David Steer – Gripshiftslide

Thai Fighter :: Carbon Clad 86

Grant — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 00:41:32 +0000

In our modern ‘connected’ world, we are spoiled with a constant flow of information and entertainment at our fingertips. and the ability to interact with friends both near and far. What was once a great distance, is now just a stone throw away.
Here at Gripshiftslide the team is over the moon to share with you our very first international feature car!! Thanks to the power of the internet, we have crossed nearly 6,000 kilometers and landed in Thailand, This is where we meet a young man named Som and one of the most aggressively styled and street driven Toyota 86’s getting around.
These Toyota’s have been selling like hot cakes since 2011. Many have been left untouched, while others have had complete transformations. We don’t know of any other car that has had so many examples that have gone ‘under the knife’ hot off the dealership floor.
So what has changed for Toyota and what has the 86 done to inject that little bit of excitement back into driving a car?

So let’s be honest here right from the get-go, Toyota has been a renowned brand worldwide for years now, but years gone by with more focus on affordability, bang for your buck and environmental awareness. One would have to say that these particular traits within a car firm would not always stir the perpetual ethanol infused blood of a driver wanting that bit extra for his dollar.

What we want is to feel something. We want that bit of controlled exhilaration behind the wheel of a car that makes our eyebrows jump, our stomachs turn just a little, and of course, the satisfaction
of a well-executed handbrake turn (thank you Mr. Clarkson).

Not taking anything away from such a flourished brand, but ideally speaking, things went rather quiet for Toyota after the Supra was removed from production circa 2002. This was until around 2010 when a concept was put into light which would ultimately turn out to be the car you see above. Personally I see the Toyota 86 at least 3 times on my way to work, and again a similar number on my way home, which speaks to their obvious popularity. But what makes them so popular to modify? I guess to accurately compare it, we’d have to briefly examine its predecessor, the AE86.

The above mentioned predecessor is now more than 20 years old and in 2007 I was actually given one as a loan car strangely enough in Brisbane while my Honda CRX was in for suspension
maintenance. At the time I wasn’t entirely aware of the cultural status this car had, but what I do remember was nice heavy steering, a very throaty roar from the 120hp motor
and surprisingly how well balanced that car was. You could take it round a corner, lightly lift off the throttle and feel that ‘kick’ of the rear end while still retaining balance. Given its position as
a preferred choice in the drifting scene I would have originally expected something a bit more aggressive in the handling than it was, but I thoroughly enjoyed the 970kg little rocket for 2 days and
how easy it was to drive.
So does the GT86 still retain the AE86 DNA? Let’s take a look at the GT we have here…

Aggressive, although a clichéd word in automotive terms, is what stares at me. The swooping arches of the front guards leading to the bulging rear quarters are beautifully complimented by a set of
TE37 RT 18’s wrapped in Hankook rs3 245-40-18 up front and 265-35-18 on the rear, supported by a set of Tein Monoflex and stopping power supplied by Endless Brakes. Oh and if you can’t tell yet, the
front guards are of the carbon fiber specialty provided by Seibon.

The rear is no different. In a car that was designed as a compact RWD coupe and with a body shape that rides low to the ground to improve handling ability, it has not escaped the proverbial rear
diffuser/wing additions we see so commonly on track inspired vehicles. Seibon once again makes an appearance with the incorporation of a CSL style carbon fibre boot lid and wing coinciding with an
under-rear cover supplied by, you guessed it, Seibon. Surprisingly however, the diffuser itself along with the side skirts are all custom made items.

The rear section of the GT is one of my favorite areas, especially when complimented by this set of TE37’s. One design characteristic I really enjoy is the shape of the rear pointed window, which
appears to flow or lead very fluently into the downward motion of the roof line to meet the rear guard where the two seem to appropriately ‘echo’ each other.

The front end of the GT86 which speaks to the cars overall ground-hugging design maintains its low center of gravity and a slippery slick presence with hauntingly beautiful sweeping style, reminding
us of the heritage of Toyota sports cars of days gone, such as the renowned Toyota 2000GT.

