Welcome to DriftZone! We would like to welcome you to the English section of DriftZone, where you can find news about drifting worldwide! DriftZone has been reporting from drifting series and grassroot events in Scandinavia for a couple of years now. We have served our readers mainly Swedish and Scandinavian news, seasoned with world news from Formula Drift, Drift Masters European Championship, Gymkhana Grid, FIA IDC and more. With this new English section we would like to reach readers worldwide. Our focus will be competition drifting in Europe and the big series worldwide. If you like what you see, feel free to share it to your friends!
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A moment with Formula Drift runner up in 2018 The guy that we will be talking about in this article, came second overall in Formula Drift Championship. He is also know as “The Norweigan Hammer”, by now I´ll guess that many of you readers know who we are talking about… Fredric Aasbø is his name and he made his U.S. debut at a global drifting invitational in 2008 and scored the 2010 Formula Drift Rookie of the Year title. Since then, he has charged through theung drifting around the nyfikenworld and Man tar en kille.ranks Kastar in en del is both del a fan favoriteoch andlika championship winner. het,en ambition stor del talang. Resultatet blir nästa intervju. En kille vars Originally from Ski, Norway, Aasbøpå now splits namn vi alla driftfrälsta bör lägga minnet: his time between his native country and SouthFelix Lindvall!! ern California. Grattis till vinsten i JSM! Hur känns det? He Competed with a Toyota Corolla in 2018, built and tuned Papadakis team. - En vinst i JSM by varThe väldigt stor förRacing mig, jag Papadakis Racing drifting in på 2004 hade faktiskt inte began riktigt ens tänkt att and det is the most winning team in Formula Driftgrymt, history, var något jag kunde vinna! Det känns earning the 2015 driver Fredric Aasjag är hungrig på title vinstwith nästa år också! bo, as well as back-to-back championships with driver Foust in 2007 2008. Du är Tanner ju en ny stjärna på and drifthimlen. Berätta lite om vem Felix är. The Rockstar Energy Drink / Nexen Tire Toyota Corolla the som latestutbildar competition -Felix ärHatchback en 18-årigiskille sig till build from the Hawthorne, California, based tävlingstekniker på Ring Knutstorp, jag bor i en team. liten by i Skåne som heter Killeberg.
When he doesent drive the Toyota Corolla madly, Fredric also goes to Gatebil events with his sharp looking Toyota GT86, these events are held in Norway and Sweden. We contacted Fredric Aasbø recently, and asked a few questions regarding plans for the near future and the upcoming season 2019. Season 2018, second overall. How do you feel about your effort and results? – All in all, the 2018 season has seriously been one of the most fun season I’ve had behind the steering wheel. The reason for that is that this year, we’ve been more aggressive with our car setups and put ourselves more out there and “gambled” a bit more. In the past, we’ve had a tendency to play safe, which has paid off in competition. What are you doing now? – I just got back to California after somewhere between 50 and 80 flights this year to all corners of the world. I’m catching up on paperwork (like this interview!) and working out, trying to distance myself from cars for a little bit. I’ve found in the past that getting away from cars every now and then helps me keep the fire burning (the hunger for competing).
Any plans on competing (like with RS-R team in Japan) before the start of next Formula Drift season? – No plans of competing before the season opener at Long Beach at this point. But I am planning on doing as much ice drifting as I can in January and February. Are you on the same team next year? – That is the plan. Any new things happening in 2019 for you and/or the team? – I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you. Just kidding! At this moment we’re working out our plans with Toyota USA. There’s a couple different scenarios on the table. Will we see you at Gatebil in 2019 again and any other venue you plan on visiting 2019? – Absolutely, we have big plans for taking part at Gatebil. Exactly which events we’ll make it to is not yet determined, but definitely shooting for the July Festival at Rudskogen. One of the major highlights of the season! We are also going back to the Sommertreff at Arctic Circle Raceway with Toyota Nordvik (Norwegian Toyota dealer group).
