In 2006 Phil Morrison of Driftworks fame won the first UK professional Drift Championship, the D1GB.
In 2007 he didn’t have such an easy ride, we find out what Phil's plans are for 08 and how he hopes to turn the tide on his luck..
EDC : Winning D1GB in 06 proved you were the best at that time, but you struggled in EDC in 07, what went wrong in 07?
PM : We made the mistake of thinking our new car would be ready for the start of the 07 season. It was not, so as we had sent the 2006 winning car to Norway, we had to use our back up car, A Nissan Skyline, for which we had no budget to really bring up to spec. It couldn't handle the same abuse that I'd given the S14, and I blew four engines in the year... At the Silverstone round it actually blew two engines in one event. I was awake for around 60 hours that weekend.
EDC : We see that you have been preparing a new car for EDC to replace your old machine, what’s the story?
PM : Winning the championship in the old S14 200sx was kind of its crowning glory. That car was my first ever RWD car and it had grown with me. As my driving developed, I also developed the car... We were at a turning point whether to go any further with that car as we'd have to strip it back to a bare shell. We decided to start with a new S15 Silvia chassis. The idea was that to build something to represent our professional image as Driftworks the company. Plans changed a lot, hence the extended build time, and I think it's fair to say that with the scale of work that has now gone into it, it will almost certainly be the most extreme drift car in the world.
EDC : With a brand new car and build for 2008, do you expect your car to be superior to that of your competitors?
PM : Not at all. We have built the car to a very high standard, and we have scheduled testing and development time, but nothing shows imperfections like flat out competition. We expect to have oily hands at every round of the championship this year, while we iron out some of the unforeseen issues when building a car with so much custom work.
Also I have to say that until it's actually turned a wheel under its own power, it's all just a load of theory based on our experiences building drift cars up to this point. It may or may not be better at drifting than our old S14, but one things for sure, it's sure to make a spectacle of itself at each and every round.
EDC : Of all the drivers lined up for 2008, are there any that you have a score to settle with from 2007?
PM : Yeah, fellow Team Driftworks driver Bonbon. At the final round of 07 we went head to head for a place in the final, and I told him I'd sack him if he beat me. Apparently that wasn't enough of a threat, so this year I'm going to drive over his head and force him to make the tea all year!
EDC : As your car is brand new does that mean you be avoiding wildcard drivers who are happy to trade paint in battles?
PM : Regardless of the cost and time that's gone into the car, it was built for competition, and no car I ever own will be too good to be held together with cable ties and gaffer tape...
EDC : Who do you think has the best chance of winning EDC in 2008?
PM : I think Bonbon has a good chance of winning this year if he can finally overcome the reliability issues he's had in the past. There's no doubt he'll have a hard time pulling that trophy out of Brett Castles hands though. Brett's one of the coolest guys out there, and with the level of support he receives from his team, he will always be a real threat.