One may debate the need to change such an already impressive design, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Som has added a very aggressive carbon fiber bonnet courtesy once again
from Seibon, along with front Carnard additions such as the lip to augment an already sporting appearance.

I’ve only been a passenger in the new GT, but I could deduce that the command center had a strong focus on driver orientation to hammer home the sports car theme, and the interior of this
GT has only received some basic additions from well-established brands such as Bride, Takata and a Miracle X Bar half cage. And if you’re wondering why we haven’t delved into the world of ‘what lies
beneath’, it’s primarily because this 2.0 litre boxer motor is still standard. Som has focused his efforts just as the Toyota executives have… Handling and styling!

Although we’re told jokes have been had among Som’s circle of friends that he may do something rather drastic… Swapping out the original boxer engine for something with twice as many pistons and a whole lot more power.
Som’s 86 is already in the middle of another rebuild and we cannot wait to see version 2.0!!

At the end of the day when you have a genuinely lightweight machine, a machine that allows you to feel something, provides that bit of controlled exhilaration behind the wheel of a car that lets
it be the extension of you, the GT 86 I find has evoked the emotions and surprise that I had back in 2007 of the last AE86. Combine this with a large aftermarket support base, answers my question
posed in the beginning, why do I see so many 86’s? Well, it’s clear you have a car that will grow with its owner, and vice versa.
– David Steer.
A special thank you for the photos from Ohmpimp Crows | Connection

BMW E30 RB30 :: Drift Frankenstein

Grant — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 07:19:57 +0000

One of the first items on my bucket list is a simple one, own an E46 M3 BMW.
Even after all these years, that lovely looking, highly enhanced body looks fantastic from all angles.
The bolstered chunky arches hinting at the performance hidden beneath the bulging bonnet and the four exhausts tips menacingly poking out from under the rear bar…
Oh sorry, I seem to have gotten a bit carried away there….
Before my love affair with the modern E46 BMW, I had a brief fling with the now classic 318i E30.
Granted it wasn’t a manual (although it was a convertible) the car felt correct. It felt taught, well constructed and just made me feel happy in general.
As I have grown older, cars have come and gone from my life but the little E30 has always held a special place in my heart.
So when the team from GSS contacted me with a bunch of photos and I just had to be involved and this is where Denis and his more than standard E3o BMW come in.

Now during the early 80’s, BMW released the E30 and this proved an interesting liberation to the market. Especially when compared to the earlier 320i model from the late 70’s, with the main deviation being a drastically lower price at a figure of around $26,000 AUD (give or take).
When comparing the E21 to the E30’s, you will notice that the styling underwent an almost evolutionary change, with the front grille angled less aggressively and the headlights almost flush. In a stark distinction to the bonnet of the E21, the E30’s now sloped more smoothly and the general shape of the car proved more soothing and well rounded, making for a sight that was easier on the eyes.
The interesting fact to note here is that BWM’s engineers were well aware that Mercedes were working on a competitor in the smaller luxury car market, so the E30 team focused their strengths and efforts on predominant Mercedes ideals, build quality and
reliability.

As highlighted above, whether or not Denis picked the 318i for the aforementioned qualities is anyones guess. Regardless, that doesn’t detract from the one standout point – that he has clearly had a goal in mind and that was to produce something BWM surely didn’t see coming.
The car was originally purchased with a blown M50 engine and so the first point of movement was to keep the shell and investigate the implementation of the well known RB25DET we see so much of today. But like one harsh mistress we are all accustomed to, the funds in the wishing-well soon dried up and plans sadly had to be abandoned.

It seems a common theme among car enthusiasts however and Denis was no exception, as his spirit was not broken. He utilised his new found love of drifting to feed his ongoing desire with the BWM build.
His attraction to the world of sliding was so strong that Denis made the heart-breaking decision to sacrifice his much cherished and immaculate gold VL Calais turbo (which he had built entirely from the ground up).                                                                               Now when I say he sacrificed the Calais, I am possibly portraying the wrong image, I should probably say he donated it.
The little BMW 318i was now the lucky recipient of running gear built to handle 300+RWKW’s… yep that’s interesting to say the least.