Any upgrades planned on your GT86 that you run on Gatebil? – Mostly maintenance, and possibly some drivetrain upgrades. My wingman Erik Nilssen has done a fantastic job keeping me on track all year. We’ve had some mechanical issues (mainly headgasket issues due to inferior tensile strength head studs and I mounted an oil filter the wrong way one time – that’s the last time I’ve been allowed to mount oil filters, lol), but Erik, our mechanic Ole and engine builder Jonus Racing have worked it out every time. Thanks, guys! During the season, how does a typical week before competition look like for you? – I stay away from partying to the best of my ability, and really start focusing on what’s to come. I like to fly in to the FD events a day early so I can adjust to the time before the rest of the team shows up on Wednesday. -I’ve already communicated with Steph on the team on my suggested setup and what I think we need to work on (both car setup as well as my driving, which is more important). -We just go about in a serious, business minded way, and I think for all of us in the team that’s what’s fun to us. We love the competitive side of it and the never-ending pursuit of trying to get a little bit better each time we’re out there.
If you would give one tip to a new drifter, what would that be? – It’s really hard limiting myself to just one tip… So I’ll give you my list: 1) Do not overbuild your car, and do not spend too much money on it. Practice becoming a good, consistent driver in any basic car you can afford – maybe that’s a Volvo 240 with a welded diff. 2) Develop your own sense of being analytical. Listen to tips, watch and learn from others, and be critical of your own driving. That way you’re teaching yourself to get better. 3) Give back to your friends and team. Make your journey their journey also. Remember you’ll get nowehere without some kind of team that’s along for the ride – so it should always be “us” and not “me”. 4) Follow the fun. Whatever fun is to you – follow that. That is where you will succeed.
And that was all the questions we had for this time, but we asked for some closing words from Fredric. – I’m just a product of everyone that’s believed in me along the way. From Tom Ole at Japan Auto who took me under his wings ten years ago, to all our friends, sponsors and fans along the way, to my family who I owe the most to. -It’s been one heck of a journey and I’m excited to see what the future holds! Drifting is in a good spot and I have a lot of fun watching the new up and coming drivers grow. Some fantastic talent out there and it makes me proud being a part of this community. We thank Fredric Aasbø for his time – and we wish him the best of luck in 2019!
Text & Photos: Henrik Andersson
Foto: Henrik Andersson & Stefan Lindgren
Adam Zalewski “My new car is a GT86”
In 2018 when Drift Masters went from a series with mostly Polish drivers to a full European championship the young Adam Zalewski was reigning champion. After some car problems early in the season Adam finished strong and managed to finish second in the championship. After the season ended, we heard that Adam was building a new racecar and wanted him to tell us a bit more about that, about the 2018 season and of course about this year.
After a really strong end of the season you finished second behind James Deane. Tell us a little bit about your season? -First round in Płock went pretty bad, we had big problems with driveshafts. I broke 8 in one day, didn’t manage to qualify to top32. -Second round went pretty good but I lost with James Deane in top8, it was Hungary I was driving there for the first time and the track was crazy.
You were the reigning champion from Drift Masters GP going into Drift Masters European Championship. What are your thoughts on the difference between 2017 and 2018?
-Third round in Riga that’s the fast technical track that I don’t really like, small mistake and you’re off the track. I managed to pick up 4 place in competition it was crazy for me to drive there, but much fun.
-Differences between 2017 and 2018 is very big, we got a lot of new drivers coming from all over the world to Drift Masters European Championship, the level went up everyone were driving like a crazy, it’s big pleasure for me to drive with the best drivers.
In Toruń we managed to make maybe 5 runs before top 32 because there ware a lot of drivers and not a lot of time for practice.
In top 8 I lost with Borkowski after my tire was without pressure and I made decision to go and risk, well it didn’t end good and I crashed into barrier (made from tires) pretty soft crash but I eliminated me from competition. Fifth round at Hockenheim, didn’t feel really good in this track at all, car seemed to work good and it got me into final with James Deane where I had one more time, but my subframe broke and I couldn’t make OMT with him.
There are three new venues on the DMEC 2019 calendar. Your thoughts on these three? Greinbach, Austria, Croix-en-ternois, France and Ferropolis, Germany. -For sure it will be fun to drive on new locations some fresh emotions coming up this season! Which drivers to you see as your main opponents to beat for the championship title in 2019?
The final in Ireland, longest trip from all locations from the series. Crazy track I think it’s the most fun to drive from all circuits, first corner unseeable, so you don’t know where you will land after first corner, needs a lot of skill to drive there. Managed to pickup 2nd place after the final with better James Deane.
-James Deane is the most talented and skilled driver and mainly I’d like to fight him in this season.
We can see that you have a new project now and that the E30 is for sale. What is the new project?
