Super Pro David Waterworth Resets for 2014 After Leading Most of the 2013 BDC Season
- Dec 16, 2013
Going into the 2013 drift season Waterworth was seen by many as the dark horse, quietly going about his business of collecting championship points and battling onto the podium, earning his first Super Pro class podium in round 1 at Lydden Hill. Everything about the AEM sponsored driver sparked fan interest and excitement. Especially his exclusive Nissan S15 sporting a Dodge Viper V10 engine under the hood that Waterworth found online surfing the internet one night. Believed to be the first engine swap of its kind, Waterworth discovered its reliability and power response to be hugely beneficial, often giving him the edge over his opponents. Waterworth in fact remained so entirely consistent through the first four rounds, that he never surrendered his points lead heading into the final round at Knockhill.
The competition in the Knockhill paddock was amplified with the addition of several new drivers from across the United Kingdom and Ireland. And the event was slated to be like none before, as several changes were thrown into the mix to shake things up. For the first time in years, the lines and clipping points were altered. A lot of drivers found it tricky to adapt their focus to the changes, which became immediately evident on track. "This final round was at our home track and we took the qualifying a little too lightly," Waterworth admitted. "The rules of the qualification stated that under no circumstances was a wheel to be put off track, as this would be deemed a zero scored run. So with that in mind I set off and completed three absolute consistent runs, hitting all the clips with the right line and angle, but with the list of current championship drivers, and many invited drivers with many more years' experience, I missed qualifying by two points. I feel it was because my speed was down slightly for this round, and unfortunately that was it for us." Ultimately the 2013 British Drift Championship season proved to be another crucial rung in the experience ladder for Waterworth. "This year we learned that the engine and chassis are perfect," he says. "With two seasons running the car now, we spent the first tuning the mechanical side, this season we focused on tires that are right for me and the car. So next year we will be focusing on driving, and on having the confidence that our car and team are at the top of the game, and hopefully the series." Asked what changes, if any, he might make to his car for the 2014 season, Waterworth says. "Probably strengthening the chassis and bringing the car up to a more professional standard to hopefully attract more sponsorship, as these are so important to us in achieving what we love doing and being part of the British Drifting Championship." "Our racing has finished with the drift car until next year now," adds Waterworth. "So we will spend our time working on this car, and hopefully there's a possibility of adding another car. So long as we can draw interest in it with sponsors help of course. It's a break away from drifting, but speed is important, and again consistency is important too, but breaking traction isn't, there are still skills to be learned, and I guess that's what life's about." Use the AEM Product Search to find AEM performance products for your vehicle. To find an AEM dealer near you, use Search for AEM Dealer or simply visit AEMintakes.com. |
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