Now as many of you would obviously know, the RB30‘DET’ was not a motor directly produced by Nissan (unlike the RB30ET) however referring to a turbocharged engine using an RB30E short block with the
twin-cam head utilised from another RB series motor. In Australia we commonly see the RB25/30 or RB26/30 combination. What I personally love about the ‘dirty thirty’ is that it produces more torque, at lower revs due to its longer stroke and its power can far exceed that of an RB26DETT. Having said this, they lack the internal cast-in bracing of the 26.
But as you will see from the list of modifications we have from Denis, I’m quite clearly preaching to the choir on the RB30.

From the bottom up, this RB30ET is currently sporting a freshly built A6 bottom end on custom engine mounts mated to a Mx7 gearbox on custom box mounts, Exedy 5puk button clutch & a custom tail-shaft to a Kaaz 1.5way LSD differential.

It’s important to highlight here that Denis has gone through three, yes that’s correct three BMW differentials purely due to the power output!

The head is kept in place by an ARP head stud kit combined with a lumpier Rajab Racing cam and force fed its diet of air via a Rajab plenum, XF throttle body & Garrett 35/40 turbo on a standard manifold which has been modified to fit a Tial 44mm external gate (which makes a cheeky appearance in the bay).

The 3-inch intercooler keeps the charged air down while fuel delivery is completed by a set of Bosch 044 internal & external fuel pumps, Malpassi fuel regulator & 660cc Siemens injectors.
This current setup made 295rwkw’s on 20psi and all in a car that weighs probably as much as a shoe. Now it is just another car I can’t win against, awesome!

Now as cliché as it may sound, with great power comes great responsibility! So you might find yourself asking, how does he stop? Well that’s actually pretty easy.
Denis has undertaken a complete E36 5-stud conversion comprising of E36 brakes with Bilstein street coilovers. The front rollers are BBS RS copies and give measurements of 17×8.5 +20 stuck to Archilles street semi-slicks.                                                                  The rear rollers are set at 17×10 + 15. The finishing touches are in the interior, which consist of a self-made 8 point rollcage and Sparco sprint seats with Takata harnesses.

According to Denis this car is nowhere near finished. An impressive list of future plans has been outlined for your viewing pleasure and includes the following;
• RB25 head
• Custom intake on the same turbo setup
• Different wheels & coilovers
• Wisefab lock kit
• Full CAMS approved rollcage
• Late model E30 front end with Rieger lip and splitter
• Custom front guards + rivets on the rear guards
• More low + fat
• Full Sparco interior with harnesses
• Hydraulic handbrake
• Royal grip steering wheel + NRG quick release kit
• Fibreglass dash with custom gauges + switches.

So in summary we have a BMW on the outside, a Nissan heart on the inside, 300rwkw’s and an unshakable love of drifting.
Combined with the above mentioned future plans, this white rocket is sure to remain a contender amongst the track and street circuits of Melbourne.                                                                                                                                                                                                            It’s been a pleasure to be able to write about Denis’s pride and joy. The GSS Team and myself wish Denis all the best with his future goals.
Thanks for reading, Dave.
Photos courtesy of Gordie Zurovac | Overdrive Images
Additional photos: Brendan Dutton, Adrian Brinduse and Gwyn Morgan.
Words by David Steer.

Downshift 2012 :: End Of Year Meet

Grant — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 09:26:44 +0000

Well it was the end of the working year for the lucky-some (my self included) and I was coaxed into attending only my second Downshift meet for the year, I think even the first one I didn’t even take my own car to. But none the less, it’s quite stunning to see the exponential growth of this event. You see threads and photo’s scattered over the forums post-event, but it’s just not the same, you have to be here to really appreciate how far this has come.
Myself and a few friends arrived relatively early, which is quite rare, but since I haven’t used my a camera since my last post on GSS back in 2011 I really did require a bit of warm-up work. So I started the day down from the main entry gate, turned out to be quite a nice spot!

Another cool little MX5, you see at least 5 at most meets.

