Calder Park :: Roadking Chassis Round 2 VicDrift Championship
The second round of the VicDrift Roadking Chassis championship was underway and it was clear that things were going to get pretty serious. Some of the biggest names in VicDrift had arrived to continue their fight for the championship. The small crowd quickly grabbed a seat and settled in for what would be one of the best drift competitions since Formula Drift visited Australia.
Drift Squid had made the long trip to Calder Park from South Australia to lay down some skids. Last time he was in town for a Vic Drift event his handbrake destroyed itself but this time the car was good to go and ready for battle.
Jakes pilot chair looks inviting and when you glance in, it is hard to ignore all the coloured buttons that are just begging to be pressed.
The Toyota Cressida is not normally known as a drift weapon, but this rig is more than just a luxurious ride.
This car has seen its fair share of battles and if zip ties could tell stories, then I’m sure that all these ones would have a yarn or two to tell.
The little Onevia with its’ big brothers the R33’s. No one knew that this Onevia was capable of mixing it with the big boys and it sure made the judges take notice.
It’s great to see Warrick’s MX5 frequenting a few events recently.
Ever wondered what tyres look like after a few laps at Calder Park? Well this is it! You can see that the tyre has been worn down right to the ply cords. Depending on the car, most tyres don’t last more than 5 hard laps on the rough surface known as Calder Park.
Adam was really killing it with massive amounts of smoke and angle and the crowd was loving the action! Running with no front bar for maximum air, Adam’s Onevia was screaming like a wild octane fueled banshee.
It’s great to see support from sponsors while the sport of Drift is still finding its feet. With 1,800 fans through the gates over the two days already, who knows what potential numbers the events could draw in if there was even more sponsorship.
Peter’s R33 was cutting lap after lap of drift perfection, he made it look so effortless!
The LS1 equipped R31 driven by Jason had been preforming well all day until he took a passenger for a ride and took a bit too much speed down the straight and ended up just slightly off the track.
From the stands the crowd does not get to see the start line or how a battle is often won or lost by a bad start. Often the more powerful car will fang it down the straight and leave the less powerful car behind causing the underpowered car to drive straight through corners to catch up to the lead car.
The VicDrift safety crew were on high alert! By midday there had been several red flags and even one small car fire that was quickly put out by the Calder Park track safety crew.
While hanging it all out, the Cressida’s boot became dislodged and every wild swing of the steering wheel would cause it to open! The crowd cheered as he went past but the boot problem was soon fixed before Chris’ next lap much to the crowds dismay.
Throwing it right at the apex was Peter in his Lookout Drift Racing R33, the car is so low that the ripple strip nearly claimed his front bar.
Another standout performance was Lachlan’s powerful R32. He had some great snap initiations and held strong angle through the main corners. Pleasing the judges is one thing but making the crowd and also the judges happy is the hardest thing. Luckily Lachlan could achieve both.
Making epic smoke was no problem for this beast! With the sound echoing off Calder’s sidewalls, people knew this car was more than just a boosted R32.
The mighty LS7 truly had to be close to the most powerful car of the day. With a smoke trail that seemed to never end and the air filled with tyre remnants, there was no stopping this incredible machine.
Drift Squid was at it again, showing the crowd what a professional drifter can do on a track like this! There is never a shortage of speed with Jake and his trusty steed.
The crowd surged forwards to see the top 16 battle, but many of the crowd disagreed with the choices of the judges! With the advent of Formula drift visiting Australia earlier this year things have gotten more technical. The judges had stipulated strict guidelines during the morning briefing and not every driver had listened!
A slight wall tap saw this s13 a little worse for ware but luckily there was no major damage to the car and it continued to drift up until it was knocked out in the final rounds.
Talk about David and Goliath, Matt Russell and his little 86 were up against many high powered V8’s. With what seemed an impossible task ahead Matt buckled up for what would be some of the best battles of the day and the whole crowd was cheering on this under-powered underdog in his tofu mobile.
Who said four door saloons cant drift as well as coupes? This wild R32 was getting door to door with heaps of cars and managed to impress everybody with his proximity and control.
Jasons’ R31 just keeps getting better and better. He had many super close battles over the weekend. Jason is one to watch especially since he will be making an appearance at WTAC this year!
The judges wanted to see hard throws and lots on angle early whilst holding that deep angle the whole way through the corner. Too many cars were still scandoing and only getting real angle as the approached the inner apex of the corner.
Michael Prosenik is the man of the hour! He has been winning everything lately and for good reason! Prosenik has mad skill and adapts well to what judges want to see. Being able to change his style or standard approach to the course enables him to maximise his chances for points. Drift is changing within Australia and just throwing a car around a corner sideways with no form or reason will not win you competitions!
After a day fully packed with drift the winner was finally announced! Prosenik worked his magic again and secured first place at Roadking Chassis Round 2 while also being on top of the championship after two rounds.
TOP 5
1. Michael Prosenik
2. Matt Russell
3. Lachlan White
4. Jason Ferron
5. Khudar El Haouli
No VicDrift day is complete without an expression session! It gives drivers who have been knocked out of the competition another chance to slay some tyres and wow the crowd!
Round 3 of Roadking Chassis is coming soon and the action is only going to get better with many teams furiously working on their cars to improve suspension setups and increase horsepower.
So until then we hope you have enjoyed our wrap up of Round 2.
Thanks for reading,
-Grant