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Posted
Jan 20 2012, 10:00 AM
by
Ross Ianson
with 23 comment(s)
With the 2012 drift season rapidly approaching, a few of the new cars are starting to break cover. Historically, in the UK anyways,Team SATS are usually the first to unveil their intentions for the forthcoming season. True to form, they revealed their 2012 team car at Autosport International. The first change I am sure you have noticed is the colour. The white base to last year's design has now been replaced with an eye opening yellow / gold whilst still sporting a similar livery as the 2011...
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Posted
Jan 19 2012, 11:00 AM
by
Ross Ianson
with 17 comment(s)
Of all the component parts of a car, only one can evoke the kind of passion that can break friendships and cause people to break out the CAPS LOCK in internet arguments - wheels! Obviously a very important component, and also one of the key styling features of all cars. The wrong choice of size or style can make or break even the world's best cars. Remember the entry level 2004 E60 BMW? Amazing car, tiny wheels and it looked odd! With such a wide and varied selection of vehicles at Autosport...
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Posted
Jan 16 2012, 04:00 AM
by
Ross Ianson
with 16 comment(s)
With the excesses of Christmas and New Year now a distant memory, the Autosport International Racing Car Show signals the build-up to the 2012 motorsport season. For my first report from Autosport I'll be taking a look around the Pistonheads Performance Car show. Porsche Club GB was my first port of call, and I was immediately grabbed by this immaculate and ultra-rare 924 Carrera GT they had on display. With only 400 produced as homologation specials, the Carrera GT is one of the ultimate incarnations...
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Posted
Jan 03 2012, 06:00 AM
by
Ross Ianson
with 11 comment(s)
The Nissan S13 was a recipe that simply worked. Fairly powerful in stock trim, rear wheel drive and with seemingly endless potential. Here in the UK, it spawned hundreds of drift cars and started many a driver's career. When we were asked to recall our favourite example for our S-Chassis Festival, Anthony Scott's Rocket Bunny Silvia immediately came to mind. It was the first Rocket Bunny S13 in Europe and packed a 500hp RB30 motor. It's currently undergoing a major refresh for 2012, so...
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Posted
Dec 31 2011, 07:00 AM
by
Mike Garrett
with 13 comment(s)
It's time now for our final Cutting Room Floor post of 2011.
In addition to leftover photos from this month's shoots, we've also added a mix of unseen material from the year gone by, including unpublished shoots, small events, and some random car sightings.
Enjoy!...
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Posted
Dec 14 2011, 02:00 PM
by
Ross Ianson
with 11 comment(s)
Mercury Cougar, BHP SHOW, Kent, UK. When we finished up in part one, we were roughly half way though the season. We now pick up with the amazing Awesomefest. Remo Nieze, Falken E30, Awesomefest, Mallory Park, UK. This image is from the Saturday Morning just as the track opened. I was wandering around feeling sorry for myself (more on that later) Remo was the first out on track and did a few spectacular grip laps before seamlessly switching to 'drift mode' coming through The Devil's Elbow...
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Posted
Dec 09 2011, 09:10 AM
by
Ross Ianson
with 16 comment(s)
Matt Carter, BHP Show, Lydden Hill, Kent, UK. Well here we are again. Another twelve months gone in what seems like a heartbeat, and it's time to reflect on a year of Speedhunting. My year has been primarily spent in the sometimes surreal world of UK Drifting, and in the next few posts I will show you my favorite shots from the year and try to explain why they are at the top of my pile. 1200HP SVA R34 Skyline, Near Dover, Kent UK. My first shoot of 2011 had nothing at all to do with Drifting...
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Posted
Oct 24 2011, 01:00 AM
by
Ross Ianson
with 19 comment(s)
Regardless of whether you prefer the term Sleeper or Q-car, the meaning is the same: a car that hides its true performance under everyday looks. There are plenty of amazing home built sleepers out there, but every so often a pure Q-car slips off the production line into the general population. Back in the 90s such a car was the Audi RS2. To the untrained eye the RS2 was just an Audi 80 Avant with a few of the option boxes ticked. The devil is in the details. Porsche Cup style wheels, 993 wing mirrors...
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Posted
Oct 17 2011, 09:02 AM
by
Ross Ianson
with 39 comment(s)
Some cars have that X-Factor. They carry an aura of excitement that sets the heart racing and the blood pumping on sight or sound. Others have the impact of a beige curtain, Functional but far from exciting. The Volvo 340 falls into this latter category. The baby of Volvo's 80s line up was always a car bought by your grandmother. Something nice and safe to get to the shops in. On closer inspection though, you find the Volvo 340 is quite a clever little car. For one it's rear-wheel drive,...
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Posted
Sep 30 2011, 02:00 PM
by
Ross Ianson
with 8 comment(s)
Early on a Sunday morning, the massive Nissan plant in Sunderland echoed to the sound of screaming engines and tortured tires, as the British Drift Championship 2011 came to a climax with the final round. Practice and qualifying had produced some surprise results, leaving all three classes well and truly up for grabs. As the gates opened to the public, the Super-Pro practice sessions were well underway. A few mechanical woes were sorted during the night ... ... but some problems were just too big...
