Conor excited for drift masters

A Mallow teenager is set to compete in the 2021 Drift Masters European Championship (DMEC) this summer.

The driver line-up will be its most diverse to date with over 25 countries represented on the starting grid, including Cork’s 17 year old Conor Shanahan who beat fellow Irishman and DMEC and Irish National champion James Deane at the Polish round of the 2018 championship.

The 2020 series was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Conor said: “I'm really excited for the new season. It's been a super long 12 months and it's good to finally get behind the wheel again.

“This year will be my first full series with the support of Red Bull and I'm planning on sending it all season long.”

The 2021 race calendar is composed of five rounds beginning on 29 May at the Austrian circuit in Greinbach and ending on 5 September around the city centre streets of Georgian capital city Tbilisi.

New to the calendar is the scenic Lillesand Arena circuit in Norway which features extreme elevation changes and high-speed sections, while DMEC will also be crowning a new ‘King of Riga’ in 2021, when the series returns to the popular Bikernieku Trase Circuitk, the highest speed circuit on the tour with competitors entering at 150km/h.

Conor added: “Tbilisi is going to be insane! It's something very different and exciting. I can't wait to find out what the race layout is going to be.

“Racing in the middle of a city is definitely going to put us out of our comfort zone and it'll be great to take our unique sport to the people.

“Riga is one of my favourite tracks, it's the fastest and the smallest mistake can bring you unstuck,” he concluded.

The 2021 DMEC will be available to watch live on Red Bull TV.