Drift Masters

Shanahan fines in Finland!

Conor Shanahan shines in Finland again as Scandinavia delivers another wild Drift Masters showdown in the Mika Salo circuit.

Day 2 of Round 3 at Drift Masters brought full-blown madness to PowerPark Huvivaltio as the grid of 32 drivers faced off in ever-changing conditions that pushed talent, timing, and nerves to the absolute limit.

Early Exits Shake Up the Field

With low-hanging clouds, rain, and changing grip levels run by run, it became clear early on that nothing about this day would be straightforward. Early drama struck when Diogo Correia, who made it to the grid despite engine failure during qualifying, clipped the wall during his lead run, handing Juha Rintanen a pass to the Top 16. Just a few runs later, Duane McKeever spun in his battle against George Christoforou in another unexpected exit, after placing second in qualifying the day before. The ever-changing weather kept things interesting as the Top 32 unfolded, with multiple championship front-runners knocked out early, giving the rest of the grid a chance to shake up the standings.

DMGP 2025 R3 Finland 3X2 ©JORDAN BUTTERS 9856©JORDAN BUTTERS

Sketchy Top 16 Delivers High-Stakes Battles

As rain rolled in for the Top 16, conditions turned sketchy. James Deane navigated the wet track to knock out Juha Rintanen, while Mika Keski-Korpi capitalised on a rare mistake from Oliver Randalu, eliminating the championship leader in the process. 

Pawel Korpulinski showed incredibly strong form, defeating Marco Zakouril, while Tor Arne Kvia delivered a standout chase against Naoki Nakamura that stole the show and secured his spot in the Great 8.

DMGP 2025 R3 Finland 3X2 ©JORDAN BUTTERS 0610©JORDAN BUTTERS

Echoes of The 2023 Finland Final

The Top 16 battle between brothers Conor and Jack Shanahan echoed the 2023 Finland final, with both drivers pushing to the edge in classic sibling fashion. Conor managed to edge out the win and then advanced through a tense fight with 3rd place qualifier Piotr Więcek in the Great 8 after their initial battle went One More Time.

DMGP 2025 R3 Finland 3X2 ©JORDAN BUTTERS 03000©JORDAN BUTTERS

Final Four Set the Stage for Drama

In the Final 4, Tor Arne Kvia continued his winning streak with a clean pass over Pawel Korpulinski, while Conor Shanahan battled through a gritty semifinal against home favourite Lauri Heinonen.

DMGP 2025 R3 Finland 3X2 ©JORDAN BUTTERS 0881©JORDAN BUTTERS

Conor Clinches Victory in PowerPark

In the final, it was all to play for. Norway’s Kvia entered his first-ever Drift Masters final against Ireland’s Shanahan, a previous winner here in Finland. After two razor-sharp runs, Conor’s edge in control and consistency was enough to seal his first win of the 2025 season and his second career victory at PowerPark. 

In the third-place playoff, Lauri Heinonen took the final step on the podium with a commanding run against Pawel Korpulinski, bringing the Finnish crowd to their feet.

DMGP 2025 R3 Finland 3X2 ©JORDAN BUTTERS 1313©JORDAN BUTTERS

All Eyes Turn to Ireland for Round 4

With Round 3 complete, the Drift Masters championship picture remains wide open. The series now heads to Mondello Park in Ireland on June 28 and 29 for Round 4, where a wild crowd is expected to welcome the championship back to the home of Irish drifting and one of the most iconic tracks in Europe.

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