The Irish Drift Championship 2016 season came to an explosive end last weekend as the best Irish drifters descended on Mondello Park to defend their undefeated streak against a plethora of International guests – the Final Fight.

Shane ‘Sully’ O’Sullivan and the Japspeed.ie team arrived early on the Saturday to an unseasonably dry track; perfect conditions for Shane to get out there and cover the place in Maxxis Tyre smoke during practice.

With the RB-powered S15 as reliable as ever the team were in high spirits and full of confidence for the main event the next day. All that was left now was to sit back, relax and take in the sights and sounds of the Semi-Pro Competition.

Things looked just as bright on the Sunday morning as the dry weather prevailed into the morning’s practice session. With only minor adjustments and tweaks the S15 was on top form ahead of qualifying. Full of confidence a high qualifying position seemed almost guaranteed however the Irish weather had other ideas and downpour began only moments before Shane’s first run.

With the car setup geared towards drier conditions Shane’s determination, combined with his consistently aggressive driving style saw he put in a pair of solid qualifying runs despite the conditions. A performance which earned him 11^th place qualifier.

Having qualified 11^th Shane headed straight into his Sudden Death Battle against International driver; Jérôme Vassia. Having experienced technical difficulties with his own car Jérôme took the wheel of a borrowed AE86 as he took on Shane’s experience at the wheel of the Japspeed S15. All in all an entertaining match for the crowd and one that would quickly push Shane forward to a place in the Top 16.

Headed into the Top 16 Shane came face to face with Mark McBurney who had only been promoted from the Semi-Pro to Pro Class the day before…an incredible achievement. A fantastic battle ensued with both drivers pushing hard however Mark’s inexperience in the Pro Class was no match for the IDC ‘Dark Horse’.

Progressing on to the Top 8 battles Shane was drawn against John McCarthy in his 5.0l V8 E39 M5. Both drivers laid everything on the line, laying a fresh blanket of tyre smoke over the Mondello Circuit in the process. A close call for the judges however one made in Shane’s favour calling him forward to the Top 4 Battles.

First up in the Top 4 Shane came head to head with Richard Bradley at the wheel of his freshly re-built Nissan S14. It was clear from the outset both drivers were keen to claim their place in the finals, despite the increasingly wet conditions. Unfortunately for Shane, the judge’s call came in Richard’s favour.

All was not lost as this meant Shane would now face off against Nigel Colfer for 3^rd/4^th position. A fitting battle for the final round of the IDC 2016 season saw the Japspeed S15 pitted against Nigel’s 2JZ-powered 180sx. Both Shane and Nigel put in an incredible performance resulting in an awesome show for the gathered crowds. A close call for the judges would see Shane come in 4^th at the Irish Drift Championship final.

Everyone at Team Japspeed would like to congratulate Duane McKeever, Richard Bradley and Nigel Colfer on taking 1^st, 2nd and 3^rd respectively at the IDC final.

We would also like to congratulate Shane ‘Sully’ O’Sullivan on not only a consistently fantastic performance throughout the 2016 series but on taking 3^rd place in the overall standings. A well-earned result and we can’t wait to see more from him in 2017.