First Drift France Round a Success for EBC-Equipped Stuart Egdell

“I’ve just about recovered from round 1 of Drift France, Just…

“So, the season kicked off this weekend in spectacular style with a new tight and technical track with varying surfaces and cambers that was challenging.

“Practice started well on Saturday, settling in with four or five good, solid laps; I needed to go in a higher gear as I felt I was at the top of the limiter in 3rd, but 4^th was a bit too long for the slower sections. However, the next lap out, I pushed a little harder on the entry and washed slightly wider, this then led to contact from the chase car, bending a few arms on the back.

“After 30 mins or so in the pits, it was back straight again and tracked up best as possible with tape measures and toe plates, straight back out for practice.

“This time I pushed for 4^th gear and picked up the pace considerably, unfortunately this then broke the differential. With my one-shot battle in the next two hours, it was a quick scramble round the pits to see if we could locate a spare from someone to borrow while we stripped the current one down to assess the damage.

“Luckily, it turned out the impact had just broke the welds on the planetary gears and needed a quick re-weld to get her back out again, unfortunately this was end of practice and meant straight into battles.

“I put in a solid chase run, although it could have been closer with more aggression (perhaps the recent breakage was still in the back of my mind). I came to lead and I decided to play it safe and stick to 3^rd gear; I ran a good, solid line, making all the clipping points and zones and made it round to the finish line to then realise my chase driver was nowhere to be seen… I then get the ecstatic message on the radio that he had spun behind me in the hairpin, giving me the massive advantage: a win to me!”

“Moving on to day 2, with the new format of the championship there is no more qualifying, a one-shot battle secures your spot into the top 32 unless you fall within the top 24 standings from the previous round, luckily (or unluckily) for me after I won my one-shot battle it meant I was straight in the top 32 for my first battle against a previous championship winner.

“A small amount of practice in the morning created another problem: the alternator plug had snapped and the car wasn’t receiving any power. This could have been a killer to the engine if it wasn’t picked up straight away after my 1^st practice lap, luckily it was a quick fix and meant I could get straight back out in time for the main event.

“I went into the top 32 knowing that who I was up against was in the top 3 drivers of the championship, previously winning the championship… I was to give it my all.

“I put on the best chase I could, with him gaining a gap off the start line, playing catch-up through the hairpin, I managed to starting closing the gap. The final two corners, I got slightly lost in his smoke screen and dropped 2 wheels off the track, giving him the advantage. 

“In the lead I drove the fastest lead I could, but his pace soon caught me up. After a solid lead and my error in chase I bowed out of competition here, He did however go on to take the 2^nd place podium on the day putting me in 17^th in the championship now, so overall a good first round!”