This R33 was a monster, not knowing at the time of the photo but later in the day its engine bay was pulling quite a crowd!

A very very clean EVO. Although I’m not as big a fan of these as I am the VII’s and up, still credit for a clean car.

I chubbed up after this came through, the noise was just lovely.

Another tidy P-Plater, it’s cliché but I can never get tired of a clean Supra.

The DC5, this car reminds me 45SET (for the QLD Honda People).

I believe this owners name to be Paul. I’ve been familiar with the plates 57ING for about 5 years now and would see this car twice a week around the northern suburbs of Brisbane.

This Starlet belongs to Ant. I first saw this a few years ago through Boostcruising and the detail with this car really is phenomenal.

Sharpy’s SRJ37, another member of Club High Rollers.

Don’t quote me on this, but I do remember Ant (two above) having a blue 350Z and plates similar to this. Either way, big fan of it!

Another mint R32.

MCS91. I photographed this back in 2011 at one of the ADGP events IIRC.

One for the die-hards!

Tough! Great offset and the twin pipes kill it!!

It’s amazing what wheels do for a car in general. Am actually currently working on a KE38 with a close friend.

Hellllooooooo ladies!

Oh my sweet lord! If anyone from Brisbane remembers the POV crew, they definitely had a way with Hondas, looks like nothing has changed.

Another tidy FD, looks like many others agree too.

Probably my favorite P-Plater car of the day.

This E46 was just fantastic. Really I must have walked around it several times over the day.

This was definitely different, one of the only Chargespeed kitted s2000’s I’ve seen in the country.

Early model EVO, such an iconic car of the 90’s turbo heydays.

Waving the flag for the old school camp was this pristine Mazda R100 wagon, I loved all the little ‘JDM flare’ the owner had added.

I have been friends with Alex (The owner) for a few years now, and he really has done a remarkable job with this car. A lovely presented B20 EG.

As you can see, quite the cornucopia of cars on display, have seen this out at PowerCruise & PowerPlay.

That’s a nice bum!!

You all remember Mark and his NX Coupe? Past GSS feature car, still going strong!

In the words of the Joker…..”Well helllooooo beautiful”.

Charlie’s MXB055. One of the best Mazda’s in the country, so well executed!
So to be honest, I don’t venture to these events much anymore, but it really was a nice way to end my year, good friends, good cars, good times. Rory, Foy, Matyas, Alex and the other DS crew members have done a fantastic job, well done folks.
Thanks for reading,
– David.

Against The Grain :: Stanced NX Coupe

Grant — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:59:40 +0000

Building a car for your own taste is hard these days, trying to build it to someone else’s taste is probably even harder.
Considering the majority of the import scene at the moment has gone down the path of ‘stance’ and ‘road-presence’, makes the task of standing-out that little bit harder too.
Having said this, JDMST meets and the like are attracting cars on such a huge scale now that the law of odds clearly states you are going to see something that catches your eye.
I guess in this instance from my own personal taste, this little NX had 100% of my attention.

I’m the first to admit I have never been a strong supporter of the Nissan NX. In stock form, the lines and front design didn’t quite wet the taste-buds and to be honest I couldn’t see why Mark shifted to this considering what he previously owned… a VN Commodore.

Don’t hold that fact against him though because believe me, the guy has balls. Originally purchasing the VN from Ebay, it went from being plain white to flat orange, to rolling on 20’s. However due to the car attempting suicide on more than one occasion, Mark decided for something a little newer that would handle a corner (without the turning circle of the Queen Mary II).

The NX was purchased in November 2010 and a week later Mark blew the bottom end. But within a few weeks he and friend Ben replaced the blown SR20 with a new unit (I think they’ve done over 3 or 4 SR swaps between them inclusive of Ben’s boosted Pulsar). From here it was a back and forth battle between appearance and power, and needless to say, appearance won for now.

A few wheel choices were given the go-ahead yet eventually Mark settled for what you currently see, Toyparts Steel Wheels in 15×8 +0 wrapped in Firenza ST-05A 195/50’s.

