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May 16th 2011
Drift Allstars European Series 2011 – RD 2 Nissan Sunderland Press Release
Irish champion James Deane takes Drift Allstars European Series Round 2
Sunderland, UK – the Drift Allstars European Series returned to Nissan Motors UK manufacturing plant for the second round of the 2011 season. James Deane emerged victorious in the Team LBD / Rockstar Energy Nissan PS13.
This was Drift Allstars’ second visit to the North East venue. A reworking of the 2010 track layout meant one of the fastest street circuits to date. Alongside the track action, fans were kept well entertained by a much improved interactive trade and display area; featuring road safety, gaming, audio and track day exhibits, as well as the superb Zero Gravity bike stunt show.
Despite poor weather thousand of enthusiasts filled the venue, braving wind and rain throughout the morning and early afternoon as the qualifying rounds took place. They were rewarded by a break in the weather as some of the closest and fastest twin battles seen this year unfolded.
In qualifying, Christy Carpenter took first in the Yokohama Tyres Nissan S15, local hero Anthony Scott swooped second in the Skyline parts Nissan S13 and championship front runner Nigel Colfer came in third in the Spec / Ferodo Nissan S13.
The top 16 battles were close, with Ben Broke Smith, James Deane, Wes Keeting, Barry Leonard, Anthony Scott, Tony Jouin, Christy Carpenter and Nigel Colfer going through to the great eight. When it came down to the final four of Broke Smith, Deane, Leonard and Colfer, the fight for podium places was closer still.
Leonard, in the WKD Imports S14, was up against Broke Smith in the Driftworks / Garage D Toyota Mark 2. Aggressive entries and wide lines saw Broke Smith through to the final. The other quarter final between Deane and Colfer ended with Irishman Deane going through to face the UK driver in the final, the deciding factor being his super fast pace throughout the course.
The playoff for a place on the podium between Leonard and Colfer went Colfer’s way. Despite a valiant effort from Leonard, still in his first year of professional drifing, his opponent’s experience shone through bagging him third place.
In the final it was evident that the lighter more nimble SR engined PS13 was faster around the track than the heavier but more powerful JZ engined JZX81, which struggled to find the traction to keep up. Despite massive smoke and committed driving from Broke Smith, Deane managed to gain the advantage.
This puts Deane in the number one spot going into the next round, on June 10th in Malta. With 4 rounds remaining everything’s still up for grabs.
For more information and full details check out the website at www.jdmallstars.com.
Drift Allstars European Professional Drifting Series 2011-Event Results:
1. James Deane Team LBD / Rockstar Energy Nissan PS13
2. Ben Broke Smith Driftworks / Garage D Toyota Mark 2
3. Nigel Colfer Chambers Performance /Spec Clutch Nissan S13
