You know by now that we’re obsessed with speed – just look at our superfast broadband for proof – but we’re not the only ones! He started his journey competing in eSports, and is now one of Europe’s finest drift racers; to discuss life online and on the track, we caught up with 17-year-old Corkman Conor Shanahan...
Let’s start with the basics; what on earth is drift racing?!
It’s one of the most unique motorsports out there, in my opinion, but it can be hard to explain without watching – so if you’re interested, you should definitely check it out! Competitions are split into two sections. Qualifying is two runs on a course with different corners and zones; it’s a judge-based sport, and you earn points for criteria like line, angle and speed.
Then, if you’ve qualified you go into one-on-one battles. What happens there is that the lead car tries to do what they did in the first round, and the chase car has to match – be on the same angle, staying as close as possible, and following what he’s doing without making contact. Like I say, it’s worth watching on YouTube to really understand!
So how does a teenager from Cork end up involved?
I’ve been involved in motorsport my whole life; my dad did a lot of rallying, my mom was a national champion driver, and it was really my brother, Jack, who got me into drifting. He was successfully competing in Europe at a young age. To be honest, at that stage I was more interested in playing soccer! I never had the drive until I saw it for real; we went to one of Jack’s events in Poland, and even then I was more interested in riding a scooter around the skate park next door. But once I stopped to watch him compete I literally sat there for the whole event. I’d watched Jack drive, but I’d never seen the sport look so big, and so exciting.
Yet it wasn’t in a real car that you first started, right?
I was into video games – like any kid! – and I got into the world of esports, and driving simulators, at a very young age. It was a fun way to spend time with friends, because we had a really good community...and I won a lot too! I was starting to get good in the esports world, and dad was pushing me to drive again, so he built me my first car. The first event I entered, I won; three events in a row, in fact. That was when I was 12, and it’s funny to think of how it all started.
“I was drifting on a computer before I was doing it in a car – and the first time I tried the real thing, it clicked.”
So the virtual competition prepared you for the real thing?
Yeah, definitely; I know a lot of people who it’s helped, and it helped me 100%. I was drifting on a computer before I was doing it in a car – and the first time I tried the real thing, it clicked. I knew what I was doing straight away. Part of that is how realistic the virtual thing is. Also, you’re not paying for damage; if you crash, you just hit reset and go again! I would tell anyone who wants to get into drifting to get involved; the virtual world will give you an understanding of how everything works, and give you a massive advantage going forward.
Does it still play a part in your career?
I’m still massively involved in it now. I’ve been very lucky to be successful; I’ve won some big championships, and I’ve started getting involved in GT racing with some of the Red Bull eSports drivers recently. There’s loads of big things still to come. That world is developing, and I think it can go a lot further.
Becoming a full-time Red Bull driver was a massive step in your career, but TV viewers might just remember another: your appearance on The Grand Tour...
That was a real eye-opener. I was only 13 at that time, and it let me know just how serious this thing is, and how big it could be. Things like that helped me grow up a lot faster. That was my first major media project, my first time having anything like that going on. It was a really cool opportunity driving with Richard Hammond, but it was even bigger for me to see something of that size.
What dreams do you have for the future?
My family always said ‘take every opportunity you get’; that’s the code I’ve been living by. Drifting is a great sport, and I’m lucky to be a part of it, but there’s lots more that I’d like to try. I was into circuit racing when I was younger, and my parents’ background in rallying is interesting as well. So there’s a couple of different avenues that I’d like to try, and hopefully, someday it’s possible. But for now, we’re concentrating on one thing, and that’s being successful at the level of drifting I’m at right now – and see where it goes from there!
Share Me!