A pinch of spark, endless supply of passion, and a supercharger along the way. You are now ready for a supercharged journey.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ian Bizz Phillips, professional drifter competing in the British Drift Championship and fueling his passion for motorsport since 2008. We are super delighted to have him in Grumblo Drivers Program. More about Bizz in today’s exclusive.
Thanks for joining us, Ian. How are you feeling about the 2019 season so far?
I’m feeling really good, raising the car to help with the geometry has really settled the car and made it more drivable. Also, the addition of the Magnuson Supercharger has given it the power boost it has been crying out for since the day I built the LSZ (LS Powered Nissan 350Z). It is a very competitive car now, I just need to practice more to get my skill level up to match.
Video: Ian at British Drift Championship R1 2019
Goals & Objectives for 2019 Season.
I would always love to stand on the podium at a championship event and that will be the top priority this season. However, I really want to have fun so the team and I are going to hit up as many shows and demos this year to get the car known to a wider audience and put on a show for our fans. They make it possible for us to do this amazing sport.
We will also be at the infamous Goodwood Festival of Speed this year on the VrD Motorsport stand. Being able to appear at such an amazing show is something I have wanted to tick off my bucket list for years. So I am really happy, I get this opportunity this year. Make sure you come and say “Hi”.
Who or what has been your inspiration behind getting you involved in drifting?
Since a very young age, I have been interested in anything with an engine with growing up on a farm. I got my first car when I was 11, where I learned a lot about driving and quickly got into modifying and working out ways to make it better.
In 2007, I was invited to a JDM Allstars Night Fight by a work colleague of mine and I was instantly hooked. The smoke, flames, noise, and adrenaline of the sport was so addictive that I had to get involved. My friend knew the organizer of the event and suggested that we should try out their first UK Drift School. After that day, my immaculately clean Seat Leon was up for sale and I soon bought my Nissan R33 GTST. The rest is history.
Do you have any lucky rituals that you perform before any competition? Any lucky charm you carry with you on race day?
Haha, good question. I do talk to my car a lot (crazy I know) but I treat it as much of a team member as everyone else and let’s face it, she has the hardest job out of all of us. Otherwise, I have a lucky chicken on my keyring that my girlfriend (and spotter) bought me so that rides along with me every time I am out of the car. Finally, anyone that knows me will often see a KitKat chunky in my hand. I need that hit of chocolate to bring my focus in line with the task in hand.
BizzDrift Team
If you could be a car part, what part would you be and why?
After installing the supercharger, I would have to choose that. I love the simplicity (I am very simple) of it but how much of an improvement it can make to the whole package. This can be said for myself and the team, we each bring our own set of skills to the group, which makes it possible for us to compete at such a high level.
Last but not least, who is your frenemy in competitive racing?
The person that always comes to mind when this question is asked is Jason Clark in his Mazda RX7. We have yet to battle properly in competition but although we are best buds off the track, we know that we cannot give each other an inch on the track. “Go Hard or Go Home” couldn’t be more accurate in this instance. He’s a great driver and I cannot wait to go up against him when he gets his latest RX7 up to speed.
Thanks for the taking the time out to talk to us, Ian. It has been a pleasure. We look forward to your 2019 season and once again, welcome aboard Grumblo Drivers Program. For the readers, we will leave you with this photo of Tarquin the T-Rex. We think Tarquin is trying to carjack Ian’s LSZ, but we will let your imagination decide.
Mega shout-out to MediaMachine for the photographs. Thank you!
To stay updated with BizzDrift’s activities, make sure to follow him on:
