The contest is reaching boiling point now within the Maxxis British Drift Championship! As it headed into Round 4 it was obvious that some of the drivers were feeling and reacting to the pressure. The heat was on! They were keen to impress and claw their way up the table. After a year's break from Lydden Hill on the BDC event calendar, all the Maxxis British Drift Championship staff and drivers were eager to revisit the challenging Kent circuit
It takes no prisoners with deep gravel traps waiting for those who dare to stray off the line; and everything is witnessed by the crowd of spectators that soak up the action from the hill. It only further adds to the pressure. Drivers needed to remain focused and fully committed to be have any hope of climbing onto the podium.
The two day event started on Saturday 11th August with practice sessions and then the crucial qualifying which trims the field down from 32 to 16 in each class. Round 4 also saw an influx of European talent that proved to be an instant success with the spectators. The sunshine burned down onto the track bringing things to a boiling point, shredding tyres and making the drivers work up a sweat as they looked to give the lines that the judges asked for.
After all the thrills and spills of qualifing it was clear that many drivers had improved throughout this season. Accross the board we noticed only a handful of points separated large groups of drivers, it further proved the intense competition and the depth of skill within each class of the Maxxis British Drift Championship. Every point has to be earned, nobody will give it away easily.
Sunday was the finals for those who qualified, and once again the sun was shining on the hill as the drivers lined up in their quest for glory. They had been briefed on what was expected and they delivered it on all counts! Some of the most commited entries we have see this year were witnessed on the first corner at huge pace; it made for a spectacle that was acknowledged by the crowd with their airhorns.
Lydden Hill brought some shock results from strong contenders as they bowed out of the contest early, but also proved to kickstart the season for others, as they gained their best result of 2012. You can never guess what will happen within the Maxxis British Drift Championship. The proximity of some of the cars during the battles was amongst the closest we have seen all year and if things continue to develop at this rate, we cannot wait for Silverstone and Knockhill!
After an exhilerating day of twin drifting the judges had worked through the pack and picked their winners for the podium. The crowd had witnessed an action packed BDC weekend and headed over to the Maxxis truck for the winners announcement and customary champagne spraying.
The weekend’s Hard Charger award was picked up by Bradley Wallbank. The constructors cup was collected by Team Japspeed. The breakdown for the top three in each class is as follows.
Semi Professional Professional Super Professional
1st- Jay White 1st-Kevins Corsius 1st- Paul Smith
2nd-Lewis Cracknell 2nd-Paul Cheshire 2nd- Shane Lynch
3rd- Lee Barry 3rd- James Fuller 3rd- Barry Leonard
Due to the shocks and suprises of the weekend, all of the tables in each class have been shaken up again. This one’s going to go right down to the wire!
The current leader board table is here for you http://www.thebritishdriftchampionship.co.uk/standings/
There are no runaway winners yet! Champions will indeed be crowned but mathematically, it is possible for some more shocks yet! We just have to wait and see what happens in the next Round on September 2nd at Silverstone for Trax in front of over 16,000 spectators! It will showcase the Maxxis British Drift Championship and yourselves to one of the largest live audiences possible. It’s one to look forward to!
