A rotary-powered roar reverberated around the slopes of Knockhill as Pete Barber and his RX-7 stormed to victory in Round Two of the Need For Speed European Drift Championship, moving him to second in the competition overall. With twenty one cars turning up to the Scottish event, including five drivers aiming to attain their EDC license during the practice sessions, it was set to be a competitive field. Throw into that plethora of talent a blind first corner that drivers would aim to launch into at over 90mph before descending into the steep course, and the crowds of drift fans were in for a treat.

Early practice sessions added an extra element of difficulty too, the circuit still holding some dampness from rain overnight. For those first-time EDC drivers this additional slip factor was proving a real challenge and by the end of the session only two of the five drivers were granted a way through; Rennie Morrocco in the E36 BMW and Richard Bradley in the Bradley Motorworks S14. Kev Hughes in the purple S13, Lewis Gelldart in the yellow S14 and Robert Boyce in the Sierra Cosworth all showed great improvements throughout the session, but with safety a primary consideration when it comes to twin drifting it was judged that they weren’t quite ready.

Morrocco wasn’t safe yet though, the lucky dip nature of the way the ties are organised meaning he would have to face Alan McCord, while David Monaghan in the gold R32 Skyline would also have to compete against Brett Castle to progress to the final sixteen. Experience showed through in these two early encounters though, with McCord and Castle both progressing.

The lucky dip draw also made for some interesting battles in the final sixteen, with four of the hotly-tipped drivers drawn against each other in these initial rounds. Declan Hicks in the Toyota Soarer faced current championship leader Phil Morrison in the Driftworks S15, while there was also a Northen Irish bface-off between Mark Luney in the turbocharged SVA 350Z and Paul Conlan in the 2JZ-powered S15. For many fans, these two pairings would normally have made perfect semi-finals, but destiny would hold that two of these drivers would be going out after just one battle. Hicks and Morrison proved to be almost inseparable in their two runs with the judges just giving the advantage to Morrison for his speed at the top end of the course. The Northern Irish battle was even closer, the drivers equal after two runs so having to do it one more time. Conlan had admitted to struggling to get to grips with the first corner during practice, but still made Luney work hard all through the course for a win that enthralled the crowds.

There were a few spins in the other battles that made progression to the last eight easier for those who stayed on track. With the steep downhill course it was a fine line between success and failure, the smallest amount of unnecessary throttle or lock enough to spit even the most experienced driver into the gravel. McCord was one such victim in his battle with Ian Harrison in the borrowed S13 of Kev Hughes (his R32 Skyline developing engine problems during practice). Perhaps it was the addition of new electronic power steering that upset McCord’s run, but a slide backwards into the gravel on the outside of the last bend spelt the end of his day.

The other V8-powered S15 of Paul Cheshire came off at the second corner while chasing Andrew Cooper’s Nissan, ripping off his front bumper in the process and helping Cooper progress, while Robin Neeson’s Chaser came off at the same place but in even more spectacular style against James Russell in the DCY R32 Skyline. Scottish driver David Waterworth flew the St Andrew’s Cross proudly from the back of his orange S13 in his dual with Castle, but a mistake saw him take gravel on board and let the 2007 EDC Champion through, while Keiran Cameron’s S13 faired slightly better, beating the black Skyline of Gary Hughes.

The final pairing in the last sixteen matched the newcomer Bradley against Barber in the RX-7, and it proved to be one of the closest ties of the round. Barber looked determined at Knockhill, with the RX-7 getting great angles and speed through every corner, so for Bradley to push for one more run was quite an achievement. In the end it was the aggressive chasing of Barber that separated the two, but Bradley’s performance suggests he’s one to watch in the future.

In the last eight then it was Harrison versus Morrison, Russell versus Cooper, Luney against Cameron and Barber taking on Castle. As the finals got underway, the Knockhill visitors turned out in force to watch the high speed skill of Europe’s finest and they weren’t disappointed. Morrison and Harrison showed how close things could get, Harrison doing particularly well considering he was driving a borrowed car for the finals. Again it was Morrison’s speed that just edged him ahead though, which guaranteed the onlookers more heavy tyre smoking action in the semi finals from the monster S15. Cooper was unfortunate in his clinch with Russell, a foray into the gravel making it a relatively straight forward route to the semis for the sideways loving Skyline of Russell, while Cameron lost his rear bumper again during his second run against Luney thanks to a slip at the second bend. That small error was enough to separate the two and send Luney through.

