Hands down one of the most epic events Team Japspeed has ever attended! The Prodrift series is already regarded as one of the best in the world, so when the likes of Frederic Aasbo, Darren McNamara, Dai Yoshihara and James Deane were invited for the Round 5 final it quite simply couldn’t be missed.
With Japspeed’s Shane O’Sullivan already competing in the S15, Steve Biagioni with the 1JZ Impreza was additionally invited along with extra UK driver Phil Morrison from Driftworks. Although the weather started off rainy it definitely didn’t dampen any of the action, Sunday morning kicking off an awesome display during qualifying.
With ever-changing weather conditions Shane O’Sullivan was only able to score a 77-point run, a respectable amount by anyone’s standards but with this line-up it just put him out of the top 16. It’s much better news for Baggsy – well and truly found the sweet spot in the Impreza and nailing the course at Mondello Park to qualify super-well in the top 16 and moving into the twin battles.
Into the twin battles and Baggsy faced Dan Moorehead first. Unfortunately in the first run Steve overcooked it, sending himself into a spin and giving a big advantage to Dan. In the second run, Baggsy was FULLY on it – absolutely driving the wheels off the Impreza and really sticking it to Dan taking the advantage. It wasn’t enough to go through after his initial spin, but Baggsy’s driving is simply awesome to watch, putting a massive show on for the Prodrift crowds. ‘So happy with the car today and couldn’t ask for any more from the team!’ explains Steve. ‘The Maxxis MA-Z1s had some fantastic grip in all weather conditions – seriously impressed!’
By the end of the day the Round 5 Final was won by James Deane in the Low Brain Drifters PS13, beating some of the world’s best drifters in the process including Morrison, McNamara, Yoshihara and Aasbo. What an event – this is why we love European drifting!
