K&N's Aleksandr Grinchuk is the 2011 Absolute Drift Racing Champion of Ukraine
- Oct 18, 2011
"My team and I did our best to get all three possible drift titles, in all of the three different drift series in Ukraine," Grinchuk told K&N Race News. "These are the TuningFest Drift Edition Championship, Vinnitza Grand Prix Championship and the most prestigious the Ukrainian Drift Championship (UDC). The possession of all three titles gives us the ultimate title of the Absolute Champion of Ukraine 2011." The K&N sponsored driver was also awarded a special prize from the Red Bull company for 2011. After reviewing the performances of all drivers throughout the year, Grinchuk was selected as the Ukrainian Red Bull Drift Racing Driver of the Year. "This year was much harder than the others," said Grinchuk. "This is the first complete season with three different series totaling 11 drift events in Ukraine. We also we took part in two of five events in Eastern European Drift Championship and got the 8th place in that series."
Grinchuk says the one competition that stands out from the year was the FXOPEN contested in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. It's an event that gathers the very best drifters from all of the Russian speaking countries. "Every year some celebrity drift drivers visit this event to compete with us," explained Grinchuk. "This year it was Ryan Tuerck and Tengku Djan Ley from Drift Alliance. We managed to finish in seventh place at this event from 46 other drift pilots, including the celebrities." Grinchuk and his team participated in 14 different races in Ukraine and abroad for the season. "Our main goal was the title of the Absolute Champion of Ukraine. And we have not disappointed our sponsors and fans," adds Grinchuk.
Grinchuk along with only a handful of other talented drivers, are responsible for introducing drifting in the Ukraine. 2011 season marks the countries fourth year of steadily growing drifting competitions, and Grinchuk says the talent pool is becoming far more professional in their approach to the sport which is bringing a lot of new sponsors. "Drift events became even more popular this year," said Grinchuk, "With a better level of convenience, safety, and overall attractiveness as a show. We had very different races this season too, from closed international airports and race tracks, to enormous parking lots and the closed streets of the city. Also, we had very different weather conditions for 2011, from scorching heat in July and August, to hard showers with hail in early October. Yet, every race our car was ready to compete. We used a twin turbo configuration of VQ35DE engine with K&N filters all the season. We were not afraid of any track or weather with our filters and Pre-Chargers." "Next year is not going to be any easier," continues Grinchuk. "My team and I plan to switch to a supercharged configuration of VQ35DE. We want to use wider Maxxis tires, a more powerful engine, and more aggressive tactics for 2012. And, as we are the three time Absolute Champion of Ukraine, we want to pay much more attention to Eastern European Drift Championships and other international events. But our Ukrainian titles must be defended too. We are working with our sponsors and looking for some new partners to help us to make our plans come true. It is not a very simple task. But drifting still grows fast here in Ukraine, and nothing is impossible." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
