By Darragh Culhane

Copyright irishmirror

Sports journalism is a funny aul business. You check into a shift and it’s usually a bit of rugby here, some GAA over there, and a sprinkle of League of Ireland in between. Sometimes you get to venture into something different. Maybe a big Katie Taylor fight is on the cards, or yer man from the UFC is making headlines again.

You won’t find too many sports hacks complaining about covering those big events, but a job is a job is a job. And as the wheel keeps spinning, even the biggest stories can start to feel a little repetitive.

But every now and then, something comes along that stops you in your tracks and reminds you why you got into this gig in the first place.

What if I told you that a 22-year-old from Cork just won one of the biggest motorsport championships in the world, in front of 55,000 people, and you probably didn’t hear a word about it?

Well, that’s exactly what Conor Shanahan did in Warsaw over the weekend at Red Bull’s Drift Masters European Championship Grand Finale. And let me tell you, it was electric.

Motorsport wouldn’t exactly be considered mainstream on these shores. Formula One is the exception, thanks to Drive to Survive capturing a certain demographic. Ireland’s hopes of a global star rest largely on Alex Dunne breaking through. But in the more niche corners of motorsport, Ireland is leading the way.

This writer travelled to Poland blind about Drift, didn’t know a jot about the rules or what to expect. But when you’re told there’s a fella from North Cork trying to dethrone a hometown hero in front of a record-breaking crowd, the story speaks for itself.

The stage was beautifully poised. Think Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen going into the final race of the 2021 F1 Championship. The parallels are eerily similar. Hell, Conor’s even a Red Bull driver.

After six events, Conor and his arch-rival and good friend, Piotr Wiecek, were separated by just a handful of points going into the Grand Finale. If things went to script in qualifying, they’d be on a collision course to meet in the final. The drama! Red Bull’s media team leaned into the narrative, producing slick content to build the hype. Drift Masters pushed it hard, too. It was the only story in town.

And the stage couldn’t have been much bigger. Organisers said around 100,000 people would attend over the two days at Poland’s National Stadium, the same ground that hosted the Euro 2012 semi-final between Italy and Germany.

The Drift Masters Grand Finale is very much a “toys for big boys” event. Outside the stadium, dozens of supercars lined the streets, including Lightning McQueen himself from Cars. Ka-Chow!

What stood out, though, was the sheer volume of support for Wiecek. Every second person seemed to be wearing his merch. And in a sport where results are judged, not timed, you’d worry for Shanahan.

Qualifying started as expected. Wiecek nailed it and ranked second, while Conor impressed with a fifth-place showing. They’d each get another chance to post a better score, and odds were they’d end up top two and set for a showdown.

But of course, sport rarely follows the script.

After Piotr surged into second overall, it was Conor’s turn. Only his car wouldn’t start. A mechanical breakdown. What a time for it to happen.

What struck me most was how cool the 22-year-old remained. Speaking to the crowd, there wasn’t a hint of frustration. Calm. Collected.

And on we went.

The event’s social media team played up the drama. Lewis versus Max 2.0 was alive and well.

But again, no script here.

Day Two was when the real action was expected. The head-to-head format is a game of cat and mouse. High-speed chases, near misses, crashes. All part of the show.

Then my colleague’s phone lit up. Piotr’s car didn’t start. Just like that, he was out of the championship.

Before Day Two had even kicked off properly, Conor Shanahan was the 2025 Drift Masters Champion.

A weird anti-climax, maybe. But the achievement stands tall.

Fittingly, the first person I saw when entering the stadium that day was Piotr himself. He was still there, smiling, signing autographs, and taking pictures with fans. Fair play to him.

Next job: find Conor.

Didn’t take long. Follow the TV cameras and crowd, and you’ll stumble upon Ireland’s newest European champion.

“Are you enjoying your day?” he asked a couple of kids looking for an autograph.

His dad, wearing a tricolour wig, was flying high on joy and pride. His brother Jack, now suddenly in contention for second place overall, was the most focused of the trio.

I got a few dirty looks from parents as I jumped the queue to grab Conor for a chat. Journalism is serious business, folks.

Conor was in great form. He admitted it wasn’t how he’d dreamed of winning it, but he was delighted all the same. He praised his team, his family, and gave special mention to the travelling Irish support.

But I had to ask. What about 24 hours earlier, when it looked like the title might be gone because the car wouldn’t start? I told him I was amazed by how composed he was. Any minor setback on the golf course sends me into a tantrum, I tell him. One of many reasons I’m not an elite sportsman.

“This whole sport is mindset. You can be the best driver in the world, but if you don’t have the best mindset, it doesn’t matter. For me, it’s about collecting the points and staying calm in those situations. You can get frustrated and mad, and maybe when I close the trailer door, I do, but I want the other drivers to think I’m cool in every situation. Just have a level head and believe.

“I said this morning when I got out of the shower, I’m going to be a champion today. And here we stand.”

Sources in the Irish motorsport scene tell me the dream now is to bring the Drift Masters to Pairc Ui Chaoimh. With the likes of Conor, Jack, James Deane, and Conor Falvey, there’s serious Rebel County representation.

“I look back and ask 10-year-old Conor, Do you think you could make it? If you told me back then I’d be driving in front of 55,000 people, I’d have said you were off your head.

“On the outside it looks like a small sport, but when you’re here and you see the scale of it, you realise how big it actually is.”

The rest of the night was dreamland for the drifting star. Not only did Conor win the title, but he also went on to win the event itself. There was a big crash early on. A dozen crew members rushed to clear the track. Smoke filled the stadium, fireworks erupted, and the arena lit up in green, white, and orange as Conor climbed the podium at the end of the night.

I’m told the Shanahans celebrated long into the night. A tired-looking Conor at Warsaw Airport the next day seemed to confirm this.

He’ll head back to Cork now, a champion, still a relative unknown in his home country.

But maybe that will change if Pairc Ui Chaoimh comes calling.