-Time will show, for now we’re looking for sponsors in Europe. It’s my dream to join Piotr in FD
-My new car for this season is Toyota GT86 with 2JZ, sequential qualife gearbox inside. How far along is the project? Will it be finished in time? -Mechanics work really hard to put it in time, we expect it to end in April maybe faster.
You got a FD Pro license after finishing in the top in 2018. Any plans on joining Piotr Wiecek over there?
We are sure that if Adam Zalewski gets his new car together without major problems, he will be a driver that can challenge for the championship!
Text: Christer Hägglund Photo: Stefan Lindgren, Christer Hägglund
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KIT CONTAINS: • 4, 5, 6 speed (plus reverse) full sequential gearboxes; • solid aluminium casing; • has a transfer or reduction gear; • torque rating up to 1400 Nm, depending on options; • special steel X300 clutch shaft; • straight cut teeth, 5 dogs design; • big range of different clutch shafts and bellhouses like for Nissan, Toyota, BMW, Ford, Mazda, Opel, Volvo, Honda, Subaru and etc; • dry weight 38 kg; • drift, drag, rally, rally raid, rally cross, circuit.
I II III IV
2,462 1,800 1,471 1,250
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190
2,462 1,647 1,250 1,000
I II III IV V
2,462 1,800 1,471 1,250 1,087
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190 1,000
3,000 1,800 1,250 1,000 0,833
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,250 1,087
2,462 1,800 1,250 1,000 0,833
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190 0,962
2,462 1,647 1,250 1,000 0,875
I II III IV V VI
2,462 1,800 1,471 1,250 1,087 0,962
3,000 2,000 1,471 1,190 1,000 0,875
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,250 1,087 0,962
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190 1,000 0,875
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190 0,962 0,833
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190 0,962 0,760
3,000 1,800 1,500 1,250 1,087 0,962
Transfer or reduction gear ratios:
• 0,700 • 0,840
GEARBOX RATIOS: I II III IV
2,462 1,800 1,471 1,250
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190
2,462 1,647 1,250 1,000
I II III IV V
2,462 1,800 1,471 1,250 1,087
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190 1,000
3,000 1,800 1,250 1,000 0,833
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,250 1,087
2,462 1,800 1,250 1,000 0,833
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190 0,962
2,462 1,647 1,250 1,000 0,875
I II III IV V VI
2,462 1,800 1,471 1,250 1,087 0,962
3,000 2,000 1,471 1,190 1,000 0,875
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,250 1,087 0,962
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190 1,000 0,875
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190 0,962 0,833
3,000 2,000 1,500 1,190 0,962 0,760
3,000 1,800 1,500 1,250 1,087 0,962
• 0,870 • 0,920
• 0,962 • 1,000
• 1,040 • 1,087
• 1,143 • 1,250 • 1,333
Transfer or reduction gear ratios:
• • • •
0,700 0,840 0,870 0,920
• • • •
0,962 1,000 1,040 1,087
• 1,143 • 1,250 • 1,333
Samsonas Motorsport UAB Pramonės g. 19A, LT-28216 Utena, Lithuania martynas@samsonas.com deividas@samsonas.com +370 68752942, +370 67923011
Iron Drift King, succesful event returning in 2019 One event that was very popular in 2018 was Iron Drift King, held at Ferropolis in Germany. Being an old cole mine and now a museum for old mining machinery gave it a really special feel. And now for 2019, Iron Drift King will also host one of the races in Drift Masters European Championship, DMEC. A key person in the staff is Marcel Uhlig, former drift driver himself competing in for example Drift GP. DriftZone got hold of Marcel and had the chans to ask him some questions about 2018 and of course the 2019 Iron Drift King. Your event was very popular 2018, even though it was your first year. Many Swedish drivers really liked it. What do you think yourself about it? (driving, track, logistics, etc). -After many years traveling and competing all over Europe with our own Drifting Team we have learned alot and our vision of creating a own event became stronger and stronger. We have received a lot of awesome feedback of how we ran the event. But to be honest we just ran the event as we believed a drifting event should be done. The most surprising fact for us as organizers have been the performance of the drivers and the reactions of the spectators.
