As its St Patricks day its only right we should feature a Irish driver to mark the occasion. Dublin based Danni Murphy is now in her 3rd year of competitive drifting was the first and so far only woman to have been granted a pro license in Ireland -backing up her licensing performance with consistent top 16 qualifying in her first 3 Prodrift Ireland events. She's now here in the UK making her mark as one of the up-and-coming stars of UK drifting.
Danni made her UK debut in the 2009 BDC semi pro championship in a close to stock S13 Nissan... in fact the only additions to the car bar the obligatory safety mods were a set of coil-overs and tie rods. Even in a very under developed car, Danni still achieved impressive results in a highly competitive championship with a 9th place over all finish.
9th in your first season is good but to progress throughout 2010 it became very apparent that some serious mechanical development and some aesthetic changes to the car were much needed for results, as well as attracting much needed sponsorship.
However a bizarre turn of events, while preparing for a end of season event in Portugal, turned Danni's plans upside down. Two days before the event, her competition car was stolen... remarkably enough though it was found again the following day and the long drive to Portugal went ahead as planned... Until a few hours in to the journey on the French motorway network, without warning the S13 suffered a unavoidable accident that pitched the car into the central reservation and back out into the path of the oncoming traffic. Needless to say the car was destroyed.
Fortunately Danni and driver emerged remarkably unhurt from the wreckage only to find themselves in the path of a lorry. The resulting evasive action to avoid being run down unfortunately left Danni with a broken leg. In what can only be described as pure determination and with the help of a hacksaw to cut the plaster back enough for her toes to feel the peddles, Danni still managed to borrow a car and drive in the Portuguese event....to coin a phrase "This lady is not for turning!"
So with the 2009 car a total loss any development decisions for the S13 were well and truly made and the search for a new car began. Danni knew of a clean 1995 S14A WKD Imports had brought into the country so In December negotiations began and in February Danni took delivery of the new car..
A world away from the 2009 machine the new S14A hosts a impressive spec list. Kouki look front and rear bumpers. BN sports front fenders and Massa FRP bonnet take care of the aesthetics while under the skin Tien drift coilovers, Nismo arms and a two way diff keep everything under control..
Power is provided by a S15 engine with Tomei cams and a modest t28 roller bearing turbo with metal gaskets and front-mount intercooler. In initial testing the car has not only proved to be more agile and powerful than the 2009 machinery but also a solid foundation for future development.
It looks like a busy year for Danni with entries to BDC, JDM Allstars and Prodrift all lined up. With names like Millar oils, WKD imports, deSign corner Fabricage,FC tuning and Merlin car auctions supporting, her 2010 is looking very rosy now. It's a big step from grassroots drifting into top level competition, but Danni has the skill and dedication to make it pay off.
Her goals for the upcoming year.... well number one is improvement over 2009 with more podium finishes and possibly a 3rd place finish overall as well as being a ambassador for more women becoming involved in drifting. Danni we wish you the best of luck in 2010.
Many thanks to Alan Morrison and Manic Motorz for the additional images.
-Ross I'Anson.