Barber on course for top five finish in Drift Championship

Pete Barber, one of the UK’s leading drifters, is having his best season yet – and well ahead of his goal of a top 10 finish for 2009.

Pete is competing in the ‘Need for Speed’ European Drift Championship (EDC), and this has been his breakthrough year. Highlights so far include his maiden victory at Knock Hill in Scotland, plus three podium finishes out of the five rounds completed.

Pete is sponsored by performance, modified and imported car insurance broker Swinton Specialist, and everyone there is delighted with his progress.

Rob Asher, Head of Swinton Specialist, commented: “We pushed Pete to try and finish in the top 10 for the season and he’s proved he’s a true competitor by exceeding that. To have won the Knock Hill event as well is the icing on the cake. We’re very proud to be sponsoring him.”

Pete is currently fourth in the EDC table on 265 points, but only 15 behind third place man Alan McCord. With just one event left – at Snetterton Circuit, Norfolk, on October 11 – he’s almost guaranteed a top five championship finish.

“This season has been a great success and my best so far. There’s no big secret to me getting it right in 2009. It’s about having a reliable engine and that’s what we’ve managed to achieve.”

The 23-year-old from Kiveton Park, South Yorks, competes in a 1994 Mazda RX-7 which has been modified to improve its sideways performance. The biggest upgrade is a new engine; the regular rotary unit has been ripped out and replaced by a turbocharged one pumping out a massive 440bhp.

Pete continued: “Another podium at Snetterton would be brilliant and would secure my top five finish. Getting into the top three for the season would be even better, but that depends on how other people do as well.”