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Posted
Sep 29 2011, 04:00 PM
by
Ross Ianson
with 7 comment(s)
It had been a long month of drifting as we approached the final of the British Drift Championship. Four major events and 2500 miles later, I can't quite believe the 2011 Drift season is over. It just seems like yesterday I was making my way north to Donnington Park for the opener of BDC six rounds ago. It has been quite a season in BDC. Surprise results, drama, special guests in the form of D-Mac and Fredric Aasbo entering the Silverstone round and above all truly epic driving in every round...
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Posted
Sep 22 2011, 12:01 PM
by
Ross Ianson
with 14 comment(s)
As the Drift Allstars 2011 series draws to a close, they really did save the best for last. The final round was to be the annual visit to London and more importantly, Wembley Stadium. 2011 had come down to two drivers. The unstoppable James Deane in the Low Brain Drifters PS13 was leading the Championship after wins in Malta and Birmingham ... ... but you should never think you have it in the bag when Nigel Colfer is sitting just behind in the points and hungry for his first overall pro championship...
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Posted
Sep 19 2011, 06:55 AM
by
Rod Chong
with 10 comment(s)
Darren: There’s no smoke without fire...
Fredric: Right on the money! The Prodrift Mondello finals were definitely one for the books. I'll start where we left off in part 1 – at the very moment we lined up for the Top 16 driver introductions. The crowd was crazy loud! The Irish certainly knows how to put on a warm welcome! I stood right next to my top 16 battle opponent Mike Deane, and just like the rest of the Deanes (there's a lot of them!) he brings a great vibe. With all the anticipation in the air and Mike looking like a young Robert Redford it kind of felt like we were at the grid for a 60's Le Mans race!...
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Posted
Sep 17 2011, 05:26 AM
by
Patrick McGrath
with 11 comment(s)
Fredric: Hello Speedhunters! Here's part one of our writeup from the Prodrift Finals at Mondello Park in Ireland. It was an absolutely incredible weekend and in all seriousness it was one of the absolutely best drifting events I have ever attended. Every time I have met my Irish friends around the world they have always put a smile on my face, but visiting them at their home turf took it to a whole new level. It was about to get crazy. Fredric: The Prodrift Finals at Mondello Park was the second...
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Posted
Sep 16 2011, 08:00 PM
by
Ross Ianson
with 5 comment(s)
Believe it or not my recent visit to the the Prodrift Finals was my first ever attendance at an Irish drift event. Crazy I know. Over the last decade Ireland has produced some of Europe's - and dare I say it, the World's - finest drifters. Names like McNamara, Deane, Kerney, Luney, Colfer are among the truly great names in drifting. I met up with Paddy and Rod at Mondello Park to have a look at the new blood coming through the Prodrift ranks in the form of the top 32 Semi-Pro finals. There...
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Posted
Sep 14 2011, 10:40 PM
by
Ross Ianson
with 21 comment(s)
Recently the Japfest show took over Mondello Park in Ireland, attracting hundreds of cool cars. I was actually a little taken back by how many cars were in attendance. During the twenty minute drive from the hotel to the track, I lost count of how many cars were making their way to Japfest. ...
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Posted
Sep 08 2011, 10:17 PM
by
Patrick McGrath
with 7 comment(s)
Darren: Hello Speedhunters!! And welcome to the competition launch of the D-Mac86 on home soil (well sort of) I've been looking forward to returning to one of my old stomping grounds, Silverstone circuit in the UK for quite some time. I left the UK drift scene a good while ago after my D1GP success in Silverstone led me to Irwindale and Formula D. My initial excitement for returning to European competition was dampened by the unknowns of a new car build. It was going to be really difficult to...
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Posted
Sep 08 2011, 08:00 PM
by
Ross Ianson
with 6 comment(s)
We left off in Part one with the sun just starting to come out and dry the Silverstone tarmac. Qualifying had been a tricky affair with a virtually grip-less track to contend with, the top sixteen finals were looking to be a totally different proposition. From the very first practice runs on the now bone dry surface, the speed,smoke and drama of Silverstone was back with abundance. Speedhunters ready! Bryn Musselwhite joined regular BDC commentators Paul Mott and Anthony Cahill on the mics for the...
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Posted
Sep 06 2011, 05:00 PM
by
Ross Ianson
with 10 comment(s)
Round 5 of the British Drift Championship was always going to be a little bit special. Not only was the round held at the historic Silverstone circuit as part of the Trax show, it was also the first leg of the Team Need For Speed European tour with Darren McNamara and Fredric Aasbo competing as guest drivers. The weekend began with Rod, Edward Sandstrom and myself arriving at Silverstone on Saturday afternoon to watch the Silverstone paddock start the transformation into the Trax show. Giving a great...
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Posted
Aug 24 2011, 04:00 PM
by
Ross Ianson
with 3 comment(s)
We pick up part two early on Sunday morning. 7am and the paddock is just starting to get busy as the teams start to arrive back at the track. Breakfast is first on the priority list, the barbeques get fired up the predominant smell is bacon rather than the more familiar odours of race fuel and tires. With qualifying fast approaching it's the last chance to check everything over before the judging begins. All the cars are showing signs of the previous day's activity.. ..Some more than others...
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