DRIFTING OUR WAY
Motor sport champs to burn rubber in TRNC
TOP international drift drivers will descend on North Cyprus next month to compete in the Drift NEU (Near East University) North Cyprus Drift Championship.
They include names such as Ireland’s James Deane, a winner of the US-based Formula Drift championship in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and the holder of multiple national and European titles.
Also taking part will be Northern Ireland’s Duane McKeever, a triple Irish drift champion and double British drift champion; and Tomas Kiely, “one of the young stars of Europe”.
The trio will also be bringing their high-powered vehicles with them to take part in the tournament.
They will be joined by the best drift racers from the TRNC, such as the Drift NEU team’s triple national drift champion Enver Haskasap, who successfully represented the country at this year’s European Drift Championship.
Other top drivers from North Cyprus who will be taking part include Akay Akbil, İbrahim Yücebaş and Kerim Beşok, alongside at least nine motor racers from Turkey, with more to be confirmed.
The Drift NEU North Cyprus Drift Championship is being organised by the Drift NEU team with the North Cyprus Automobile Club acting as the event’s sporting directors.
It will take place on the weekend of December 10-11, at the Cemsa Karting Track on the outskirts of
Lefkoşa near the NEU campus.
Organisers say that “great preparations” are being made for the weekend, which will be held as “two separate races” on the Saturday and the Sunday, such as expanding the spectator areas as a “large turnout” is expected.
Thousands of petrol heads turned up to watch a similar event held at the same location in November 2019, which was won by Duane McKeever.
Other competitors from the UK and Ireland as well as Australia – Jack Shanahan, Matt Carter, Conor Shanahan and Mitch Larner – also took part in that contest, despite attempts by Greek Cypriot motor racing officials to put the brakes on the event.