Australian Drift Grand Prix – Gripshiftslide

ADGP :: Round 1 – The Dome

Grant — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 10:54:59 +0000

Andrew hawkins and his entire crew were back at the dome for the first round in the new 2015/16 season for the Australian Drift Grand Prix. Running the Formula D layout at Calder park Thunderdome is truly the best format for this track, high-speed entry’s elevation changes plus a super tight section.

As the teams unloaded, their cars were quickly given a bath to wash off all the road gunk and insects. Rob Whytes car was so dusty it looked like a barn find! but after a wash it was looking as good as Nic Coulson’s ute!

From white to red! Nic Wilson jzx100 was ready to battle the best! when we saw it last it was only a shell! so much work has gone into this car in the last 3 months its amazing to see it all come together in such a stunning package.

Poking its head out of the bonnet like a some type of primordial beast, Brent Gordan’s Supercharged LS was intimidating the other competitors by growling and whining its way through the pits.

The ever powerful Michael Bonney looked super strong in practice laying down several tyres while keeping his lines tight in preparation for qualifying.

Beau Yates was back to take on the thunderdome! With his car only having recently being fixed from a serious bingle, there were some speculations that the cars reliably would suffer. Although in practice beau was particularly aggressive with the car and it looked strong.

The local hero was back to take on the big boys of the scene! Dazza his beloved V8 powered S13 was also making a comeback to the ADGP series, fresh from being overhauled after its overseas trip to New Zealand.

There where plenty of new faces this season including Joel Dimmick, Anthony Cece and many others. All the drivers were ready to take on the new championship, scratch some paint, go door to door and entertain the crowd.

Joel Dimmick’s car is a true work of art. When Joel was competing in DCA, the car did not have this much pizazz! but now it looks at home with the rest of the pro cars.

Rob Whyte’s 370’z is looking mint! it also makes dark evil sounds like the types you would hear in the bowls of hell.

Rob was battling steering issues all practice season and even into qualifying. The problem was his steering not returning to centre, this meant he had to work like a 1940’s formula one driver!
Matching up against Ender in the top sixteen, both drivers had their work cut out for them!

Two days of action one being a practice day and the other qualifying/competition. This allowed the drivers to get a proper handle on the course, the clipping points and judges requirements.

The Achillies girls were out and about along with the ADGP media crew working tirelessly to put together TV coverage for 7mate. Both days were relatively windy and cold but the president of Vic Drift wasn’t worried because he had found a giant blanket to wear.

By the end of the first day Beau’s spoiler was gone! he was pushing his car right to the outside edge of the course which caused the spoiler to catch on concrete barriers and rip off. Rest in peace spoiler! we will miss you!

Open face helmet, Velo seat with ski goggles! What does all this mean? we are not sure but this set of safety equipment doesn’t fit the level of crazy power this Westlake car puts out!

With an LS1 and huge twin turbo’s sitting outside the bonnet you know that Adam Monck is no joke! Both Westlake cars were absolutely mental but Adam’s car looked and sounded intimidating!

Matty Hill had a large indecent on the practice day loosing his front windscreen because his bonnet pins were not in properly! It was almost like an exact replay of Nigel Petrie Three years earlier. Matty got knocked out in the top 16 with the judges showing no mercy as they flew through the top 32 driver battles.

Unfortunately Finy O’Hare was knocked out by a fellow local driver Michael Prosenik. The chase run by Prosenik was particularly impressive staying right on his door the entire way around the course. Finy put in a great effort and defeated several divers before meeting Prosenik in the top 16.

Brad Tuohy in his super bright 86 less than 3 weeks ago had a catastrophic engine failure(due to fuel delivery issue) which resulted in a fairly large fire. Two weeks later he was on his way to Melbourne!

Brads car was the one car that made everyone’s ears bleed! who would of thought that an 86 could be so loud! In the top 16 Brad matched up against Jake Jones but brad blew his diff in the final battle handing the win to Jake! its not the way we like to see cars exit from a battle but mechanical failure is a part of the sport even know it is heat breaking to see.

The Thunderdome causes all kinds of problems for the drivers! coming down the bank sideways into a huge dip often does not fair well with the cars. A lot of the cars were running lower tyre pressure to get more grip. The downside, hitting the dip caused tyre beed’s to break, bent tie rods and if drivers hit the dip in the wrong spot they would end up in the dirt.

Jake the drift squid Jones made it to the top 8 with plenty of car dramas including being down on power due to a blocked fuel filter! Josh Boettcher ended up taking the win after a hard fought battle.

Finny Has been steadily improving over the last year. His performance over this round was impressive and we know he will be on the podium in no time!

The most exciting battle of the competition was Michael Bonney VS Michael Rosenblatt it was very reminiscent of Rosenblatt VS Yates in 2014 at round 4.

Rosenblatt and Bonney’s battle got replayed several times the judges had a real problems trying to pick who made the greater mistakes! from a crowd perspective it was really hard to see any mistakes made during the battle with each run as close as the next! Rosenblatt eventually got the win but it is one of Bonneys strongest performances to date!

Rosenblatt was not taking any prisoners! defeating everyone in his wake! charging just as hard as he had last year!

The real hero of the show was Beau Yates! after many battles and a super strong performance all the way to the final 3. Beau had an unfortunate unavoidable incident with Rob Whyte while coming around the final hairpin. Both cars went in to deep and ended up in the tyre wall with rob squashed against the tyres! Both drivers were fine but Rob could not continue due to car damage handing the win to Beau.

Just as happy as the podium finishers! Michael Prosenik and Levi Clarke congratulating each other as Andrew Hawkins was announcing the winner.

As a wise man once said “In Success you deserve it and in defeat, you need it” Champagne! As the top three wrestled to cover each other in the champagne the crowd cheered! Coming
in first was Beau Yates followed by Brent Gordon in second with Josh Boettcher in third.
Thanks for reading,
Grant

Nic Wilson's Drift JZX 100 Build :: Part 1

Grant — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 12:04:50 +0000

Nic Wilson is no stranger to professional drifting, nor to the ever capable Toyota JZX chassis. Competing both locally in Australia and abroad in Japan year in-year out, Nic has built a reputation for throwing these sleek Japanese sedans sideways with his trademark aggressive Australian style. Now with the clock ticking Nic is in the midst of a brand new drift build of exceptional quality.

Competing in the next Australian Drifting GP season Nic is set to raise the bar with his new rig. This particular JZX100 chassis has sat on Nic’s property for years, waiting for an opportune moment to be rebuilt and driven hard. With the build well and truly under way now, he’s on track to debut the car at ADGP round 1 this September.