 In the final match-up all eyes were on Castle to see if he could finally beat Knockhill, a circuit that has become a bit of a bogey for him, but by the end of the session all eyes were on Barber. The pair ran each other close, completing four runs in total, but the judges pointing to some slight hesitation from Castle in the third as the only difference compared to Barber’s flawless effort.

Heading into the semi finals and Morrison looked on track to reach another final, hitting his first run against Russell with a much bigger entry. But it came unstuck for Morrison in the second where his speed chasing Russell cost him dear. The Skyline was the slower car into the bottom section which forced Morrison to adjust his angle to avoid contact. The resulting loss of speed and straightening up meant it was Russell heading into the final battle.

In the other semi final Barber continued to look hungry for victory, a shadow to Luney’s 350Z on the first run to force Luney into an aggressive chasing run. Like the other semi final, the chasing cars speed proved to be its downfall as Luney, like Morrison before him, had to adjust his angles dramatically to scrub off speed and avoid a shunt. Coupled with Barber’s slight advantage from the first run, Luney would now have only a battle with Morrison for third place to look forward to. Luney went on to win that contest, the pair proving equal through the first two runs but a rare and dramatic spin from Morrison exiting the first corner ending up being the difference.

It was the final people were here to see though, with two seemingly unlikely drivers contesting it; James Russell and Pete Barber. Both had proved throughout the day their ability and a Skyline versus RX-7 final was certainly an unusual treat for the crowds. As the cars appeared over the brow of the hill for the final it was the light blue GTR of Russell taking the lead, putting down plenty of speed and big angles. But Barber was like a limpet on him, following his every move and almost hiding the diminutive Mazda behind the bulkier Nissan with his right foot seemingly buried to the flooe. The judges gave Barber the narrow win on that run, which proved to be enough to hand him first place at Knockhill after a tied second run.

( L-R - Russell - Barber - Luney)

A delighted Barber said afterwards; “My sponsors, Swinton, Haywood Rotary and Network Blinds keep telling we need a win so here it is. After last year we had a lot of problems and people kept telling me to get rid of the rotary engine, but the new 13b we have now proves otherwise”. A similarly jubilant Russell also felt he’d proven a point with his performance,; “Myself and Distinctive Cars of York Europe have put a lot of work and improvements into this car. I think I’ve surprised a couple of people, they’re used to seeing me just above midfield, but they’ll have to get used to me being right above that now!”. Morrison may still be at the top of the Championship table, but there are plenty of incredible drivers snapping at his heels now and no doubt believing they can usurp him by the time Round Three at Silverstone is over.

ROUND TWO RESULTS

1. Pete Barber (Mazda RD RX-7)                                      100pts

2. James Russell (Nissan Skyline R32)                              75pts

3. Mark Luney (Nissan 350Z)                                           60pts

4. Phil Morrison (Nissan S15)                                            50pts

5. Brett Castle (Nissan S14A)                                           40pts

6. Kieran Cameron (Nissan S13)                                       35pts

7. Ian Harrison (Nissan Skyline R32)                                 30pts    

8. Andrew Cooper (Nissan S14A)                                      25pts

9. Declan Hicks (Toyota Soarer GZ)                                 15pts

10. Paul Conlan (Nissan S15 2JZ)                                     15pts

11. Alan McCord (Nissan S15 V8)                                     15pts

12. Paul Cheshire (Nissan S14A)                                    15pts

13. Gary Hughes (Nissan Skyline R32)                              15pts

14. Robin Neeson (Toyota Chaser)                                   15pts

15. David Waterworth (Nissan S13)                                   15pts

16. Richard Bradley (Nissan S14)                                      15pts

17. David Monaghan (Nissan Skyline R32)                         10pts

18. Rennie Morrocco (BMW E36)                                      10pts

See how this effects the championship standings HERE

Check out the round 2 Gallery HERE

A new points system and plenty of new drivers ensured the opening round of the Need For Speed European Drift Championship was going to send the crowds wild. Rain early on added to the drama as the Oulton Park circuit ensured the early knock-out sessions were unpredictable for the tail-happy drivers. When the tyre smoke settled at the end of the day though, it was Phil Morrison in his 2JZ-powered Nissan S15 who proved he had the speed, angles and sheer guts to slide himself to maximum points.

