Japspeed

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2009

Tyre manufacturer Maxxis becomes title sponsor for Team Japspeed in the British Drift Championship, European Drift Championship and Pro Drift Series. The 2009 season also calls for a fresh start on the car front, so Team Japspeed build two Nissan S15s for drivers Shane Lynch and Danny Eyles. Meanwhile, Steve Biagioni takes the fight to British Drift Championship rivals in his Nissan 200SX (S13) and wins the Pro Class title. Not done yet, Team Japspeed also take top honours in the British Open. In October, Team Japspeed begin developing an exciting new drift machine…

 
2010

The team’s new drift project is based on a 2001 Subaru Impreza. Initially, the car runs a Cosworth, 2.5-litre boxer engine making 480bhp, and quickly becomes a fan-favourite thanks to its impressive speed and sensational looks. The Impreza later produces 550bhp from a forged 1JZ engine.

 
 
2011

The 2011 season is a big success for Japspeed, as they win the British Drift Championship’s Team Constructors title. In the same year, drivers Steve Biagioni, Shane Lynch and new signing Shane O’Sullivan take part in Top Gear Live’s drift demonstrations.

Arguably the team’s biggest news of 2011 involves the Subaru after it is stolen from an event at Santa Pod. Thankfully, the Impreza is recovered soon after in a police sting operation and the story makes national news. Drift fans manage to capture photographs of the Subaru firing along the motorway as the thieves make their escape to Berkshire – crucial evidence for tracking it down. Team Japspeed receives enormous help from internet forums and social media followers in locating the car.

 
 
 
 
2012

Paul ‘Smokey’ Smith returns Team Japspeed’s loyalty with a Super Pro Class title in the British Drift Championship, driving a Nissan S15 Silvia. His efforts contribute towards another BDC Team Constructors championship for Japspeed. The drift outfit cements a top year by becoming the Annual Team Event champions.

2013

In 2013, Team Japspeed attract the attention of highly-rated Formula Drift pilot Ryan Tuerck. The star US driver represents Japspeed at Lydden Hill in the British Drift Championship, smoking the Maxxis tyres of a 2JZ-powered Lexus IS. You can watch Ryan’s on board footage from Lydden Hill here: 

2014

On his fifth season with Team Japspeed, Shane O’Sullivan wins the British Drift Championship’s Super Pro Class with a little help from his Nissan S15 Silvia. Shane’s impressive results also bring home the BDC’s Team Constructor’s title once again. In the mood to party, 2014 sees Team Japspeed feature in the Top Gear Barbados Festival with drifters Shane Lynch and Shane O’Sullivan.

 
 
2015

The 2015 season sees Formula Drift driver Ryan Tuerck return to the Japspeed Lexus for the Irish Drift Championship’s Global Warfare 2 event, held at Mondello Park.

During the same year, Team Japspeed design and supply their own Snap-on tool box, capitalizing on the year-old partnership with the tooling brand. Launched at Snap-on’s dealer fair in Birmingham, the Team Japspeed tool box featured the supercharged Nissan 370Z of Shane Lynch and was finished in bright orange. It has since become a collector’s item.

 
2016

Team Japspeed creates a supercharged V8-powered Nissan 370Z to replace its flagship Subaru Impreza. The Z34 model proves its capabilities in a drift event at Lydden Hill, where it helps Shane Lynch drift to second place.

Also new to Team Japspeed in 2016 is Matt Carter and his Nissan R32 Skyline, along with two-time European Gymkhana Grid Champion Luke Woodham at the wheel of the Japspeed Lexus. As well as the British Drift Championship, Team Japspeed burn rubber in CarFest North and South festivals, plus Autosport International’s Slide Show at the NEC.

 
2018

British Drift Pro-Am Championship driver of 2017, Matt Denham joins Team Japspeed for the 2018 BDC Pro Class season. Matt ‘Mr Nice Guy’ Denham, as he soon becomes known, pulls no punches in his LS7 V8 turbocharged Mazda RX-8; Paul Smith and Matt Carter also contributing to Japspeed’s BDC Team Constructors title win in 2018.

 
 2019

Team Japspeed enter the Drift Masters European Championship with Paul Smith and his Toyota JZ86, while supporting the Mazda RX-8 of Matt Denham in the British Drift Championship.