The British Drift Championship 2012 Round 4: Lydden Hill, Kent, UK
Lydden Hill, Kent, UK – 11 & 12 August, 2012
Team Falken UK return to form securing a podium place in the Pro Class and vital points in the Super Pro and team competitions. Pro driver Paul Cheshire secured 7th place after two fantastic qualifying runs before battling his way to the second podium spot, narrowly missing out on the gold. Current British Drift Champion Matt Carter blitzed his qualifying runs to take top qualifier spot before taking 5th overall in the battle stages.
Olympic fever captured the imagination of Team Falken UK drivers Paul Cheshire and Matt Carter at Round 4 of the 2012 British Drift Championship season this weekend gone at Lydden Hill Race Circuit in Kent, England. Uncharacteristically hot weather conditions saw mechanical issues plaguing competitor's cars left, right and centre, however both the Team Falken cars performed flawlessly as the sun shone down on the undulating circuit, set in the heart of England's south-east countryside. As Saturday's qualifying event took place, it became clear that the Falken drivers were back to previous form, impressing crowd and judges alike throughout morning practice.
Paul Cheshire's 600bhp 2JZ-powered G35 Skyline was creating huge plumes of tyre smoke, aided by the high track temperatures and the super-grippy Falken Azenis FK453 tyres, much to the delight of the spectators. His aggressive and controlled qualifying runs scored him in favour with the judges and he netted 7th place heading into Sunday's main event amongst an increasingly talented field of drivers. His first battle during the main event would see him pitted against Ashley Willis in the 2JZ-powered Toyota Supra. After two close runs the judges couldn't separate the two so a One More Time battle was called for. Paul turned up the aggression and left Ashley in a cloud of Falken-tyre smoke, moving on into the Top 8. Paul's Top 8 would see him gain an early advantage against Acorn Insurance driver Mark Lappage during the first run, requiring a safe second run to secure the win and a place in the Semi-Finals. A scrappy Semi-Final battle against Voltz Energy driver Sam Holt saw mistakes from both drivers, however great control when following saw Paul into the Final to face off against Belgian visitor Kevin Corsius. Kevin's unique initiation into the first corner made him a difficult contender to chase and a slight mistake from Paul handed him enough of an advantage to take the win. Paul's second place marks his best result of the 2012 season so far and secures him a place at the next round at Silverstone Circuit UK in front of the biggest crowd the BDC will see all season.
Paul commented, "This season has proved tough so far, competitively. The standard of driving has increased dramatically over the course of the season so I had to give it my all at what is an incredibly challenging track. Despite the strain put on the car in this weather it performed flawlessly, a testament to all the hard work and support that I've had from my sponsors and crew. I'm over the moon with the result and can't wait to attack Silverstone's corners next round!"
Reigning BDC champion Matt Carter hasn't had the fairytale second season so far, however a return to top flight saw him nail a 92-point qualifying run out of a possible 100 points. Matt instantly became a crowd-favourite after two full-throttle runs covered the Kent circuit in a blanket of smoke! Matt's journey into the battles pitched him first against Marc Huxley in the Nissan-powered lightweight Toyota Corolla; a very different beast to Matt's 1JZ 500bhp Falken S14! Despite the differences between the cars Matt managed two controlled runs behind the slower but more nimble Toyota and progressed through to the Top 8 to face Team MnM's Mike Marshall. The first run between the two saw Matt lead and run a clean line with Marshall maintaining a good proximity. Unfortunately on the second run a gearbox problem which later saw Marshall retire from competition caused him to mis-shifted upon initiation, causing Matt to have to lift off the throttle to avoid a collision and straightening him as a result. The judges deemed the error on Matt's behalf and he finished the event in 5th place. Nonetheless, combined with the top qualifying spot the result was a great outcome in terms of championship points for Matt and the team.
Matt commented, "After what has been a difficult season for me so far it's great to have a result like this in the bag. Gaining first place in qualifying is a huge lift and has inspired me to tackle Silverstone with everything I've got. Watch out, I'm coming to defend my title!"
You can next catch the team in UK competition at Silverstone Circuit, Northampton during the TRAX Show, for Round 5 of the 2012 British Drift Championship on 2 September, 2012. For further championship information visit: www.thebritishdriftchampionship.com
For the team's full 2012 schedule please see here - http://www.teamfalken.com/schedule/
For further Team Falken information visit:
www.teamfalken.com
www.facebook.com/teamfalken
www.twitter.com/teamfalken
About Team Falken UK
Team Falken UK formed in 2010 and comprises of Professional drift-drivers Matt Carter, Paul Cheshire and Alan Green. The team are based in the South of the UK and currently compete in the British Drift Championship as well as demonstration and stand alone events in the UK and Europe.
For further media information:
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