We’ve been granted exclusive access during all stages of the build , we’ll be updating you frequently as Nic and his sponsors charge towards that first blast around the dome at Calder Park, Melbourne on September 5th.

To kick things off, Nic and his team of sponsors and supporters started with the handling package. The car was stripped to a bare shell and fully seam-welded, a race-spec cage was installed by Black Spade Fabrication Co.

Further stiffening the body you’ll find a Cusco underbody triangle brace and Tom’s underbody rear brace.

The suspension comprises a set of Arogosta coilovers set to 22kg at the Front and 10kg at the Rear along with some Kazama auto rear arms.

In the back you’ll find an unmistakeable ATL 15 gallon fuel cell featuring a Bosch 044 pump and an inbult surge tank, this was test fitted in its own custom mount before being removed before painting takes place.

For the super-wide steering angle that we’ve come to know Nic for, we’ll be seeing him utilise a Heyman products 800ps knuckle lock kit. Between Nic and the road are these impressive 18×10.5 ET+12 Gaia wheels on all four corners.

Rounding out the current wave of installations is a Bride racing seat & rail…

A requisite for all serious drift cars!

This weekend the car will be sent to Rusty’s Restorations for a bold new paint scheme. Stay tuned for our next update to see what Nic has chosen. We can’t wait to see it in the flesh!

As for the drive line… We’re staying tight-lipped for now, until a later update.

Nic would like to thank his Sponsors and Supporters:
PowerVehicles.com
Japanese Parts and Performance Gold Coast
Black Spade Fabrication Co.
Rusty’s Restorations
Jaustech Automotive
Imajess Photography

We would like to thank Nic for sharing his build with us, it’s shaping up to be an amazing machine with some very skilled people behind it. Keep your eyes out for part 2!!
Thanks for reading,
Leigh.
Photos courtesy of : http://whereisleigh.com/

ADGP :: Round 3, The Twilight Throwdown

Grant — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 22:09:32 +0000

The Australian Drift Grand Prix has been up and running for the last five years. Every year, the competition continues to get more fierce, amidst competitors rebuilding their cars nearly every round. These cars continue to get lighter with new engine configurations every round that not only push the boundary’s but also push the budget.

Round 3 took place in South Australia at the well known Mallala race track, being only a one hour drive from Adelaide this track is very accessible for those who live in Adelaide. But, if you have driven from Melbourne it is a 9-hour trip with 3 cans of V and lots of bad food.

It was great to see that Micheal Bonney had made the trip up with his trusty s15! complete with new livery design and a few little aero add-ons.
Mallala is a very flat and open track, great if you’re trying to track predators yet not super interesting to the eye. The track is similar to Winton Race Way in the fact that it is a very dry wide open track, the advantage of this is if you mess up your not really going to hit anything but sandtraps.

In all my time I have never seen a temporary grandstand made permanent, constructed of compressed wood boards and scaffolding this grandstand had some serious character. Walking on this was like a chose your own adventure book, patched together like an inherited patchwork quilt. With every step you could feel this raw construction gowning underweight, with one wrong step and you could plummet to the ground!

Rob Whyte’s car looked as though it was having some early morning teething problems, yet i was confident we would see him and his wild machine on track regardless of any problems the car was having.

The always hard charging Micheal Rosenblatt was back in great form, the car looked fantastic and his driving was quickly on point.

This was only the second time Rob Whytes new car had competed this year. Although he has taken out the championship many years in a row this year looks to be his hardest on record.

This car is the second loudest car I have every witnessed with its all new modified sprint car v8! the sound literally causes your inner ear to retreat further into your skull for protection. Josh Boettcher is a serious contender! well traveled with a huge amount of experience and tonnes of talent.

Drivers had free run of the track most of the day with no local club traffic to deal with! this meant the pro’s could really get a great handle on the track’s layout. Getting as close to the clipping points while keeping up the speed on this track was the main aim! While many couldn’t get the snap transition into the second corner quite right, Josh Boettcher looked to have no trouble with this section at all.

After the middle snap transition was a long corner that seemed to continue forever, Some drivers could turn this into great angle near the end of the corner while other chose to maintain a medium angle around the whole corner.

Brent Gordon has really stepped up his game! Qualifying first! beating a whole host of super experienced pro’s while navigating the clipping points like his car was on rails.

Battle weapon always puts on a great show! Finny O’hare really know what he his doing behind the wheel yet when those competition nerves get the best of him sometimes he makes silly mistakes.
Putting down some solid runs Finny managed to Qualify tenth position setting himself right in the middle of the pack.

The R31 skyline is over 20 years old, but this chassis can still hold its own against some of the most modern cars of today. Jack Widdas keeps being knocked out by the top 5 drivers in the championship only because he often gets a raw deal when it comes to the top 16. We predict that next season he will move from the top ten group up into the top 5.

The top 32 battles were over very quickly with not many re-runs or stoppages during the competition. The top 16 grid looked ready for war with many of the drivers gaining surprise entry’s into the top 16. One being Catherine May who had earlier struggled with the course but now had forged her way up the ladder with some big names making mistakes early.

Being a great driver across many disciplines takes incredible skill! Shane Van Gisbergen is one driver that not only competes in V8 Supercars, but also has driven at WTAC and now has found himself a spot in the Australian Drift Grand Prix. Qualifying filth with some incredible entry speeds plus great proximity to the clipping points shows that Shane know’s how to play the game.

The most violent car of the day was Michael Bonney’s crazy powerful S15. Michael’s car had such an extreme transitional snap whenever the handbrake was touched! it was like the car could go from lock to opposite lock within a fraction of a second.

Already known as one of the nicest guys in drift Matt Russell ended up sharing his car with Jarred Klingberg due to jarred’s car suffering a major engine problem in the top 32 battles.

Matt Russell always finds himself up against a super powerful car and often the power outweighs the light nimble AE86. With Some great chase runs and plenty of flair Matt fought hard to finish in the top 8.

The hero of the day was Micheal Rosenblatt! like a possessed warrior he took down many high ranking officers. It was a shame not to see Beau Yates up against Rosenblatt! unfortunately, Beau could not get the new engine swap complete in his Toyota 86 quick enough to compete in Round 3.

A true nail biting set of finals were on the cards with Rob Whyte out the championship was suddenly wide open for Nick Coulson / Micheal Rosenblatt the winner of this battle would determine the current leader of the series.