-All drivers gave it their all and they simply had a good time doing what they love and that was visible when it comes to the action they delivered. Due to the fact that we are working with the best possible judges in Europe (Mathew Steele, Mattias Jรถnsson and Vernon Zwaneveld) we created a track that offers the biggest action and is ideal for intense battles. -We have been testing different track layouts on 3 different testing days over a period of 6 months with different drivers and different cars to make sure we really picked the best possible layout. The logistics of this event have been massive and a big task to accomplish, to create a safe environment for the spectators and a action packed track, we have bought half a kilometer FIA grade concrete walls with suitable fences as you can find them on F1 and WRX tracks arround the world. -To deliver those walls, it took 22 truck loads as they sum up to 500 tons of weight. Additional to the sport specific logistics, the task was to create a festival atmosphere to make sure all spectators will never forget this weekend and come back the following years. To sum it up, the impact this event had, exceeded our expectations by far and we are looking towards a very bright future for german Drifting and the German Motorsport Entertainment industry.
What main areas for improvements do you find?
How is your feeling rearding being chosen by DMEC to host one of their events?
-There are a few areas that we would like to improve for this year, one of them is the visibility for the judges and that will be accomblished by adding special camera angles on the track. Another thing that will grow this year, is the non-motorsport activity side of the event.
-DMEC has approached us already early in 2018 as there was a interest to work with us in future. A European Championship has the task to create unique events each round in multiple countries and that is not easy at all. DMEC invited us for a talk a few weeks after the IDK 2018 event and showed massive interest to have one of their 2019 rounds at the IRON DRIFT KING 2019.
For 2019 you will also host a DMEC event, aswell as Iron Drift King. Tell us a little bit about that. Will there be separate days for them? -The event will be done in 2 main days for competition, Friday will be the competition day for the IRON DRIFT KING ORIGINALS and Saturday for IRON DRIFT KING MASTERS. One of the most important aspects for us was to not cut down any driving time and give drivers the best overall experience, that is why we are going to have 1 extra training day and 2 night finals this year. We think it is needless to say that the action for the spetators will be crazy this year with 100 awesome drivers competing over the weekend. So jump in your coaches and come to us!
-It took some serious talks and planning to integrate DMEC into the IDK 2019 event but we found a great solution for everyone involved, the fans will be served drifting at it’s absolut best this year, and another time IRON DRIFT KING will set the bar for drifting in Germany. Will you be able to fit all the Iron Drift King teams and 45 DMEC teams at the same time? -Of course, otherwise we would have not done it. Everything has been planned already since a long time to make sure it will work flawless.
What would you like to say to Swedish drifters and fans thinking about going to Iron Drift King 2019? -For all the drivers, hurry up as open spots are filling up fast and we close registration at the 31st of January. For the swedish fans, we would be honored to see as many as possbile of you to visit our event this year. Swedish people are amongst the nicest people on this planet and I am sad that -I could not make it for another race with my own team to Sweden in the past years as the Swedish fans have been so awesome. IRON DRIFT KING is receiving a lot of support from Sweden and we are glad to have so many of you on board. Be sure to be blown away with the unique venue and the event itself.
What made you come up with the idea of a drift event? -We created IRON DRIFT KING to fill a hole that needed to be filled in Germany. German drifting was far behind compared to international standards and we simply could not accept this any longer. As we have been competing at the highest level ourself, we understand the needs of the drivers and we understand the expectations of the spectators. IRON DRIFT KING will change the landscape of german Drifting and give this sport the deserved attention. We hope that Iron Drift King 2019 will be a good race and DriftZone will for sure be there to bring you all the latest news. Text: Christer Hägglund Photo: Pontus Hartman & Moa Svarf
Ryan Lanteigne: “Travelling 300 days a year for drifting” Ryan Lanteigne is maybe the person in the world that sees most drifting competitions in one year. His job as a drifting judge takes him all over the world. We asked Ryan to sum up 2018 and look into his crystal bowl for 2019. So 2018 is coming to an end. If you look back at this passed season, how many competitions have you been judging? –In 2018 I judged FormulaDRIFT USA, FormulaDRIFT Japan, Super Drift Brasil, Pro Drift Peru, Russian Drift Series, Gatebil Drift Series, Hyperfest, Drift Jam and the FIA Intercontinental Cup. That is a lot. How many travel days have you had over the year? -Almost 300 days away from home this year for work and pleasure travel! Can you pick one highlight from the season? -The FormulaDRIFT finals at Irwindale was possibly the best drift event I’ve attended and judged. The tandem driving was some of the closest, most aggressive and precise and yet there were no crashes in Top16 if I remember correctly. Very high level event from a judge’s and a fan’s perspective. And the opposite, what was your worst moment during this season?
