Battle of brothers in Germany sees Conor come first

A pair of Killavullen brothers lit up a track in Germany last weekend when they faced each other in a motorsport final with the younger Shanahan taking the lead in the overall championship.

Conor Shanahan moved a step closer to claiming the overall 2025 Drift Masters crown after edging out older brother Jack in the penultimate event of the season in Ferropolis, Germany.

The weekend’s racing began well for the brothers with the duo advancing to the final in the qualifying in blisteringly hot conditions on Friday night. In a preview of what was to come, Conor found the edge to seal the win and top qualifying.

On Saturday, the Top 32 battles set the tone for one of the most dramatic rounds of the season. Fellow Corkonian James Deane’s championship hopes came to a crushing halt with an early elimination in front of the packed German crowd.

There were fireworks in the semi-finals as Conor Shanahan produced a relentless performance to get the better of Pawel Korpulinsk. On the other side, Jack Shanahan narrowly prevailed over Piotr Wiecek to set up a battle against his younger brother.

For the second night in a row, the brothers commenced battle and it was one of the most memorable finals of the year. Conor was able to stay composed and edged out Jack by the narrowest of margins to claim back-to-back wins in Ferropolis.

That victory meant that Conor Shanahan now stands top of the championship standings with 390 points, eight clear of Wiecek who overcame Pawel Korpulinski in the playoff for third place. Jack Shanahan is third on 300 points.

Next up is the Red Bull Drift Masters Grand Finale in Warsaw, Poland, on 12-13 September, where Conor will try to repeat his championship win of 2023. It’s the final round of the 2025 Drift Masters remaining.