Levi Clarke is a strong contented and it was no surprise to see him in the final of round 3 up against the hard charging Rosenblatt! Never afraid of a chase

A well deserved win went to Micheal Rosenblatt, he knocked out the best of the best to claim the win with Levi Clarke hot on his heels in second place. Third place went to Brent Gordon who along with Micheal Rosenblatt were the stand out drivers of the day. With only one more round to go in the championship and just eighteen points separating the top two drivers anything could happen!
Thanks for reading,
Grant

ADGP round 4 :: The 2013/14 Championship Conclusion

Grant — Mon, 26 May 2014 08:53:58 +0000

With more than 40 cars due to hit the track and pit crews working feverishly, the morning air smelled like sweet E85. After a year the Australian Drift Grand Prix has traveled all around Australia and returned to Calder Park for the final round of the championship.

The pits were alive with the sound of wild horse power but the track was dormant. Soon thousands of dollars worth of tyres were about to be embedded into Melbourne’s home of motorsport Calder Park Raceway.

In the early morning many were hurrying to apply new sponsor stickers as they quickly unloaded their trailer loads of tyres and tools.

Prosnik’s car was running a different set of wheels this weekend making the S13 look even more aggressive than usual. This new bling helped to intimidate the competition whilst showing them that Prosnik is here to stay and is a real threat in the world of drift within Australia.

Beau Yates was finally back in the seat of his very well prepared Toyota sponsored 86. Probably the best modified 86 within Australia complete with the extensively modded Boxer engine. No cheating here; only hard work, dedication and a hell of a lot of testing / tuning.

This S14 is not just a pretty face! It is one serious drift weapon with years and years of high level experience. John Papadopoulos is the man behind this great looking Silvia. It was looking better than it had for many years but as we all know drift has a way of tarnishing the silverware.

A very strange Commodore was showing some Nissans how it’s done. A turbo Commodore? It is not a VL! How could this be? It is not a V8! It’s a Nissan in disguise!

A relative newcomer to ADGP; Finny O’Hare with his battle weapon r33 was showing the crowd how it is done. Because this course closely resembled the one set up for Formula Drift Asia it was very challenging for many drivers who had not experienced this type of layout before.

Ryan was throwing it hard at this wall and Andrew Hawkins took the opportunity to capture the action. Every driver has their own style yet the crowd really loves the drivers that show personality through their driving.

Ryan was looking good Saturday but by Sunday things started to go wrong. First there was loosing a lead run against Jabbot because of an intercooler pipe that blew off and then other steering issues. This was not what he had planned for the weekend.

The widest R32 competing in ADGP has to be Michael Rosenblatt’s. This car has seen its fair set of changes since the series started and I’m sure this car will continue to transform in the newcoming season.

Consistent performance is the key to success although Michael regularly places in the top ten during most rounds. His continued achievements over 2013 are setting him up for even better results in 2014.

Not only were the national drivers impressing the judges but also some of the drivers competing in the state competition like Brent Gordon.

Probably the best looking helmet design in ADGP John Papadopoulos knows how to present a professional drift team. Although helmet designs are something not all drivers think about it’s one of those things that can help set your team apart from others.

The cool elephant skin pattern also extended onto the car livery. John wasn’t hitting the clipping points as well as the judges wanted but he kept pushing it all weekend and soon got a good handle on this advanced track layout.

Josh was putting it all on the line desperately striving for a top result. His initial entries were ferocious! No one else was giving the first corner as much commitment as Josh.

On the Saturday the rain hit only for an hour or so but it was enough to drastically change track conditions for the worst. Some drivers could handle the damp track whilst others spun out more than once per lap.

The rain slowed down the drift action which gave the drivers a chance to practice wall proximity.

This was a sure sign that the grip was returning to the track. Having a tyre rip off your car while going sideways at speed is not all shits and giggles. Alex kept his drift on! The crowd loved it and cheered!

The track soon dried up and the smoke returned much to the crowds delight. From that point on the drifting got better and better.

For the first time the other side of the track was opened up to spectators. A serious portion of the giant thistles had been removed and new concrete seating had been constructed. This gave the crowd a chance to see the show from a new perspective.

James Abbott (Jabbot) certainly knows how to hype up the crowd! A great driver with more ‘flare’ than finesse; but super high entertainment value!

Here you can see Josh midway through a wheel throw. He was constantly attacking the course with the same intensity he arrived with.

This R33 was laying down some serious skids with plenty of gusto! It was making real power off the first downhill sweeping corner.

3 Fingers Neat always put on a good show! With plenty of 2j power Schembri would bake the finish line to give the crowd a good soaking of tyre spray.

An unexpected Jack Widdas took the #1 spot in national qualifying in the GH Haulage R31 Skyline.

With Rob Whyte looking on, Beau Yates managed to put in a killer performance during qualifying to secure #2 spot with Dale Campaign coming in a close third.

I have never heard of a drift car running off straight gas until now! Meet Sean’s crowd pleasing XP Falcon complete with Au 4ltr turbo engine.

Everything is getting better at drift events and even the food! That’s right we occasionally stop to grab a bite!

The defending champion was pushing hard to put points on the board. He suffered from a few car dramas over the weekend but held it together and put in a respectable performance.

Had Rob Whyte done enough to hang on to the championship for a second time? The points were incredibly close. Andrew Hawkins kept his cards close to his chest and we would only find out after the final battle.

Three top level drivers all in one shot. Unfortunately none of them could stop Beau or Prosnik from battling their way to the top.

This was the best drifting I had seen this year period! Beau Yates had the 86 screaming and scraping doors with Michael Rosenblatt. The battle got replayed several times and each time it was so incredibly close that the judges had a very hard time picking a winner.

When these epic battles were over the ADGP media crew rushed to interview them and to let Beau know that he was through into the next battle. Michael Rosenblatt performance was so good that the subsequent final battles were boring in comparison. Michael had stuck to Beau’s door like glue and nobody came close to repeating that feat.

Putting Victoria on the map was the peoples champ Michael Prosnik, complete with his own cheer squad / crew. He placed second over the weekend and third overall in the championship.

Beau Yates took out first place winning his first round of this season! The 86 did not miss a beat and it was great to finally see Beau back on the podium where he belongs.

Our driver Jason Ferron continues to kick goals with a third placing in the state competition. He had some seriously close battles against Brad Tuohy and Brent Gordon but luckily got himself onto the podium.

Rob Whyte almost lost the championship to Nick Coulson! However, he had just had enough points to win his second ADGP championship in a row. Winning back to back championships is no easy task. Can the man repeat his performance in the new upcoming season of ADGP? Only time will tell…

ADGP Round 3 :: Sydney Motorsport Park

Grant — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 05:57:44 +0000

Round three of the Australian Drift Grand Prix was set to be a very interesting round in the series after a not so predictable 2nd round in Western Australia.
The last round saw some fresh names on the podium at the end of the day, Matt Harvey took 1st, Victoria’s own Matt Russel taking 2nd and Dale Campaign scored 3rd.
So coming into the third round the championship points weren’t in anyone’s favor so all the drivers were going to be pushing their cars and their abilities to the absolute limit!!

