Drift Masters 2025 – Round 4: Mondello Park, Kildare, Ireland
After a wet and challenging battle in Finland, the fourth round of Drift Masters moved to Ireland, where drivers could count on more favorable – though windy – weather conditions. The qualifying threshold for the TOP 32 was lower than in the previous round, at 79.5 points. Among the best were as many as 10 home drivers and four Polish competitors.
Qualifying was dominated by Polish and Irish drivers – Piotr Więcek scored an impressive 99.5 pts, leaving behind Conor Shanahan (97.0 pts) and Jakub Przygoński (96.0 pts). Also in the top ranks were Marco Zakouřil, Orjan Nilsen, Tor Arne Kvia, Juha Pöytälaakso, Tomas Kiely, and Paweł Korpuliński, who earned 94.0 pts to round out the top ten.
In Sunday’s TOP 32, Paweł Korpuliński once again faced Hungary’s Kevin Piskolty – the same rival he had battled in the previous round. This time, Piskolty chased first, while Korpuliński set the pace right from the start with aggressive speed and angles. In the second run, contact occurred, causing bodywork damage to both cars. The judges ruled that Piskolty had slowed down at the wrong moment, which secured the Pole’s advance to the TOP 16.
In the next stage, Korpuliński went up against Jack Shanahan – a local favorite. In the first run, with Korpuliński leading, a collision occurred due to the Irishman’s mistake, hitting the Pole’s car. Despite the damage, both continued the battle. In the chase run, Korpuliński delivered an outstanding performance, maintaining a very close distance. That display earned him a place in the quarterfinals, alongside only one other Pole – Piotr Więcek – and two Irishmen: Conor Falvey and Conor Shanahan.
The TOP 8 brought an all-Polish clash between Więcek and Korpuliński. As the lead driver, Więcek set a blistering pace and created a significant gap. Korpuliński tried to respond with wide and spectacular runs in the zones when leading, but it was Więcek – in top form since qualifying – who took the win and moved into the semifinals. Joining him there were Zakouřil, Shanahan, and Pesur.
In the semifinal, Więcek faced Marco Zakouřil. The Pole built a lead as the initiator, and in the second run the Czech suffered an engine failure, straightened out, and collided with Więcek. The judges had no doubts – Więcek advanced to the final. The other semifinal was fought between Shanahan and Pesur. Although the Estonian stayed close, the Irishman earned the higher score and booked his spot in the final.
Due to technical issues, Zakouřil was unable to start in the battle for third place – Pesur completed a “bye run” and automatically secured the podium. The final between Więcek and Conor Shanahan was packed with excitement. The Pole’s first run was very strong, but in the second there was slight contact from his side. The judges called for a One More Time. In the rerun, Więcek once again showcased his class, while Shanahan suffered technical issues – including the loss of his front right tire – ending his run. As a result, Piotr Więcek claimed his third consecutive victory at Mondello Park, following wins in 2022 and 2023.
In the overall standings, Conor Shanahan remains the leader (251 pts), with Więcek moving into second (191 pts), while Kevin Pesur and Oliver Randalu share third (168 pts each). Thanks to his strong performance in Ireland, Paweł Korpuliński climbed to sixth place with 148 points.
The next round of Drift Masters will take place on July 25–26, 2025, at the well-known Bikernieki circuit in Riga – the only location to feature in the series calendar continuously since 2017.