The day started out with just one qualifying battle, as the fifteen remaining drivers survived the luck of the draw to gain automatic places in the last sixteen. And it was Phil Morrison who had to pull a big angle move on the unfortunate R32-driving Gary Hughes, turning seventeen entrants into sixteen and ensuring he had a chance to progress further. 

That sixteen soon became a final eight though. Steve Evans in his Toyota Starlet fell off the track in both his runs to hand James Russell a pass to the next round, while the hard-charging Paul Conlan saw off Ian Harrison and his Nissan Skyline thanks to some impressive speed through the bends. Newcomer to the series Lex Drew in the Santa Pod R32 found a determined Alan McCord stuck to his rear bumper through the first run and just couldn’t keep up with the Silvia’s V8 grunt in the second to end his day early.

The interesting pairing of Steve Will in his E36 M3 Turbo and Pete Barber in a FD RX7 were next up, the Mazda looking good but not needing to pull off a massive performance to go through as Will twice took the BMW off track. 

Meanwhile Andrew Cooper was another driver to find a sticky Silvia on his rear bumper during his first run which helped Morrison’s ascent into the final eight, but the real surprise was yet to come. Dwain McKeever, a 13-year old newcomer from Northern Ireland found himself paired with the 2007 Champion, Brett Castle. It was a baptism of fire for the teenager and after a good first run, Castle astonishingly made an uncharacteristic mistake and came off the course sending the youngster through to the quarter finals. Kieron Cameron also had a spin to send Declan Hicks through, as did Paul Cheshire who did well to keep his S14A from hitting the tyre wall as the SVA Imports 350Z of Mark Luney charged past him into the next round.

While McKeever had time to celebrate before the final session, the circuit also had time to dry out. And unfortunately for the young 180SX driver he also had the time to contemplate how to deal with Morrison in his next pairing, a driver whose Driftworks Silvia seemed to be the main source of atmospheric rubber pollution on the day. McKeever did his best to keep up on the first run but had an off, and when leading in the second overcooked it on a right hander and span into the path of Morrison.

The S15 driver reacted quickly, mirroring the spin to avoid a collision then pulling a smoke filled 180degree spin to get across the finish line first. One of the closest pairings was next up as Luney faced Hicks, with only a few moments of straightening by Hicks in the first run being the difference between success and failure… and unfortunately for him in this case that lack of angle meant the failure rather than success.

The elder Northern Irish driver Conlan did one better than his teenage countryman, showing his speed behind the wheel of the 2JZ powered S15 as he stuck to Russell’s rear on the first run, then catching him up into the first corner of the second run and forcing Russell into s series of small errors. Speed wasn’t lacking in Barber’s battle with McCord either which helped bag the RX7 driver the advantage after their first pass, but too much speed was his downfall on the next as he careered onto the grass after the first corner, resulting in a Nissan-only semi finals.

Morrison versus Luney proved to be a crowd-pleaser, Luney mirroring the S15 perfectly on his chasing run. But Morrison managed to match than on his, adding even more angle into the equation to just edge his was into the final. In the other semi if was two S15s, the 2JZ power of Conlan against the V8 growl of McCord. Another close-run duel that saw both drivers straightening a little on the first to make things even heading into the second pass. There was little to chose from between the two here either, but it was judged that Conlan’s high tempo charge at McCord’s rear forced him into taking less angle into the middle section of the course, meaning McCord was destined to face Morrison in the final.

And what a final it proved to be. Morrison looked unbeatable on his lead run, showing off not only big speed but also big angles which McCord did his best to follow. Going all out in the last run, aware he needed something huge, McCord through his S15 into the course with just as much speed and angle as his opponent had. But Morrison wasn’t going to be left behind and stuck like glue to McCord, matching him move for move to just edge that run and ultimately just edge the win.

So with the first points of the 2009 Need for Speed European Drift Championship now handed out, the drivers will head to the rollercoaster ride that is Knockhill. It’s a daunting circuit, yet for many of the drivers it’s right up there amongst their favourites and you can bet they will all believe it’s their opportunity to make Morrison’s victory a short-lived one.

FULL ROUND 1 GALLERY - CLICK HERE