Two Cork brothers will be among those vying for the title when the 2022 Drift Masters European Championships (DMEC) begin in Mondello Park, Kildare on Saturday.

Were it not for the war in Ukraine, Conor Shanahan (19), four years younger than Jack, would be racing in Russia this year in this unique form of motorsport in which the Mallow brothers are already world-renowned.

Conor was about to sign up for a Ukrainian team to race in the prestigious Russian Drift Series this season (which Jack won last year) until the war broke out but his car is now adorned with ‘Stand With Ukraine’ stickers.

"We literally had a contract almost signed,” he revealed, explaining that when Russia invaded Ukraine he had to quickly scramble to put together a budget in time to race on the European circuit this year instead.

“I have friends (Ukranian) so I don't think, as an athlete, I'd drive there,” he said of the abandoned plan to race in Russia.

The Shanahans come from a Cork motorsport dynasty as their father John is a former Irish rally champion and their mother Valerie was the only Irish woman to win a national Autoglass championship.

Conor starting racing when he was only nine and, aged 15, appeared alongside Jeremy Clarkson on BBC motorsport programme ‘The Grand Tour’ to publicise the sport of Drifting.

He's already got sponsors like Red Bull on board and is tipped to be the youngest ever winner of the European title after finishing runner-up to Poland’s Piotr Wiecek last year.

He made a video this week of himself drifting spectacularly on Molls Gap above Killarney - a place his father often raced during the legendary Circuit of Ireland rally.

But Drifting is a very different sport from that of his parents.

It involves head-to-head races which last only 30 seconds and drivers deliberately oversteer at speeds of over 100 miles-per-hour to shunt their cars around sharp corners while door-to-door with their opponents.

They are judged on their ability to follow a line through the course at the best speed and angle so the winner is not first past the post.

The Mallow teenager has already become the youngest driver to win European, British and Irish professional drift events and is now hoping to become the youngest ever European champion.

Ireland has already emerged as an integral part of the international drifting scene, and that is underlined by the 2022 DMEC season opening at Mondello Park this weekend, with qualifying on Saturday and the knock-out head-to-head battles on Sunday..

Tickets must be pre-purchased from https://mondellopark.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173623468

2022 DMEC Calendar:

May 7-8: Ireland – Mondello Park

June 18-19: Austria – PS Racing Center

July 1-2: Sweden – Drivecenter Arena AB

July 29-30: Latvia – Riga Racetrack

Aug. 19-20: Germany – Ferropolis City of Iron

Sept. 30-Oct. 1: Poland – Moto Arena Łódź