The drivers are split into two classes, state and national. Those in state can try and earn their place into the national series which is usually reserved for those competing in all 4 rounds.
The schedule remains the same as any other round, one full day of qualifying and then a full day of competition.

Both days were scorchers with temps in the high 30’s the cars and spectators were feeling the effects of the sun all weekend long.

This was going to be an exciting round for us as we were cheering on our very own Jason Ferron who has become quite the wild card with some fantastic battles under his belt.

With every drift event held in Sydney there is always a heap of local talent present track side, something must be in the water here because they always have the best looking drift cars in the country.

Simon Michelmore was one to keep your eyes on with a fresh build completed in a new shell his S14 should be more competitive than ever!

The usual suspects of the national series during the drivers briefing.

Ryan ‘Slide’ Cummings is easily one of the best looking cars around.

With his fare share of mechanical miss-haps in the last 12 months we were hoping Ryan would finally have his day.

With last minute prep complete the drivers got ready for the practice sessions followed by qualifying.

Jarrad Klingberg took out the number 1 qualifier not only in his state class but was the highest score of the day beating Insane Drifters Agges by just 1 point!!

Agges put down one of the cleanest qualifying laps we seen in the competition. Here’s a video of the very solid run. Click here.

Levi Clarke in the stupidly photogenic V8 powered S15 pulled out number two qualifier in the national class and third highest for the day.

South Australia’s Jack Widdas scored a 67 which left him in 3rd place.

Cameron Mote took 3rd place in the state division with a score of 59.5 which would have put him in the top 10 of the national class to give you guys a comparison.

Matt Harvey missed the beat but still landed in number 7 spot.

Unfortunately Elliot Wylie had a spin and scored a zero. Points aside we have a big soft spot for this Laurel, after the epic David vs Goliath battle at last years Formula D event here in Melbourne where Wylie lent this car to Tom Monkhouse to go on to take 2nd place against Daigo Saito

Insane drifter Papa was also at the opposite end of the points only scoring 34, off a 4th place win form the previous round Papa had his work cut out for him.

It seems that the heat was getting to both the cars and the drivers with several spins and some break downs.

Ben Purtel was in fine form qualifying just half a point ahead of Andy Gray! Which landed him in number 9.

Nic Wilson was sporting a fresh make over on his wild looking Toyota Saloon. The JZX90 Chaser was wearing the wing of all wings built by Victorian specialists Topstage Composites.

Hit N’ Run drift crew’s Pistol Pete was out in force in the bedroom poster worthy 6 liter V8 equipped S15, yes it sounds as nice as it looks.

The only rotary of the competition was not off to a good start missing out on a spot in the 16 of the state division.

The drift Syndicate VE was still looking fresh after Max Orido put it through it’s paces during WTAC last year.

Steven Bramford placed 10th in the state division in his gorgeous sparkly Silvia.

We were drawn to his car like moths to a bug zapper, the electric blue paint was stunning from every angle!

Day 2 was the business end of the competition with the battles taking place and the usual affair of the pit walk and drivers signing session.

Klingberg’s hood art was being proudly displayed after yesterdays number 1 score.

Levi’s S15 is an astonishingly detailed car, we love the chrome elements on to the wing.

Ender was sitting mid field with a score of 47 from yesterday, his first battle was against Nick ‘The Drift Kid’ Coulson in his black VE Ute.

Ender straightened up on his chase run and then called a 5 minute rule after having issues with his gear selector.
On the lead run the 2J swapped S13 powered up the hill but Nick was right along there with him taking the win from Ender.

Who said coloured smoke tyres were dead? Sydney’s Drift Mob Anthony Bilic was frying them up the hill until he hit the dirt.

Blaze Unit’s Jabbit was looking good against Agges but unfortunately gearbox issues meant Jabbit couldn’t continue giving the Insane drifters driver the win.

In a battle of Aussie VS Import, foreign driver Andy took the win in his Toyota Chaser against Hayden Buckham in the blue VE Ute.

Papa was pulling out all the stops on his chase run against South Australian Dale Campaign…

Dale fought back on his chase run forcing a re-run. Which put the pressure on Papa…

Causing a spin which meant Dale went through in the grey Sileighty.

Klingberg’s winning streak didn’t stop taking the win against Jason Ferron thanks to some of the most aggressive driving we saw all weekend!

Schembri vs Michelmore was an extremely close battle which meant another one more time giving Simon the win after both battles.

Rob Whyte in the Achillies 350Z fought a hard battle against Dale and it was too close to call, after a one more time re-run Rob took the win.

Levi came back strong after several issues earlier in the day, however Chris in the Red R32 was hot on his tail.

The battle of the V8 swapped Nissans was won by Levi after a very, very close fight.

Matt Harvey’s little KE Corolla was all over Ryan ‘Slide’ Cummings S13 during the chase run, Ryan’s straighten up during Matt’s lead run sent Ryan home for the day.

Matt just couldn’t close the gap on Michelmores purple S14.

On Matt’s lead run Simon was just centimeters away in the S14, Simon’s performance gave him the win.

It seems that Beau Yates just hasn’t had enough seat time in his new 86, Beau spun on both his lead and chase runs.

Josh Boettcher was in the middle of a tough battle with dale when he missed a gear, according to the judges the pair would have gone again in a re-run if Josh didn’t miss shift.

Schembri stayed glued to the door of the GH Haulage Cefiro piloted by Justin Codr, Schembri took the win.

Nick and Jack fought hard and the judges called “one more” time, the second battle saw Nick Coulson edge away from the 31 Skyline giving the Drift Kid and the VE Ute the win.

Matt Russel fought the good fight in the little AE86 but lost against the might power thumping away under Levi’s bonnet.

Michael Prosnick was ahead after an awesome lead run away from Whyte, however on the chase Prosnick straightened in the NASCAR styled S13 and lost.

Simon and rob pushed so hard the two cars collided.

After a brief break the judges reviewed the on board cameras and deemed Simon to be at fault giving Rob the win.
Simon’s S14 was towed back to the pits were the crew rushed to get him back up and running for his final battle.

Now in the pointy end of the day cars were crashing left, right and center! Andy Gray had a huge hit with Levi Clarke, both cars needed to be towed back and the teams began mending the damage in a hope to get them both back out.

It seems you can give drifters a busted car, a pack of zipties and tape and they become master panel beaters. Levi Clarke was back out in force for a dramatic final battle with Rob Whyte.
If you look closely you can just make out Rob’s car in the smoke behind Levi’s car.

