After a delayed start to the 2024 Drift Masters European Championship season, James Deane and the RTR Drift Team finally hit the track—and hit it hard. Round 2 in Madrid marked the first competitive outing for the brand-new 2025 Ford Mustang RTR, and it did not disappoint.
Originally slated to kick off earlier this year, the season officially got underway in Spain, and the energy was electric. With the highly anticipated debut of James’ Mustang RTR Spec 5-DM on European soil, all eyes were on James, and he wasted no time making a powerful first impression.
From the jump, James was dialed in. He laid down a standout qualifying run, earning the top spot heading into the Drift Masters’ unique Qualifying Showdown. The momentum continued in the head-to-head-style session, where James pushed his Mustang RTR to its limits. In a dramatic battle with longtime rival Piotr Więcek, both drivers showed no lift mentality, resulting in a high-speed collision on the fast and unforgiving Madrid layout. Despite the contact, James still walked away with P2 in the Showdown.
Thanks to a monumental team effort overnight, the Mustang RTR was repaired and race-ready for main competition day. James powered through the Top 32 and Top 16 with precision, showing just how capable the new platform is. But during his next warm-up lap, James noticed a slight misfire. The culprit? A spark plug issue.
With the engine still scorching hot and the clock ticking, the team made the call to swap plugs on the spot. As the start line timer began, the final plug was torqued into place. James rushed to the line, but heartbreak followed: he missed the start line cut-off by just seconds. His weekend was over earlier than expected. Still, the weekend was anything but a loss.
