IDC COMPETITORS AND FANS: THE FUTURE OF IDC
Dear IDC Competitors and Fans

As we stand on the brink of the 20th anniversary season of the Irish Drift Championship, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude. Reflecting on my first drift event in 2003, it's clear that while faces have come and gone, the world-class drift talent Ireland produces remains the same. Ireland's ability to exceed expectations has always been a hallmark of our drift community and our commitment to pushing the drift boundaries. We have always punched above our weight and will continue to do so for many years to come.
As we close the chapter on our first 20 years of Irish drifting and venture into the next, I am excited to share with you our IDC roadmap for the coming years.
Venues: To sustain the growth of the Irish drift community, we need more tracks/circuits. Rather than sitting back and waiting for opportunities to arise, we are proactively initiating the development of new facilities. Collaborating closely with venues like 360 Motorsport Park, Mondello Park, Bishopscourt, etc., while also exploring existing facilities that could be adapted for drifting. Now more than ever, the Irish drift community needs a home, and we have now begun the process of creating it. This will take some time, but with the support of the Irish Drift Community, this is well within our reach. If you're interested in developing your facility, creating a motorsport park, or seeking guidance, please reach out to us at info@irishdriftchampionship.com. Your confidentiality is assured.
Competitors: Our ambition is to host 250 active drift competitors per round by 2030. To accommodate this growth, the championship will transition into a three-day event, featuring three classes: Pro 1, Pro 2, and Pro 3 (junior), across three days with numerous practice days prior to the event. With the increase in practice and testing venues, the IDC will need to cater for additional competitors and provide them with a platform where they can hone their skills and challenge themselves against the best drifters in the country. Our long-term goal is to create the biggest community-driven drift championship in the world!
Juniors: Ireland's reputation for nurturing drift talent is unmatched, and we're dedicated to cultivating future world champions. We're currently forging a partnership to enable juniors as young as 8 to begin their competitive drift journey. More details will be released in July. However, please note that the minimum age to compete in a drift car remains 13 due to insurance regulations. We will also be looking at activating support programs for juniors to facilitate their entry into the sport.
Guest Drivers: Due to the standard and stability of the IDC, we expect the level of interest from guest drivers to compete in the championship to grow substantially over the coming years. We already have an influx of requests from drivers all over the world wanting to compete. In order to accommodate this influx of guest competitors, we encourage teams within the IDC to consider car rentals and building relationships with foreign drivers and teams. A driver exchange program, if you will.
Media: Recognizing the global attention drawn by drivers like James Deane and Conor Shanahan to the Irish drift community, we are in the process of creating our own media team to push the championship forward. As the IDC continues to grow, we're committed to elevating our media standards to showcase the depth of drift talent in Ireland. Expect an expansion of our content and team in the coming months, including a dedicated IDC podcast. We are also in negotiations with multiple livestream providers to see if it is feasible for a 2025 return. We understand how the extra reach of a livestream assists drivers in their search for sponsorship. As our intentions are to build a world-class championship, we also need a world-class livestream to match. If you wish to contribute or join the team, please email info@irishdriftchampionship.com.
Technology: Over the coming years, the IDC will further embrace technology to be as transparent, informative, and impartial as possible. By 2028, all IDC competitors will run transponders in their vehicles to gather as much data as possible to aid the judging process. Average drift angle, average speed, entry speed, etc, will all be utilized to aid the judging process through a live IDC app. We are also in the process of creating the Irish Virtual Drift Championship with its own dedicated IDC server to allow drivers to practice and compete in multiple online competitions. If you have ideas, access to tech relevant to drifting, or wish to contribute, please email info@irishdriftchampionship.com.
Community and Sustainability: Accessibility to drifting is a key principle of the Irish Drift Championship. While the Pro 1 class will meet international standards, the Pro 2 and Pro 3 classes will be regulated to keep drifting affordable, including the use of street-legal tyres. The true strength of the IDC has always been the community it is built on, and we understand that as we enter into another golden age of Irish drifting, community must remain at its core. Sustainability in terms of parts, tyres, and resources is also something we will be working on in the near future. If any companies or brands wish to support the IDC or its drivers, please email us at info@irishdriftchampionship.com.
IDC Team: In order to have a well-functioning championship, you need committed individuals behind it. Over the past 20 years, Ireland has produced some of the best event organizers and media teams in Europe. Just look at the influence the Irish Drift Community has on Drift Masters, including head judge Kevin O'Connell. Sporting Director Kieran Hynes and his IDC track team have done a great job in stabilizing the Irish championship over the past couple of years, and together we will now strive to improve in all aspects of the sport. If you are interested in joining the IDC events team, please email us at info@irishdriftchampionship.com.
IDC Fans: And finally, to you, the fans, you are the heartbeat of our community. Our primary goal here at the IDC is to deliver a championship experience of unparalleled quality. We aspire to deepen our engagement with fans, inviting you into the fold. Look forward to an enhanced fan experience, with interactive events and the introduction of a membership program to get you closer to the action than ever before. As we grow the IDC, we want the fans to be able to guide the championship with suggestions and feedback through our members portal. Along with some of the best drifters in the world, we also have the best fans.
Over the coming Drift Week, we have some very exciting announcements, and I hope that the hard work the IDC team is putting in behind the scenes for our 20th-anniversary season is already noticeable.
From my perspective, it's good to once again be a part of the Irish drift community, having spent many years watching from the outside, and I hope together we can build something special over the coming years. I look forward to seeing you all at Round 1 in Mondello Park!
Warm regards,
Graham McNamara
IDC Creative Director
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