Rob over corrected and straightened up handing the win over to Levi Clarke, giving Levi his first podium finish in the series.

To end the epic weekend of skids, heat and dramas was a heap of trophies and ice cold champagne ready to shower the winners in.

All the cars looked worse for wear, you can’t be afraid to break a few eggs to win.

The winners of the national series.
1. Levi Clarke
2. Rob Whyte
3. Andy Gray

This was by far the most exciting round of the series yet and was a true show of great sportsmanship with the top 4 battles all ending in collisions and all the teams lending a hand to repair the damage to finish the show.
Ben Purtell lent his front suspension components to Simon Michelmore while Rob Whyte’s team helped repair Levi’s car before their battle together that decided the number 1 finish for the day!!
Where else would you see someone help their opponent out to effectively help them beat you?
Drift is only going up in Australia.
The next round returns to the Thunder Dome here in Melbourne where the top 10 all have a shot at being the series winner for 2014!!
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.
All photos courtesy of Robert Mochetti | Full Motion Photography

Jason Ferron :: Choc Mint R31 Drifter

Grant — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 08:49:18 +0000

Jason Ferron may not be a name you know however we’re pretty sure you will remember his bright yellow R31 V8 drift chariot…
The car has now undergone a fresh makeover just in time for WTAC and Jason is set to leave his mark on Sydney Motorsport Park this week.

Off the back of his 2nd place win for the 2013 Vicdrift/Road King Chassis championship, Jason hasn’t rested. Instead he has been spending the last four weeks refreshing his competition winning R31 ready for the 2014 drift season and WTAC team drift competition.

In just three short years, Jason has taken to the sport of drifting like a fish to water.
Starting at the age of 20 with a close to stock R31 Skyline and as Jason improved, so did the car. It’s now sporting a 5.7 litre V8 engine, tuned to a healthy 273rwkw thanks to the team at Chequered Tuning.

“Not another V8 swapped Nissan?!” While many argue against such a conversion, you cannot argue with the results! With a majority of the professional drift field running big powerful V8 motors, it can be an expensive path to try and match their performance with a smaller capacity engine.

At the age of just 23, Jason is still a privateer, so budgets are strict to ensure he can keep driving regularly and as the saying goes ‘if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em’. The choice to swap in the late model V8 motor was a no brainer and Jason hasn’t looked back since with numerous wins under his belt.

The most noticeable change to the Skyline has been the colour change from the iconic bright yellow to this very minty fresh blue! The team drift competition at WTAC this week will be the debut event for the freshly made over car.
All the paint work was carried out by HG Autobody and photos just don’t do it justice!

Now with his sights on the national Australian Drifting Grand Prix series next year, Jason has reached out to business small or large to help him realise his dreams.

Drifting is an expensive sport it seems – with 3 laps on a practice day using up a set of tyres!!

Thankfully local tyre shop and experts on all things that grip, shift or slide, Inverse Tyres help ease the damage caused to Jason’s wallet after each and every lap.

Jason’s tyres of choice have been a mix between Achilles 123’s and Nankang NS-2R’s. When it is just for fun though, the R31 Skyline slides on a set of Nexen 600 for practice days.

Steering the 3 piece Heart Racing mesh wheels are a set of S13 JDI Fabrication knuckles, a popular choice by the vast majority of local drifters.

The interior of this R31 is a simple affair. You won’t see any flashy colours, gauges or other distracting elements.
A Cams approved half cage, bucket seats and a Nardi steering wheel is all that is needed to complete this look.

Jason’s simple setup has proven to be a success, with reliable power up front, a host of suspension mods and a hydraulic handbrake taking care of the rear.

Jason and his R31 have been on an incredible journey so far and the future is looking bright with WTAC’s team drift challenge this week and then the 2014 ADGP series next year.

We have no doubt that with a few more stickers added to his doors we may just see Jason at the pointy end of the ADGP field next year! If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor then do not hesitate to get in contact.

The GSS team will be following Jason and his minty R31 and will no doubt be keeping you guys up to date throughout all the competitions he attends. Between the updates on our page, you can keep up with all the latest by following Jason on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/jasonferrondrift
Thanks for reading,
Gwyn.

Formula Drift Asia :: Melbourne 2013

Grant — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:47:44 +0000

Last month Melbourne was blown away by one of the biggest events of it’s kind, Formula Drift Asia (FD). FD crossed the seas and arrived on our shore to set up camp at Melbourne’s Calder Park Raceway with quite literally the biggest names in drift motor sport. They were all set to compete as the worlds eyes were on this humble little garden state at the bottom of Australia.
If that wasn’t enough to wet your drifting taste buds, Melbourne goers were treated to a full round of drift battles the day before FD thanks to the Australian Drifting Grand Prix (ADGP) who were a massive piece of the puzzle for this monumental event.
You can check out all the action from our ADGP post coming soon (watch this space).

We arrived super early to see the course literally transformed overnight from the previous days’ ADGP layout. The new setup was a much needed injection of excitement from the now three year old ADGP course.
The new format was run backwards in comparison and had a huge slow speed hairpin right before the finish line and all sitting just beneath the grandstands! This was going to be the biggest drift event of its kind in Australia!!

Just across from us we could see the starting line. Here the judges and drivers began their track walk/drivers briefing and this was something we’ve never seen done here before and it really is a great idea.

Driver’s were taken corner to corner by the judges and given explanations of what exactly it is they will be looking for during their qualifying runs and of course their battles.

All the drivers were giving their full attention during the briefing. Mike and his spotters were all ears hoping to pick up some useful information to give them an advantage.

During the walk we stopped at each and every clipping point and all the drivers got a chance to ask plenty of questions. This is an approach we would love to see adopted by many of the drift competitions around Australia as the sport is really starting to mature and the drivers looked like they appreciated the extra tuition.

With the rules laid out in black and white, it was time to warm up some engines and win a drift competition!! Their faces said it all!

There was time for a quick pit walk before the practice session started and before any of the spectators were allowed in. So first up we stopped by to see Mad Mikes’ garage away from home. Everything Mike and the team touches is finished to an amazing level of detail, the teams tyre rack and tool box was rolling on cambered go kart wheels and was wrapped in vinyl to match the car!

Easily the biggest team at the event was RSR with the debut of their NASCAR powered Toyota 86, they weren’t running any risks and were constantly checking the cars’ fluids after each and every run throughout the day.
The team were all in uniform and even had their own scooters which they used to race up to the spotters tower when Fredric was heading out in the car for a battle.

