Team Falken’s Carter crowned 2011 British Drift Champion

Team Falken driver Matt Carter has won the 2011 British Drift Championship Super Pro class after a sixth place finish in Sunderland. The Falken team took second place in the Constructors Standings, missing out on first place by two points.

The final round of the 2011 British Drift Championship was held at the Nissan Manufacturing Plant in Sunderland last weekend. The street course at the factory was transformed from a large expanse of tarmac into a high speed and flowing race track. All three Falken drivers Matt Carter, Alan Green and Paul Cheshire were in attendance and pushing for a strong result to take home the title

Matt Carter entered the final round at the top of the Super Pro championship standings with a 16 point advantage over Mark Luney in his Toyota Supra. Luck was not to be on the team’s side as Matt’s car developed running issues during practice, the car losing all power mid run once engine temperatures rose. Several different remedies were tried and Matt managed to put in a strong qualifying run, netting third highest qualifier and securing him a vital championship point. In the lead up to Sunday’s Top 16 run-off, Matt’s mechanical gremlins reappeared but fortunes changes as he was awarded into the Top 8 when his competitor was forced to retire from the event.

As Matt faced Stephen it was clear that the car was not performing as well as it had previously in qualifying and despite his best efforts Matt was eliminated netting him sixth place but crucially the overall series crown.

“I am absolutely over the moon with the championship title,” says Matt Carter. “It has been a long hard year and it was topped off with a nerve racking experience at the final round. The car has been through a lot this year and these things always seem to happen at the worst possible time.  I am now looking forward to making a return to Lousada in Portugal in October to defend my title out there and then enjoy the preparation to defend my BDC title here in 2012!”