Three Irishmen are competing in the world drifting championship in the US. Shane O'Donoghuetalked to them
WHEN IRELAND competes on the world stage, the country generally gets behind the sportsmen and women en masse. Be that in our traditional sports such as rugby and soccer, or even something like cricket. But there'll be no crowds at the airport seeing off Eric O'Sullivan, Darren McNamara and James Deane as they board a plane to the US to compete in an invite-only world championship event, despite the fact that they occupy three spots of just 32 available.
The sport in question is drifting: the art of sliding a car sideways at speed side-by-side with another competitor. If you've never heard of, or seen, drifting then that may sound like an accident waiting to happen, but it's a very safe sport and the drivers are all seriously talented in the art of car control. It's more dramatic to watch than most other forms of motorsport, yet it isn't all about speed. Competitors are awarded points for style as well, which is why there's an ongoing debate about whether drifting should be called a sport or a form of entertainment.
There's no doubting the seriousness of drifting as a sport in Japan, where it was conceived, and in America, where the big money racing now happens. Back at home, we have a modest drift scene, with a six-round championship and about 150 competitors. Prodrift Irl, the series organiser, claims that Ireland now commands the largest number of entries and crowd attendances of any domestic drift championship in Europe, despite beginning only five years ago.
O'Sullivan is the oldest of the trio at 28, and he discovered drifting through Japanese DVDs. His first experience was as a spectator in Rosegreen, Tipperary in 2004 and it wasn't long before he bought his first rear-wheel-drive car, a 1984 Toyota Corolla Twin Cam, or AE86, as they're known in the drift world. He admits that this was a shock to the system, coming from tuned front-wheel-drive Hondas, especially as this car was "a wreck".
In 2005 he began competing in a better car, but he failed to qualify for his first two events so he began to investigate the car set-up. Having served his time as a mechanic, it didn't take him long to get the hang of it and, in his first event at Mondello, he finished second overall in a virtually standard car, and that same year took his Corolla to Silverstone and qualified for the exhibition event.
For the 2006 season, O'Sullivan went into hiding as he worked on his Corolla, and came out fighting at the start of the 2007 season by winning the first round outright. He took the Irish championship too. His car may still look like a 1985 Corolla with a body kit, but it now features a custom-built 250bhp Honda S2000 engine, which revs to 9,000rpm.
This year he benefited from sponsorship from Rockstar Energy Drinks, which meant he could afford a full attack on the European drift championship, in which he won the Swedish round and finished a commendable third overall, and he was JDM All-Stars champion. That third place was enough to secure his position in the World Championship event next weekend - the first time he will have competed in the US.
Though four years his junior, Darren McNamara is already a relatively seasoned US racer with two years under his belt at the Falken Tire Drift Team. Last year Darren received the coveted "US Rookie of the Year" award, following on from the Irish championship in 2006. McNamara began racing when he was 11, and also has six oval racing championships to his name. The American deal came about after McNamara impressed at the 2006 Silverstone exhibition event, where he piloted his Corolla to sixth spot - being beaten only by five Japanese pro-drifters.
He was invited to the US for a one-off event later that year and his car was flown there for him, but even so he struggled to finance the trip, turning up with his car on a pallet while the competition each boasted two large trucks of spares.
However, his skill shone through, as he posted fifth best on the first day of competition, and sixth overall in the World All-Star event. Overnight he went from being an unknown to hot property.
Falken Tire stepped in with discounted tyres for the event, though Darren was forced to replace his Hankook decals with Falken's. As it turned out, he beat the official Falken drivers and noticed that the "umbrella girls" working for Falken were suddenly positioning themselves around his car.
Now a significant part of the team, Darren McNamara regularly travels between his home in Cork and the US to compete. Like O'Sullivan, he started out in the Toyota Twin Cam (which he retains in Europe), though he is in the process of developing a Saturn Sky roadster with over 700bhp from its 6.7-litre V8 for the Formula Drift series in the States. McNamara doesn't rate his chances in next weekend's event though, as the car is still under development.
James Deane is very keen to get into the US drifting scene, as he realises that it has the most potential as a career. Deane turned 17 only last month, but this season he stole both the Irish and the European drift championships (at the age of just 16), so his place in the World Championship event is more than justified.
Deane doesn't come across as being as young as he is, his relaxed nature and towering height lending him maturity. That impression is enhanced by his skill behind the wheel. How many teenagers do you know who are more capable than most behind the wheel of a 560bhp sportscar? Deane's steed is based on an imported Nissan Silvia, though he admits that a huge amount of money has been put into the car - so much so that he has no plans at this stage to buy a road car, or anything else.
His first drift car was nothing more glamorous than a Ford Sierra Estate with the rear differential welded solid, in which he placed second on his very first event in the junior class. He went on to win it in 2006 at just 15.
Twelve countries will be represented at the World Championship. One of the headlining drivers is Tanner Foust, a back-to-back Formula Drift US champion and one of the presenters in the American Top Gear, though he'll have his hands full with several top-ranking American and Japanese pro-drifters too.
All three Irish drivers realise that it's an honour to be invited to this event, with O'Sullivan and Deane particularly keen to make an impression on the all-important US market. Whether any of them will compete for the $25,000 first prize remains to be seen, but they deserve our support regardless.
• For more information: formulad.com prodriftirl.com