The car and team that surprised us the most however was reigning champ Daigo and his monstrous Lexus.
There were no fancy uniforms or over the top tool kits, just the right people and one hell of a driver behind one of the best setup cars we’ve seen in person.

Not for the faint hearted, the original power plant has been ditched in favour of a 1200hp Toyota 2JZ with a massive single turbo hanging off the side.
All of this comes together and matches Daigo’s aggressive driving style to create a package that is extremely hard to beat!

Soon it was time to watch the practice laps and then the qualifying ones shortly after. One of the first drivers out on the track was the man himself, Daigo and only moments from leaving the start line there was an issue. The boot was not secured properly and lifted off the car taking the wing along with it and not long after that he came off track and the front bar also found itself detached from the car.
All this and just in the practice session! It was amazing to see someone with so many wins under their belt and surely a huge amount of confidence to still be driving to their limit!

Alex Kantarovski is a relatively unknown driver here but believe it or not, Alex is a local boy who competed in the early years of FD Asia back in Thailand. When he heard FD was coming to town he eagerly put his hand up!

Another crowd favourite that was also having some issues during the practice laps was Mad Mike. One of the first laps out on the track and he came off course destroying his rear bumper.

His crew looking on from the side lines began the quick sprint back to the pits to wait for Mike to bring the car in to asses the damage.

A rather exposed looking rear end after the incident meant we could get a look at the amazing work underneath all those panels, this is what a competitive drift car looks like underneath all the metal and fiberglass.

Not long after this though, Mike was back out on the track bringing his famous soundtrack of quad rotor goodness to our ears…

Regardless of how good the rotary sounded, it was just a tiny boombox compared to the rock concert that this American built 5.8L NASCAR engine produced!!!
Here you can see the Winters/ATS diff combo taking a beating on the rough surface of the Thunderdome and lap after lap the car continued the sparks show with no apparent mechanical problems developing.

However being the first ever event for the newly built 86 the team had a lot of fine tuning to do and there was no hiding that Fredric Aasbo was finding the car to be quite a handful.
This is really a testament to his driving though as the car looked faultless in each and every run but it took every bit of concentration to drive it and it was next to impossible to hear any information from his spotters over the radio in his helmet as the car really is that loud!!

Now on to some of the local talent. Six lucky drivers earned their Formula Drift license from the previous days battles during the ADGP round.
Agges from the Insane drifters was the last of the 6 to claim their entry into the FD competition and unfortunately he didn’t find his groove and made contact with a wall on his qualifying lap and wasn’t able to move through to the top 16.

Wild card Tom Monkhouse managed to win 2nd place at the ADGP round in a borrowed S14 and then with his FD license in hand he borrowed this clean Nissan Laurel to qualify 7th amongst many top level drivers!!!

Jarod and Ryan from Formula Drift USA were over from the states to help host the event with the voices we all know and love from countless early Sunday morning live streams from the Formula Drift website.

Before the comp really kicked off there was a lunch break and drivers signing session. Eager fans lined up to see their favourite drivers and waited in line for 45 minutes just to get an autograph.

Just moments before the race kicked off we listened into the final drivers meeting discussing the do’s and dont’s of the battles ahead.

Daigo doesn’t speak a word of English so he needed to have everything translated after the meeting.

Mad Mike sitting and listening in, we don’t get it though… He never seems all that mad?!

There was one last distraction between all the door to door, tyre destroying action. as all of the top 16 drivers gathered at the finishing line with their cars for a quiet moment as the Australian national anthem was played, something we’ve never experienced at a local motorsport event before!

After the Anthem each driver was introduced and then given some t-shirts to throw out into the crowd. In a flash the drivers were back in their cars and headed back to the start line for the competition to unfold.

Another fun element we saw earlier in the day was a team drifting mini competition. The aim was for drivers to pair up and attempt to overtake each other mid-drift through each corner like a game of drifting leap frog.
Here Mike missed the mark and just began sliding towards the wall, narrowly missing Jake by the smallest of margins!

Daigo went for his team drift run with local Achilles sponsored driver Rob Whyte in his 350Z. Daigo set it up with a perfect entry into the corner.

Rob gave the throttle a squirt and crossed in front of Daigo but over judged it and ran wide and off into the grass ripping apart his rear bumper and sending rocks and debris flying into the air!

Once Rob corrected though, he eased back off and Daigo went for his pass without a problem and both drivers finished relatively unscathed.

After the team battles it was time for one last lot of practice laps before the top 16 kicked off. This time the practice was in a battle format and Mad Mike went up with Khudar, one of the top 6 ADGP drivers.

Both drivers held back just a little as there was nothing on the line so it was all just for a bit of fun.

The RS*R FT86 stretched it’s legs around the walls of Calder Park deafening us as it transformed fuel into horsepower…

This is easily the most exciting new build in the drift scene worldwide. We can’t wait to see someone else try to top this combination.

We were hoping to see Daigo and Fredric go head to head here in Melbourne as just weeks earlier, the pair fought each other in a fierce battle back in the USA. Daigo took the win and Fredric seems to be the kind of guy who doesn’t forget these sorts of things easily.
You could see the determination in his eyes all weekend – boy was he was focused!!

Alex seemed to have brushed off any cobwebs by this point and was truly coming alive blazing the tyres in front of the grand stands.

Then all necks were snapped as the crowd realised Daigo and Mike were racing off the start line for a practice battle and it seemed this time neither driver was holding back!

Daigo powered past us chasing down Mad Mike with the red mist descending over Daigo it seems he missed Mike, slowing for the next corner and contact was made between the two cars…

There was a slight pause and then everyone rushed to the fence to see the damage first hand. Slowly Mike crawled out from behind the obscured corner with the damage hidden from sight and we all waited to see the front of Daigo’s Lexus to see how just hard the hit was.

It seems it was hard enough but realistically it could have been a lot worse. Both cars had no mechanical faults and the teams soon had cars un-crumpled and ready for battle action in the top 16.

Jake Jones seemed to be stumbling with some steering issues throughout the morning practice but after the lunch break he was back to his former self… Maybe he just needed a Snickers? Who knows, but the Drift Squid was back and killing it!

Josh Boettcher was showing no signs of fatigue after battling all day at the ADGP event beforehand. He was guaranteed a spot in the FD round after winning rookie of the year in FD Asia 2011 and getting close to a win at one of the rounds in 2012.

Little did we know that aside from the ‘hero’ drivers like Daigo, Robbie and Fredric there were also a heap of other international drivers competing as well which made for a massive surprise.
Nattawoot “Oat” Krerpradab was the most consistent of the unknown Asian drivers, showing great lines and a massive amount of smoke for good measure!

