KENNOL PODIUMS AROUND THE DRIFT WORLD
KENNOL and Drift have long been good friends. And last weekend again, our French brand podiumed around the Drift World: in the toughest series Drift Masters European Championship with Zalewski Team, and in the mythical Formula Drift Japan with Goodride MotorSports. Another sign of good partnerships, and great performances.
▌THE MYTH
Suzuka, Fuji, Ebisu… Those names unmistakenly recall the pure origins of Drift. Born and raised in Japan, the now popular motorsport was once an outcast discipline. Illegaly held by night on the tortuous mountain roads, it immediately transcended the exhilarating fun of sliding, to the ancestral rigor of japanese choreography and precision. Today, the Formula Drift Japan official federation is the oldest one, and the most mythical one.
This myth is now an institution, and even foreign drifters try to enter this Japanese Championship during their international career. Great drivers engraved their name to the coveted trophy and title. And last weekend, KENNOL was on the podium, with its Goodride MotorSports-sponsored team.
Young Japanese drifter Mao Yamanaka especially, drove its way to the podium, next to his teammate Kazumi Takahashi (leader of the Championship after 2 rounds). Yamanaka topped the qualifying after delivering the best run, and made it to the 3rd step of the podium, a first for him.
▌THE WORLD-CLASS
On the other side of the World, another Drift Series drags an incredible amount of fans and drivers. The Drift Masters European Championship is now a World-class act, and maybe on the Top-3 most difficult on the planet. Last season saw KENNOL-sponsored Juha Rintanen end-up 3rd of the European ranking.
But today, former 2017 European Champion Adam Zalewski is back at the best level, powered by an exclusive BMW S58 engine. The 24-year-old Polish top-drifter has managed to swap this completely new engine in the Drift World, and married with KENNOL ULTIMA 10W-60 engine oil, it seems to deliver quite a performance! With the help of KENNOL ULTIMA 75W-140 and KENNOL ULTIMA BRAKE DOT4, the whole package shined up to the podium.
Amongst 42 drivers from 22 different nations, Zalewski managed to win the small-final. A good kick-off for this long season: Spain, Ireland, Finland, Latvia, Hungary and Poland for the 2024 finals, where more than 50.000 fans reunited last year to crown the European Champion. More than a street art, Drift has now become a sport of its own, a culture among other motorsports, and one that trully drives fans on tracks, when many categories tend to search for passion.
I’d like to express my gratitude for KENNOL’s support over the past 3 seasons, and I’m looking forward to many more years of collaboration ahead.
Adam Zalewski, Drifter
