The UK distributor for Yokohama tyres, Yokohama HPT Ltd, has helped Brett Castle to win the 2007 European Drift Championship (EDC). Castle, who is supported by Yokohama and whose Nissan 200SX S14 has been fitted with Yokohama tyres all season, took the win in the fourth and final round of the championship and with it, the 2007 title.
Castle has been using Yokohama tyres all season, a combination of the Japanese manufacturers’ Parada at the front and the recently-introduced S.drive at the rear. According to Castle, this provides exactly the combination of performance required for his car and for the highly-demanding sport of drifting.
Contrary to popular belief, drift cars require grip at both ends, as Castle explains: “Tyres are a crucial part of drifting and the Parada and S.drive work very well. When drifting, it’s important to get the right level of grip from the rear of the car, to make sure that it can maintain its angle but also, get enough of a push forward to keep moving. I get everything I need from the Parada/S.drive combination.”
Castle arrived at the fourth and last round of the championship with a five-point deficit to leader Mark Johnston and a three-point cushion over Mark Luney in third. However, the championship was sewn up when Johnston was knocked out of the event in the first heat, by Castle’s fellow Yokohama runner, James Grimsey. When Luney was eliminated in the second round, Castle knew that he’d done enough to take the championship and the pressure was off.
With that in mind, he set about the job in hand and went on to take the round win to add to the championship title already in his hands. “Knowing that I’d secured the championship when Mark was eliminated played a big part in allowing me to push for the round win,” said Castle. “I’m extremely grateful to Yokohama HPT for its support. I wouldn’t have been able to take the championship on any other rubber and I look forward to working with them for the rest of this year and beyond.”
Photo caption: Brett Castle on his way to winning the fourth round and the overall 2007 European Drift ChampionshipPhoto credit: doristars.com
Grimsey’s performance over the season has also shown great improvement. He finished last year’s championship in 22nd position and this year, came home in seventh, a staggering achievement and again, using Yokohama tyres.
Commenting on the news, Yokohama HPT Managing Director, David Seward, said; “We’re delighted to have been able to assist Brett in clinching this year’s EDC title by supplying him with Yokohama tyres, which clearly proved the product to beat. We have had a relationship with Brett for some time, as we realised his potential in the sport of drifting, which we have supported in the UK since its inception. We also congratulate James Grimsey on his achievement this year, not least of which the part he played in helping Brett to take the title and we look forward to working with both in the future.”