Now, you look at the ride height of this NX and you’d think coilovers obviously. Yeah…………. No!
It’s lowered thanks to a very crude suspension setup consisting of modified bump stops on re-set standard springs!

I’ve ridden in this car and it’s not a setup you want for Queensland’s roads. The jilting and thumping would make any man cower. Which also speaks to Mark’s nature, he drove this car from Brisbane to Mildura (north-west of Melbourne) in the exact same setup, big balls I must say.

The rear seats and everything else in that compartment have been completely removed from the little NX, well all bar the spare wheel that is.

The front interior is very simple. Drift seats hug you in the best way possible and there is a fire extinguisher in case it decides to blow up. There are Saas gauges for oil pressure, temperature and air/fuel to help keep an eye on the veins of the NX.

The cabin is full of charm thanks to some reupholstered details including a carbon wrapped center console.

Yeah, I could stare at that all day as well. ‘Oh gawd’ indeed.

Sitting perfectly.

Nice to see another supporter!

The iPhone gives a good indication of the current ride height. Oh and you can also see some of Mark’s ‘other’ personal preferences here.

I live by a simple rule, don’t mix red & black, but I think he’s hit a winner in this instance.

All in all this car has grown on me in a big way, at first I was not fan but after spending some time writing this article I found the car has a certain element or a soul if you will.

It’s not about spending big $$$ or changing everything because you can, a car is a blank canvas and your imagination is the paintbrush.

Unfortunately as we speak, Mark has had to return the car to stock setup due to running ‘the gauntlet’ too many times. However, in saying that, it’s given him the time to focus his efforts on the new engine setup. This little red roller’s Sr20 shall be fluttering in no time. 😉
Thanks for reading,
– David.

Grip Shift Slide :: 155 Days In 30 Pics.

Grant — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:24:55 +0000

In less than just 48 hours 2011 will be over, bringing with it a whole new year of race days and feature cars that will be gracing these pages for your viewing pleasure.
In just five short months we have grown from the very humble idea between Grant and I in our seedy motel room in the suburbs of Sydney last August, to seemingly overnight having a blog covering local events and cars with over 1100 followers on Facebook and 1000’s of visitors each week.
Here is a quick look back on what Grip Shift Slide has done in 2011…
Five Months, One Hundred And Fifty Five Days… Thirty Photographs.

Pan Speed RX7 – World Time Attack, Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney.
Having a project like this has helped us meet some amazing people and gain access to some pretty incredible events, shooting at the World Time Attack is easily my favorite automotive experience. ( besides riding shotgun with Nigel late this year)

Jawsh Rogers S14 – Winton Raceway, Melbourne.
Shooting regular drift days has become a big social event. Each time I attend one, I seem to talk to someone new and find myself in an ever growing circle of friends.

Mad Mike’s Red Bull RX7 – Tectaloy Drift Challange, Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney.
I’ll never forget the haunting sound of Mike’s quad rotor screaming in the distance as it approached the first corner that night.

R32 GT-R – Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne.
Along the way we have snapped some pretty interesting cars even just in the parking lots at some events.

Ken Block Australian Tour – Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne.
Seeing some of the biggest names in the automotive world perform live was a huge buzz for us, to capture a moment like this makes it all worth while…
What with all the angry girlfriends, late nights, long drives and all the costs involved.
We still get a smile on our faces looking at these photos.

Australian Drifting Grand Prix, Round Two – Queensland Raceway, Queensland.
Sometimes we simply can’t afford the time off work or travel expenses, we thankfully have some very talented friends across the country.

Australian Drifting Grand Prix, Round Two – Queensland Raceway, Queensland.
Having someone else shoot for our blog was a little nerve racking at first, but sharing the love and workload was a great success with some absolutely top shots and event coverage.
We hope to have more friends involved next year to help bring more content and exclusive cars from interstate.

Tech Sport Evo X, Track Battle Round One – Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne.
At each event we attend, we try and focus on getting that one shot, that shot that makes or breaks the whole day.
All these photos are our favorite shots and memories thrown together to make the whole year!

