Luney Set for Victory in Pirelli European Drift Championship

You’re only showing your age if images of vagrants or dossers spring to mind upon hearing the word ‘drifter’. These days, as any fule kno, a drifter is far more likely to be a tyre maker and dealer’s favourite customer. Drifting has long since left its home in Japan and set out to conquer the globe, and the top drifters in our part of the world compete in the Pirelli European Drift Championship. And with just one round to go, this year’s championship title is Mark Luney’s to lose. He needs just three points at Snetterton to assure him of overall victory.

Drifting veteran Luney attributes some of his success to his confidence in the tyres. “The new tyre combination is certainly giving me more control, and therefore greater confidence in the car’s performance,” he commented. Luney and the other drivers in this season’s championship – Pirelli’s first involvement in drifting – use the new PZero Trofeo on the front axle and the PZero Corsa on the rear. Pirelli allocates 50 tyres to each competitor for the championship’s five rounds.

The PZero Trofeo was launched this year and is described by Pirelli as an innovative, ultra-low profile road tyre for racetrack driving on dry surfaces. “We offer a range of different tyres in order to meet the varied demands of this sport,” said Pirelli UK marketing director Wayne Nickless. “Drifting is different to other motorsports in that the smoke generation of the tyres is part of the point scoring. However, traditional aspects are still important such as control, consistency and ultimate performance.”