Words from Team Japspeed

We’ve made it home from Top Gear Festival Barbados in one piece and all we can say is wow – what an event! We had so much fun entertaining the locals and putting on a show for those that have never experienced drifting before.

After spending a handful of days enjoying the sights and sounds that Barbados had to offer it was time to get serious and get some practice laps in at the freshly refurbished Bushy Park circuit. With Shane Lynch behind the wheel of our V8 S15 and Shane O’Sullivan piloting our 2JZ Lexus IS200 the drivers were perfectly equipped to destroy plenty of Maxxis tyres over the course of the week in the blistering heat.

The event was littered with various celebrities from the world of motorsport who were all eager to catch up with the Japspeed team, ranging from Gymkhana Grid/rally cross star Ken Block to current Formula 1 championship leader Lewis Hamilton!

Once the event had got underway the crowds flocked to the track to catch the sideways action, excited to see how the two Irishmen would perform on the Bushy Park circuit. With the temperature inside the cars reaching unbearable levels the guys were having to wait until the very last minute to get into their race suits. The locals were much less affected by the soaring temperatures, although they started to get a bit of a sweat on once they’d been out for a passenger ride with one of the guys!

Come Sunday evening after a full weekend of drifting it was time for us to sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the entertainment on show, including Ken Block and Lewis Hamilton’s thrilling hoon session. With the driving over and done with for the weekend there was only one thing left to do – head to the Wrap Party and have a great time with all of those involved in the event!