Daniel Eyles , Team Japspeed driver

In 2008 there is a name that come out of the mist to gallop up on the EDC regulars and have the chance to take top spot, Daniel Eyles is the newest star of EDC but is he set on domination? We find out…

Danny, this years entry into the Championship has seen you catapult yourself into the top runners, what’s your secret?

Well, for a start... having a great team behind me! I would say that’s the most important thing to success, Japspeed have been behind me 110% all year. If it wasn’t for Paul I wouldn’t even have had a drive.Also having no fear, it’s hard but you've just got to say to yourself that everyone is beatable, I always try my best and it’s produced good results so far!

So, do you consider yourself a contender for the 2008 Championship?

I think I am too many points behind Bon Bon now but I will keep pushing hard for a podium spot at the end of the season, that’s my goal and I would be over the moon if that happened! At the beginning of the year my goal was a top 6 finish and looking at the line up, it seemed to be a little bit crazy! but now i am currently 4th and pushing for the podium!

Out of all the drivers, which do you fear most and which do you really want to battle with and settle a score?

I don’t really fear anyone, as everyone is beatable, when I come up against any of the top boys, I like to make them work hard and its good to battle with them, I would like to beat Bon, Brett or mark during the remainder of the season as I haven’t beaten one of them yet, it would be nice to knock one of them out to gain a podium spot!

Whilst an obvious choice, the Skyline isn’t so well used within EDC but it is with the grassroots guys, why do you think that is?

I think for a start the skyline is easy to learn in, plenty of torque and power as standard! Does pretty much as you want it to. It is a very good learning base. But then as you progress into the EDC, the level is at its peak, then things like weight and suspension setup is a key factor towards winning! Then you start to struggle a bit, as I am finding out! They are very long and heavy and this causes hard  work to set the car up and when you are running against a car half the size and weight i.e. S14-S15 its hard to keep with them and you start loosing points in the battles.

Going into Round 5 at Silverstone what is the best outcome for you, are you going for steady points or and outright win?

The best outcome for me would be to get through to the top 8 again as I have done all season. Really just to be consistent and gain points to keep chipping away at the league leaders.

I am still aiming for a podium place this year and with two 4th places I feel i am due for some champagne! Let’s see how it goes.

With the Top 16 drivers going to Poland in September, you seen to have this pretty much guaranteed as one of those making the trip, are you looking forward to getting out there and showing the Polish crowds what you are about?

Yes definately, i am very excited about this event, it has all the makings of a great weekend! It will be a great experience to mix it up with some new faces and different styles. I’ve heard the polish crowds are mad for drifting so I hope I can entertain them with my aggressive driving style and keep them on the edge of their seats!

And finally, professional drifting is expensive at this level and we only ever hear your name mentioned, who are the rest of the team that get a shout out and of course those companies that stick behind you?

No1 is Japspeed; paul is always there 110% behind me! His passion for me and the sport is an absolute credit to him, and his company. All Japspeed's components are keeping the car running at the level that it’s at.

There is also Debbie (The real boss) She’s always there screaming and shouting for us to do well! Then she’s also there for a shoulder to cry on, when things don’t go to plan.

Also our pit crew deserves a massive mention for all their hard work all season. Ben, Chris, Jamie and Fraz.

Its like one big family in the Japspeed pits, great atmosphere, everyone gets stuck in and works as a great team. Long may it continue!

Thanks to JDL Tuning.com for the excellent bodykits they sponsor me with. If it wasn’t for them id have no bodywork left!

Thanks to Rising sun performance for the engine tuning/setup etc! The car has been ultra reliable all season.

Thanks to Falken Tyres for the grip when it matters most, their tyres have definitely helped me up my game.

Cheers EDC and I wish everyone a great rest of the season!

Dan