-The storm we experienced in St Louis had the potential to seriously hurt someone, but somehow we all made it through safely. The damage to trucks, trailers and tents can always be fixed, but it made us all respect Mother Nature a little more. How does the season 2019 look for you? Which series will you work with? –Much the same as 2018, with the addition of 4 rounds of FormulaDRIFT Korea. I hope to explore drifting in some new countries as well, but those negotiations take time so we’ll see what happens over the next few months of offseason! Will we see you in Sweden? –I hope so! If we look at drifting around the world from a judging point of view, how “uniform” do you think drifting is today? Are judges looking at the same criteria in most series, etcetera. –Currently I would say a FormulaDRIFT-style judging system is being used in most of the bigger series in the world, save for a few of course. Drift Masters, Super Drift Brasil, Russian Drift Series, Irish Drift Series/British Drift Series, Gatebil Drift Series, the FIA IDC all come to mind. There are certainly more I am missing.
-The big series that differ greatly from this style of judging use a computerized system for the most part, such as D1 and King of Europe/Nations/etc. They have a different philosophy and I don’t see a problem with them running their events their way, there’s plenty of drifting to go around no matter what the flavour.
Your thoughts on this series?
You are most known as judge in Formula Drift in the US. If you look at the contestants in FD and compare it to other series, how much of a world championship do you think it is? I.e. are the best drivers in FD today?
Ryan is for sure a superb ambassador for drifting as he travels the world meeting drifters and fans. One thing we have noticed is that he always takes the time to discuss and explain judging calls after a competition, which is really important for both the contestants and fans.
–Yes, I think FormulaDRIFT is currently attracting some of the best drifters in the world, and has been for a while. Of course not all the best drifters are in FD, some international drivers aren’t able to put a competitive program together, so they (smartly) stay away until they can. But overall, I think it’s the best overall grouping of international talent out there.
Quick facts Name: Ryan Lanteigne Age: 37 Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Family: I’m single and share a dog with my ex-wife. I have a mom, dad & sister that I don’t see enough. Profession: Precision Driver & judge Drifting merits: Helped organize and run DMCC from 2005-2007, Competed in DMCC 2008-2009, judged DMCC 2010, FD judge 2011 to present.
Have you watched Drift Masters European Championship during the season, live or on livestream? –Yes I have!
-I think they’re doing an excellent job of making drifting exciting to watch for fans. The showmanship and tight track layouts make for some close battles that are tough to call for the judges!
Text: Christer Hägglund Photos: Stefan Lindgren, Björn Billsten
NIGEL COLFER “The sport of drifting is my passion”
The Irish Nigel Colfer is one of the more experienced drivers in European drifting. DriftZone has talked to Nigel about last season and the plans for 2019.
-You never stop learning in drifting, even after 12 years of competing and 2018 was probably the steepest learning curve yet.
How do you summarize the 2018 season?
You ran Drift GP with great success in 2017. How big is it to compete in DMEC?
-The 2018 season was quite a challenge personally. At the beginning of 2018 I joined up with “Baggsy” and SB Motorsport. It was very different as I have been used to running a small program on my own traveling around from Event to Event. It threw up its own challenges but it was a great experience and a strong learning curve.
-Drift GP was a great introduction to running an European program but Drift Masters is on another level in comparison. The level of Driving and professionalism in Drift Masters is simply unbelievable. I’m so proud of where drifting has come in Europe and to be apart of that growth for so many years and to see where it is right now is a very humbling thing.
-Our results in the Drift Masters Championship wasn’t exactly how I had planned but we were hit with some unfortunate issues with the car and on more than one occasion we had to deal with unfortunate weather just at the wrong time.
-The sport of drifting is my passion and wins out hands down on my own personal goals and achievements. I’m very proud to see where it has reached with Drift Masters.
How tough is the resistance in the series? -European Drifting needed a platform like Drift Masters to bring all the best drivers together in one place and it has definitely done so. The quality and depth of drivers can’t be compared anywhere else in the world in my opinion. -Qualifying is a massive challenge and the battles right from the Top 32 is worthy of a final. You really have to bring your A game and be ready to leave everything in the track in order to be successful. It’s really amazing to be apart of it. Which is your best memory from the DMEC season? -My best memory is probably from Riga. It is my favorite event of the year on and off track. It is one of the most challenging and rewarding tracks of the entire season and we were nailing it right from the beginning of practice. -The team was working great and everything was in place for a great event. We killed 2 qualifying runs in the 90’s. Unfortunately it rained hard before our top 16 battle and led to some mistakes which unfortunately knocked us out but that’s Racing.
