After what was a highly publicised build involving the efforts of some of the UK’s most established sideways personalities, at Prodrift Round 5 the Driftworks S15 finally proved its potential by defeating a grid of Europe’s finest drifters en route to a hugely satisfactory victory for Phil Morrison.
Rarely has the build of a drift car captured the imagination of such an extensive audience. Phil Morrisons Driftworks Spec R S15, Powered by a custom mounted 2JZ GTE 3.0 lump from a Toyota Supra, was a monster project. Documented on www.driftworks.com, members of Europe’s largest drifting community were afforded unrivalled behind the scenes access into the toils and tribulations of taking on such a powerful puzzle.
Roll the clock forward approximately 20 months and Phil Morrison & team are setting up camp beneath the grassy hollows of Lydden Hill Circuit, Kent, preparing for another days seat time in what is still a learning period for the ex-UK drifting champ. Although the DW S15 appeared to perform out of the box at its maiden event in Silverstone, the subsequent events were often ended prematurely in the early stages of competition or during adverse weather conditions. Not the case at Lydden however, Phil was here to take on the Prodrift European Series at a power hungry circuit under ideal blue skies and autumn sunshine.
Tentative practice sessions were followed by aggressive qualifying runs and it was evident that Morrisons creation was well suited to the undulating curves of the challenging Lydden Hill Circuit. Up-shifting to fourth gear for the fast & blind final corner the DW S15 spewed spectacular plumes of federal tyre smoke as it passed the Prodrift judging position. This power was matched with precise control as the Driftworks equipped suspension was tested to the maximum through the variety of technical corners that preceded the smokey section. The result was a credible 6th highest qualifier and a solid Top 16 starting point for the afternoon battles.
Japanese driver Kawabata was unfortunate to draw the short straw to face Morrison in the first round of elimination battles. His S15 appeared to be giving trouble at the start line but once rectified could not match the speed and performance of the orange DW Nissan. At Top 8 Morrison faced Prodrift veteran Mike Deane. Deane had been on top form all day, qualifying fourth and consistently nailing his runs in the Dalton Tyres Nissan S13. Following a close Run#1, Morrison turned the screw for Run #2 and edged out a 6-4 advantage that would see him through to the Semi Finals. 
Awaiting the DW Nissan in the Semi Finals was a plucky E30 M3 BMW of Irelands John O’Connell. O’Connell was coming off a successful rookie Pro season in Ireland and his performance en route to the semis had been solid. His day was about to end in a cloud of Federal smoke however as Phil Morrison once again delivered spectacular, aggressive runs to claim another Irish scalp and with it cement his place in the Round 5 Final.
From the other half of the draw, another big-power drift project had been making steady progress. 2008 Irish Champion James Deane in his newly RB26 equipped Silvia was testing this setup for the very first time and seemed to be adapting well as he took his place in the Final. Two big power, hybrid, S-body Nissans were ready to battle for final time in the 2008 Prodrift European Season.
Whilst both cars appeared to be evenly matched in terms of weight and power, nobody could have predicted how close this final would be. Following an alternating 6-4 Battle #1, the same result was recorded in the first of the sudden death runs meaning that both cars would require a third battle to determine the winner. Following 5 minute rules for tyre changing and engine cooling, battle #3 was where Morrison threw caution to the wind and delivered his most impressive run of the day. Aggressively attacking into turn 1, inches from Deane through the hairpin turn 2 and glued to the Nexen Nissan across the finish line the Driftworks S15 had finally popped its podium cherry – this was to be Morrison’s day.
Reflecting on the victory Phil Morrison explained his satisfaction in taking this victory. The tireless work and patience of colleagues, friends and loved ones were the first on his list to thank. His Federal tyres, although punished repeatedly, had stood up to the demanding circuit & his favourite new toy, the Driftworks S15 (now displaying some battle scars) had passed the Prodrift test with honours. When pushed on whether this performance was a sign of things to come in 2009, Morrison grinned and merely said he was happy to be back out having fun at top level events. Don’t let the grin deceive you, Lydden Hill should act as a warning to fellow competitors. Morrison has raised the bar. His 2008 off-season will certainly be less frantic than previous years however his competitors might just be considering what they must achieve in a 6 month period in order cling to the quarter panels of the Driftworks S15. Images courtesy of Ross @ www.doristars.com . Check out site for additional images and full event gallery.
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