Castletownroche’s James Deane has brought his world-renowned drifting skills to one of Ireland’s most spectacular roads, delivering a cinematic driving display on Healy Pass as part of the Wild Atlantic Drift project.
The production sees Deane behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DM, tackling 44 corners across 3.3 kilometres of winding mountain road in a collaboration involving Ford Racing and RTR Vehicles.
Nestled among the mountains along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, Healy Pass provided a dramatic backdrop for the project, which transformed the iconic route into a closed-road filming location for a unique showcase of driving precision and control.
With no championship points or competitive pressure at stake, the focus was firmly on the spectacle of drifting, combining Deane’s exceptional car control with the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape.
The ambitious production came together during a busy end-of-season schedule for the Drift Masters series, with months of planning condensed into a single five-hour filming session.
The project required extensive coordination, with local authorities, An Garda Síochána, experienced drift event marshals, FPV pilots and a specialist production crew helping to make the closed-road shoot possible.
The result is a striking fusion of motorsport and scenery, showcasing both the capabilities of the Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-DM and the technical skill of one of Ireland’s most accomplished drift drivers.
For Deane, whose career has taken him to drifting competitions and events around the world, the project offered a different kind of challenge, taking his driving skills beyond the traditional circuit and into a spectacular Irish mountain setting.
Wild Atlantic Drift highlights the growing potential for Irish locations to provide a backdrop for major motorsport productions, while putting a North Cork name at the centre of an eye-catching international collaboration.