It still doesn’t take away from the amazing weekend we had there. What competitions do you run in 2019? -For 2019 once again I’m planning on running the Drift Masters series. I’m genuinely excited to see where Drift Masters can push the sport of drifting in Europe this year and to be a part of that is something very special. What happens to you and to the car during the winter? -My winters are spent in Dubai which I’m very lucky to call home for the past 2 years. I’ve many projects that I’m involved with here, some behind the wheel and some not. For me it’s important to find the correct balance of life in general and I’ve found great happiness in Dubai. -My car is back in Ireland with my team at Motorsport 56. We will make some small upgrades to it as we always do in the off season, mostly to increase reliability and improve on things that we learned from last season. Text & Photo: Stefan Lindgren
“A dream is coming true, I will be driving a GT86” Mikkel Overgaard had a active year with loads of traveling, hard battles and made the decision to change chassi. The Danish drifter competed in DMEC during 2018 and the only drawback was that he couldnt compete at Mondello Park. How long have you been drifting? -I’ve been drifting since 2012. Im not quite sure you could call it drifting back then, more like doing burnouts and having some fun in the huge BMW E39 540. What are your thoughts about 2018? -2018 has been an journey and huge experience! It has been crazy to compete at such a high level as the DMEC grid delivers. It’s awesome to see how much the motorsport has evolved since i started in 2012. I mean football- and speedway-stadiums turned into drift tracks, that’s insane!
- I think I did very well this season considering the crazy pace and talents I’ve been up against. Unfortunately only qualified two times, where both times led me to top 8 at Riga and Hockenheim. -More time behind the wheel and I’m confident that I’ll be able to qualify into top 32 a lot more. It has been awesome to get to know all the other drivers, and amazing to see how everyone helps each other, even though we’re all competed in the best European series – not many sports can brag about this kind of sportsmanship. - Unfortunately we’ve had a lot of engine-issues, like main- and rod-bearings quitting, which also was the reason that we couldn’t compete at Mondello Park, that was really fortunate. JapFest and seeing drivers like Forrest Wang (#808, same number as Overgaard) made the 2.000km journey bearable.
What are your best moments from 2018?
Will you run the same engine as in 2018?
-The best moment of 2018 must been Hockenheimring, where I got to battle against James Deane in Top 8. No wonder he’s called The Machine, he’s flawless no matter what! One more time battles with Kajetan Rutyna was also very nerve-wrecking but fortunately I got out on top. The craziest moment of 2018 must have to be my battle against Sebastian Fontijn, including 360 spin and us both spinning in both chase and lead runs.
-In 2018 I ran the 1JZ with approx. 700 BHP on pump fuel and water/methanol injection. The plan for 2019 is to build a 1,5JZ with the 1JZ head and 2JZ bottom-end, which give us 0,5l displacement and the extra low-end torque. We’re currently looking for opportunities to run E100 race fuel, otherwise we’ll be running E85 to get a cooler combustion and hopefully better reliability. Power-numbers are expected to be around 650-700hp/800nm at lower rpm than the 1JZ.
You are changing chassi. What’s the reason for that? -I’m switching the old Nissan S13 chassis out with a 2017 Toyota GT86. I’ve been using and abusing the old S13 since 2014 and I´ve always loved the slick look of the GT86. I decided to get the GT86 when I found a cheap one with a minor front damage, in Poland. Pretty much a little boys dream coming true, Rocket Bunny GT86 has been one of my favorite drift cars since Jens Stark went to DHB in 2015 with his. Surprisingly it also turned out the wheelbase of the GT86 is longer than the S13’s. Upcoming regulations for DMEC 2020 also made the switch easier, as the old chassi was becoming outdated.
Which serie will you compete in this season? -Drift Masters hasn’t announced their drivers list yet, but I hope to be a part of it. I’ll also be driving in the new Danish series “Nordic Drift Series”, if not the whole series, but at least a few rounds. Other than that I’ll be at DHB and other fairs around Denmark, waving the Overgaard Motorsports’ flag
Text: Björn Billsten – DriftZone.se Photo: Stefan Lindgren & Mikkel Overgaard
Drift GP champion Juha Pöytälaakso about the first season in DMEC One of the most successful drivers in the first season of DMEC was the finnish driver Juha Pöytälaakso. We wanted to know abut his feelings after the firs season in DMEC. How do you summarize the 2018 season? -2018 was very interesting. We know already that this season are going to be more challenging and much tough than last season. Should be satisfied in the Top 8 for the final disposal. You won Drift GP 2017. What sets that series apart from Drift Masters? -In many ways. First comes to mind is the drivers. If there was about 15 drivers in GP who drove all races, so in masters there was about 40 of them. How tough is the opposition in the series? -The gap between driver skills is quite big. In masters whoever can win. They are best drivers in Europe.
Which is your best memory from the DMEC season? -Of course the Hungarian race because there we were on a podium. In every competition, we had great moments. In the stadium races, there’s a great feeling to drive cause it has made quite big and the setting are okay. Even though you don’t get much speed on those tracks. What competitions will you run in 2019? -Plans for next season is still open. If we drive a whole season it will be DMEC. So we’ll see, something we will drive! What happens to the car / cars during the winter? -In the car’s we are going do basic service and fix little problems and we try to add more grip on the rear wheels. Text & Photo: Anastassia Samoilova
ØRJAN NILSEN “Awesome that we succeeded as a team”
Ørjan Nilsen became champion in the 2018 Gatebil Drift Series. After an exciting ending at Mantorp Park, Nilsen was able to win over Joakim Johnsen in the serie. DriftZone have interviewed the sympathetic Norwegian who still has problems to understand that he won GDS. -Wow, it’s still hard to understand. It has definitely been the best season we’ve had! We have learned a lot and developed together as a team, and we have never had so much fun before as this year. Even with some hectic days between competitions where we have had the engine out of the car on two occasions, we have managed to relax and keep focus. I think this has been an important factor. We worked hard last winter and made upgrades that we felt the car needed. We went in with the goal of becoming the top 3, and it is so incredibly awesome that we succeeded with it as a team! Which of the races are you most satisfied with? – Definitely the third race at Rudskogen. It was a path that I thought was challenging, but it fitted perfectly. The top 16 was a long challenge when the officials lost communication just before my “battle” against Daniel Sævik in the top 8, we were standing on the starting plate for over 30 minutes.
Keeping focus for that long was difficult, but that day we as a team were really prepared and found a nice flow that eventually made us win. It is the highlight of the year for me! How did the car and the team work in 2018? -We feel that we have come a long way with how well the car works and how the team works together. We have become a team this year and as a driver I have really been focused on driving. Together, we have developed the system and our way of working with checklists, better ordering of equipment, invested in tools and made system floors in our depot car. We still have a lot to learn, but I think it worked very well this year! Is there a continued focus on GDS or are you planning on Europe? -We have been unsure of what to do next year. For a while we had plans to compete in Europe if we got the budget together and a program for it. GDS will be plan B. Now we are investing one year at GDS and developing even more as a team and driver before we take such a big step, because it is not something I want to do for just 50%. On the other hand, we will try to participate in 1-2 rounds, if the DMEC allows it, to get to know the level and atmosphere.
How do you look at the resistance in GDS, has it been tough? -It has been tough resistance in 2018, no doubt! Drivers and teams have been so hungry and then you really have to give everything to win. We won the total with only 6 points – it has been tough all season, and that’s what makes it so fun! GDS was changed before the 2018 season where it became a smaller starting field, how positive was it for the competition’s development? -I think it was very good. 2017 we had too little driving time on training, and I think the level was uneven. By changing the starting field and requirements for drivers who drive all season, we have a better starting field and we could all participate in the fight for the championship. Very positive change!
What happens to the car during the winter, will you continue with the same car in 2019? -We will definitely continue with the same car! The car still has a lot of potential and we do not change everything that works. This winter we will focus on prevention and improvement of solutions. We will mold molds and spare parts, review the engine, install a mechanical fuel pump, etc. We will also work more with the setting on the car and do tests well in advance of the season. Are there anyone you would like to thank for last year’s season? Would give a special thanks to Mads (brother and mechanic) who makes it possible, and further thanks to Thor-Arne, Andreas, Susann, mom and dad! Text: Stefan Lindgren Photo: Henrik Andersson, Wilfried Butin
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