Another surprise driver from Asia doing remarkably well was Mico who was in a borrowed car from local Josh Boettcher. This also happened to be young Mico’s first ever Formula Drift event!! Not a bad effort for someone just 16 years of age!!

Homegrown SA drifter Tom Monkhouse took the win against Robbie Nishida moving into the top 8 and things were starting to get serious for Tom in this competition!!

One of the battles that is still being talked about since was this fierce battle between Fredric and QLD drifter Nick Coulson. The two V8 powered machines sent chills down the spectators spines as they thrashed their way around the Thunderdome.

The judges made their decision and gave Fredric the win as he had the better lines throughout the lead and chase laps but Nick really did the Aussies proud with one of the finest battles of the day!

Another exciting top 8 battle was Jake ‘Drift Squid’ Jones against Daigo!

Jake gave it all he could but was it enough to match Daigo ‘The Ninja’ Saito’s aggressive driving style?

The cars waited for the verdict… Daigo was awarded the win but Jake will get the opportunity to battle Daigo once again later this year for the drift challange at WTAC.

Championship winner Rob Whyte went up against Fredric and held on rather well for the chase run but it was no match for the proximity of Fredric on his chase run practically touching Rob’s bumper through each and every corner!

Mad Mike was knocked out early in a battle that pitted RX7 against RX7. Mike was chasing Thailand driver Oat into the first corner and he did not allow enough room for Oat’s trademark handbrake initiation into the first corner which meant Mike had no where to go and spun nearly smashing into the wall!
Mike was knocked out and did not progress into the top 8.

The top 4 saw Daigo and Fredric go door to door, this was easily the high point of the battles that day. This was drift racing at it’s finest!

Throughout the short track, Daigo did not leave Fredric’s side, giving Daigo the win!

Next we saw Boettcher battle Fredric for the final podium position.

Then Fredric the ‘Norwegian Hammer’ was knocked out by QLD drifter Josh and finished the day in 4th place. Not bad for a relatively brand new and untested car!!

With Josh sitting happily in 3rd place it was time to see who finished in 1st and 2nd. The final battle was between Daigo (no surprises there!) and Tom Monkhouse… Tom Monkhouse??? Yep local SA drifter Tom was now competing for a guaranteed 1st or 2nd spot on the Formula Drift Asia podium against the worlds number 1 competitive drifter… In a borrowed Nissan Laurel!! One of the best motorsport moments we have witnessed so far!
With some killer lines and proximity from both drivers we would not have been surprised if the judges declared a ‘one more time’ making both drivings battle again, after a short wait a win was decided and all the drivers were rushed to the stage for the verdict to be announced followed by a short award ceremony.

So who won?? Daigo took out 1st, Tom Monkhouse blew the crowd away and grabbed 2nd, Josh Boettcher in 3rd. Fredric and Robbie also scored the team drift award for their well executed performance together!

With the trophies handed out it was time for a celebrator champagne shower!!

After the award ceremony we headed up to the conference room to catch a few last words from our podium finishers, we don’t think that any of the nights proceedings had sunk in for Tom yet.
We’re sure he and his teammates and friends partied the night away to celebrate such a win, as for Daigo he is used to being in the number one spot and seemed humbled and content with his performance.
All in all this was easily the best event we have had the pleasure of covering, in the weeks that have passed since the big day we still find ourselves on a dizzying high looking over these images and we hope the crowds were large enough to entice Formula Drift Asia to return the series to our shores. Regardless of it’s return to Australia we feel a trip over to Asia will be on the cards to follow the series back home!
Until then we would like to thank the Formula Drift Asia and USA crews for putting on such a great show and all of the international drivers for coming out and giving it all they could.
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.

Video :: Australian Drift Grand Prix Calder Park

Grant — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:56:19 +0000

The Hot Seat :: Fredric Aasbo

Grant — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:11:35 +0000

Formula Drift Asia’s inaugural event here in Melbourne is just days away… Days!!!
This weekend Calderpark Raceway will be alive with the sound of screeching tyres and limiter bashing and Sunday will see some of the biggest names from all over the world going head to head along the walls of the Thunder Dome!
We caught up with Daigo Saito for a few questions in the lead up to the event and this week we are talking with Fredric Aasbo aka “The Hammer” from Norway!!
Fredric is bringing the freshly built RS-R GT86 from Japan, sporting an insane TRD Nascar V8 and this will be the cars first ever competition right here in Melbourne!!!

GSS: Hi Fredric, firstly we would love to start by asking you some questions about your success in not only Europe but around the world but we’re dying to know more about the car you’ll be driving in Australia! Tell us about how this crazy build came to be and how you ended up being handed the keys so to speak?

Fredric: Well, thank you! This has actually been in the works for a long time. I met the RS-R executives in Abu Dhabi in 2011. We won the Formula Drift Invitational over there in our very basic Japan Auto Toyota Supra, and they complemented our performance out there. Since then, we've been talking and trying to work something out together.

GSS: A NASCAR V8 motor is one of the crazier engine conversions we have heard of, have you had much time behind the wheel? what are your thoughts on its performance for drifting?

Fredric: I got to test the car at Suzuka Twin Circuit in Japan in February and it's such a different animal to what I'm used to. The response and throttle linearity is second to none, and RS-R really did their homework by putting in a milder cam which makes it better suited for drifting. Some of RS-R's changes over a typical NASCAR Nationwide motor setup has actually trickled down from my american team Papadakis Racing's V8 program in Formula Drift back in '09 and '10, so this is really a family get together sort of project.

GSS: We understand you’ll be sharing the car with Max Orido for this season of FD Asia, are you worried about returning the car with any scratches after its debut here on the slopes of the Calderpark Thunder Dome or will we get to see you driving as hard as you can in some amazing battles?

Fredric: Well, scratching is one thing but finishing the event is another - scratches are fine as long as they help you move forward and don't take you out. As of right now I know very little about the course and how it's set up, and RS-R has also carried out several changes since I drove the car in February. I am not worried about going hard, but I need to be able to work into it and I can't wait to give it my all trying to tame this animal!

GSS: You have gone from stride to stride, driving alongside some of the world’s best and picked up some incredible sponsors along the way. Can you tell us about the first time you realised you made the ‘big’ league?

Fredric: It's hard to pick one single event, because it's been such a step by step progress. Taking out past champions in our first Formula Drift rookie events was huge for us, and earning the Rookie of the Year title after competing at only 5 out of 7 events was also an incredible dream come true. But, it's the small things that matter the most, and the times where struggle hard and then are able to somehow pull out of it make for the best memories.

GSS: Being only 27 years old you still have many years ahead of you and your career, what’s next? Any big plans ahead?

