A PETERSFIELD man is running a drifting team who compete in the British Drift Championship.

James Brennan, who lives in Petersfield, owns the team. The team also travel to Ireland to compete in the Irish Drift Championship.

Drifting is a high skill level motorsport, in which drivers control a car while it slides from side to side at very high speeds, usually in the region of 80mph to 110mph, through a fixed course. It is carried out on a tarmac surface, usually a racing circuit, and is judged on speed, angle of attack, execution and style, rather than conventional racing where it is simply first past the line.

Drifting is a sport unlike any other. It combines the after-market tuning scene with professional level racing. To perform, on some of the most famous circuits, driving sideways at speeds in excess of 100mph, half a metre from another competitor, aiming for the same piece of tarmac, is a huge challenge for the drivers and teams.

For the spectator it is an exciting viewing experience with cars drifting alongside each other door to door, with near misses, high speeds, unbelievable angles of drift and plenty of tyre smoke. This is all combined with glamorously decorated professional cars. The crowd are included in the show and can sometimes even a have say, with the judges, and commentators, calling on their verdict during close runs.

In its infancy, the sport was shunned by most motorsport fraternities as it was associated with under-prepared cars and unsuited venues. However, drifting has now become a recognised motorsport, which can be seen in the media coverage it receives, the sponsorship of both teams and championships as well as the huge venues now used.

Brennan’s team included pro drivers Adam Weeden and Ryan Pothecary and feeder series drivers Rob Johnson and Danny Bryant.