into the final round at Knockhill on 25-26 September.

In the meantime, the next stop for the Maxxis British Drift Championship is the Norfolk Arena in Kings Lynn on August 7-8 where fans are promised a ‘drift extravaganza’. Drivers from around the country will be out to take the honours in the stand alone competition on the Saturday, while Sunday will see drivers form teams of three and triple drift just inches apart in the Team Drift Xtreme competition. The omnipresent Maxxis Babes will be on hand to provide extra entertainment.