BDC Round 1 – My thoughts.
So round one is complete and its safe to say that the dust has settled, engines have cooled down and the management have had time to reflect. This isn`t going to be a results based blog but a reflection on my journey through the 2019 season having been part of the BDC media circus for my fifth year although not in an official capacity more of a invited onlooker.
Teesside was once again the start of something new for the BDC, 2018 saw the passing of the torch from David Egan of IDC and DRIFTGAMES fame to its new owner Matt Stevenson. So what does 2019 BDC hold for him and us the fans, time will indeed tell but from what has been set out in info across their social media we are in for a wild ride.
Myself as a casual by-stander given the opportunity to once again get track-side and unfettered access to drivers and cars i can honestly say its ever hopeful. To take a pretty much ultimate championship and rethink it is for most a huge task, one that i would assume Matt hasn`t entered into lightly. Mr Egan set out a pattern that he brought from the Irish championship and it was well executed, entertaining and gripping, bringing a series packed with excitement and one where drivers wanted to excel at. From that point Matt has a tough slope to climb, taking a series and turning it on its head. Looking at a championship and asking that age old question, “What does it need to survive and get better?”
I am not going to write lengthy editorials about results and crashes, mayhem and mishaps. I am going to provide a view that others seem to avoid, one of an insight of people surrounding the drift circus. I hope to bring you closer to the action with my photographs and write-ups from a human point of view. I also hope to get the views and reactions of those involved with championship, drivers, fans, track staff maybe judges and maybe management. It is my feeling that it is these emotions that humanize the series to the fans hopefully making a better connection between us all.
Do we indeed like what is on offer, is the series going to be what we all envisage from round one. Is it what the new management want to see, these are all questions I am aiming to capture.
So let us look a little in depth at the round at Teesside. The birthplace of the British Drift Championship. It was always safe to say that in the is ever changing financial market the rising costs of competitive drifting was always going to have casualties. Teams have dropped out, sponsors have scaled down their contributions and drivers have simply moved on. It was always expected that numbers would change but we as fans have we dwindled, not that i have seen. It does seem that the support for a established face in the British drifting scene is a welcome addition to us and we are all expectant and want Matt to succeed.
Regular faces and some new ones show us that the scene is still strong in the UK, and although the end goal is not quite evident just yet we are all in it for the long haul. One key change for me was bringing the Pro class bonuses to the Pro Am class. The screen, the meet and greet, the line ups and track walks, these are the things as fans we want, to get involved with the spectacle of the proceedings and to support your driver whichever the class or day. It is great to see the fans getting up close to the cars and to see the drivers interaction with them, it was quite inspiring to see.
So all in all are we excited to see the grand new adventure for Matt and his team, if I am honest only time will tell but I am sure it can only get better from here. I live in anticipation that my part although quite small will be as much of an adventure as Matt`s is. Until Round 2 north of the border at sunny Driftland thank you for the time and trust. See you there.G
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