Fredric: The big goal is obviously to win championships, and I have a lot left to learn. But along the way, I do my best to work closely with partners and sponsors and generate new opportunities for all of us. It's been extremely cool to see how different cultures work and what's really going on behind the scenes...

GSS: So when you’re not behind the wheel at one of the many drift comps of the year, where would we find you? How do you unwind?

Fredric: I hit the lakes with my buddies, or fire up the BBQ. I spend my offseason in Norway and it's very important for me to spend some quality time with my old buddies, and winter time, we usually go up in the mountain passes or on the frozen lakes and drift, board, ski and whatever else is fun. I feel like I get to see a lot of contrasts and that makes me feel very lucky.

GSS: With some inspiration from the “no expense spared” RS-R GT86 what would your ultimate drift or street car build be? what’s your idea of the ‘perfect’ car?

Fredric: Hm, that's tricky. I think the perfect road car for a guy like me would be a new, fifth gen Supra...

GSS: Have you been given any hot tips on any of the local or NZ based drivers competing here in Melbourne? Who’ll be on your radar?

Fredric: I've been following the D1NZ and Drift Australia series back in the days, and I know a lot of the ADGP are extremely competitive and fantastic tandem drivers. My Speedhunters team mate Mad Mike is coming over, which will be a great warm-up for our Speedhunters European Drift Tour. I am sincerely looking forward to coming to Australia for the first time, meeting everyone and mixing up on the track! See ya down under!!

Thanks for your time Fredric and we look forward to no only seeing you but hearing your car this weekend!

To purchase tickets for the event simply follow this link http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/Australian-Drifting-Grand-Prix-tickets/
For more details on the event head to the Australian Drifting GP site – http://trackbattle.com.au/adgp/
For more info on the drivers check out the Formula Drift Asia site – http://www.formuladriftasia.com/

This is the schedule for Sundays action, seriously if you’re only remotely interested in drifting this is the event to see!!
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.
Photos courtesy of Cheryl Tay and FD Asia

The Hot Seat :: Daigo Saito

Grant — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:22:20 +0000

In just over two weeks time, Melbourne will be turned on its’ head when Formula D Asia and a select group of drivers come to Calder Park for an action packed drift competition.
In the lead up to the race, we will be catching up with a few international drivers for a few quick questions.
First up we have caught up with Daigo Saito. He is referred to as the ‘greatest drifter in the world’ and we couldn’t wait to get to know a little bit more about him!

GSS: Daigo, you’re known as one of the best drifters in the world if not the best! What’s next? Will you continue your domination of the sport and defend your many titles, or are you thinking a long deserved break is on the cards soon?

Daigo: I am been fortunate enough with the support of my sponsors and teams to make it to the top of the mountain in the sport. It has been a dream to a large extent for me to be able to be the champion in Japan, USA and Asia, in my humble opinion, I do think I am the only driver to have won the tri-factor before. However, I have the utmost respect for all of my rivals, and to me, extending this run is going to be even harder. A lot of the fans do not realise how difficult it is to win even one round in Formula Drift, that so many elements have to come together such as mech support, car reliability, weather, driver skills before one gets to the podium.

GSS: If you did step back from drifting, is there any other forms of motorsport that interest you and that you would consider competing in?

Daigo: I think any type of rallying is interesting. To me that has a strong connection in drifting and rallying. Well I am actually interested in any kind of motorsport. However at this stage of my career, drifting is at the utmost top of my mind.  But if a sponsor wants to offer me a rally ride, would be game to try!

GSS: Given your success, you still seem very humble and grounded with your regular day to day work back home. Is it hard to sometimes just be a regular guy or do your prefer the peace and quiet after a big racing season?

Daigo: Well I'm always running around being busy and thinking of competition and drifting so my mind is never at rest. I used to have an off season, but as I now compete in Japan, and the Formula Drift Asia and USA series, I pretty much have a full schedule for the year. The driving styles and strategies also vary from continent to continent, hence I am using any down time I have to refine my driving skills and also finetune the car set-ups. A top-end drifter is only good as their equipment.

GSS: Having competed around the world have you had to make any adjustments to your own driving style to stay competitive in races against your rivals? For example how do the Japanese drivers differ from the US based drivers competing in the Formula D series and how do you adapt your style to win?

Daigo: There is clearly top-end talent in both Japan, USA and even in Asia. The talent pool in the Asia series has increased exponentially over the past few years. However, as drifting is a judged sport (very much like competitive figure skating), in order to gain success, one must drive according to what the judges want to see. Before each event, during the driver’s briefing, the expectations for the track is clearly laid out, and right away I start processing the changes I need to make. I do feel that my greatest strength in drifting is the ability to adapt, I am not fixated on any particular driving style (like being super aggressive, or overtly technical), I am only fixated on winning and will drive in whatever way is required for that.

GSS: So given that you’re driving two very different cars, how hard has it been to jump from one car to the other? Are there any noticeable differences in each cars ability and have you ever been caught off guard half way through a corner and thought you’re in the wrong car for that much speed or angle?

Daigo: I drive a Lexus ISC in Asia and a Lexus SC430 in the USA. So, even though both platforms are very similar, I have to adapt the car set-ups to the different layouts in both Asia and USA. The layouts in Asia tend to be more technical and tight, whereas the layouts in the USA tend to be more focused on speed and power. It was pretty confusing last year as it was my first time doing both regions, but by the end of last season, I pretty much got used to the switch. They are both my children, and as any parent would say, I love both equally!

GSS: Lastly, have you had a chance to check out some of the local talent that you’ll be competing against here in Australia? And who do you hope you’ll get a chance to battle with on the day?

Daigo: I know there is great talent out there and I am always looking forward to going against somebody new whoever they are. FD Australia would be my first time competing in Oz. Josh has been a great ambassador for Australian drifting the past few years, and we have many more “Joshes” in the Australia drift scene, I am sure we are all going to have a good time. I also recently participated in a exhibition event in Auckland, and there has also been alot of talk between the drifters of New Zealand and Australia. I also know that some of the top new Zealand drifters will be taking part in the Australia event, so as for the fan in me, I do think it would be a good friendly rivalry that would add to the excitement of the event.

We would like to thank Daigo for taking some time out of his busy schedule to have a chat with us and we look forward to seeing him and his monstrous Lexus on Sunday the 28th of April at Calder Park.
To purchase tickets for the event simply follow this link http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/Australian-Drifting-Grand-Prix-tickets/
For more details on the event head to the Australian Drifting GP site – http://trackbattle.com.au/adgp/
For more info on the drivers check out the Formula Drift Asia site – http://www.formuladriftasia.com/

Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.