Agess’s 180SX, Australian Drifting Grand Prix Round One – Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne.
We have witnessed some well deserved victories along the way, capturing a moment like this really shows just how much some of these guys want to win.

Papa’s 200SX, Australian Drifting Grand Prix Round One – Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne.
It’s easy to forget that all theses people pour their blood, sweat, tears and heart and more often than not gain nothing in return.

KE30 Corolla, Classic Japan – Yarra Park, Melbourne.
Sometimes I would be taken out of my comfort zone taking photos of cars I hardly knew, to say this year has been a learning experience would be a massive understatement!

Ender’s S13, Drift Attack – Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne.
A massive motivator has been finding our photos being linked and shared around the internet.

Stirling Wright’s R33, Drift Attack – Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne.
The support we have been getting from fans, drivers and event organizers has been overwhelming at times.
Just a few months ago we were ‘no-bodies’.
Now we are ‘no-bodies’ with our stickers on some cars!

Nigel Petrie’s ETS UTE – Engineered To Slide Headquarters, Melbourne.
Having the chance to shoot one-on-one with such an awesome build was an extraordinary experience, seeing the craft that goes into such a build was out of this world. Particularly seeing that it was built in a not so extraordinary space made it feel like such an achievement.

JZX100 ‘Camry’ – Winton Raceway, Melbourne.
Trying to get a photo while an owner of a car looks on can be a little awkward at times, as most owners are pretty protective of their cars.

Hardtuned.net Charity Cruise – Docklands, Melbourne.
Holding a massive camera is a great conversation starter and helps when introducing yourself to the owner of a modified car, as approaching almost certainly offends.

JDM Style Tuning, End Of Year Meet – Docklands, Melbourne.
Every event we attend, we get the same sense of excitement looking for a car that catches our eyes.

Azza Bird’s 180SX – Winton Raceway, Melbourne.
We are a pretty determined bunch here at Grip Shift Slide, we don’t take “NO” for an answer…
Sometimes getting photos has required leaping of fences, trekking through vast valleys in the forrest or simply walking around a bloody huge track.

Rob Roy Hill Climb – Melbourne.
The year has brought us some interesting cars and racing events, with Rob Roy Hill Climb and Vic Rally being high on that list.
We never truly get to appreciate some of the classic cars doing what they’re built for… Driving really fast!

JDM Style Tuning, End Of Month Meet – Docklands, Melbourne.
Meeting owners and finding cars to feature has only been a recent development of our site, so far we have been met with open arms and met some very interesting people.

Q Scan’s GT-R – World Time Attack, Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney.
Seeing incoming traffic from countries all over the world has also put smiles on our faces, eagerly checking site stats early in the mornings before work.
It keeps us going through our boring 9-5 days at work, just so we can get home and edit some new photos.

Tom Monkhouse’s 180SX – Australian Drifting Grand Prix Round One, Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne.
Sending stickers across the country and occasionally the globe has kept us very busy offline, not only do we get a thrill seeing our stickers on a car but the small amount of profit helps us get to events and buy our camera gear. every cent helps!

Classic Japan – Yarra Bend Park, Melbourne.
Our Facebook page has been a massive success during our time online, with loads of fans eagerly checking each day.

Holden Hurricane – Autoclassica, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne.
We hope that flooding you guys with tons of pics from each event keeps you entertained between boring status updates, logging on and seeing the network of fans grow and comment as people tag each others cars has been a great thing for us to watch.

VW Scirocco – World Time Attack, Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney.
There hasn’t been a single dull moment working on the site, there is always something happening behind the scenes.

Pile Up #4, Hot Rod Show. Doncaster, Melbourne.
2012 will see the launch of our online shop, making it easier to grab stickers and future merchandise.

JDM Style Tuning, End Of Year Meet – Docklands, Melbourne.
Designing T-shirts is something we have been doing of late and hope to have something out early next year.

Rob Roy Hill Climb – Melbourne.
Onwards and upwards, we have our sights set on some big things next year and hope to become a household name when it comes to modified cars in Australia!

Nigel Petrie 180SX – Winton Raceway, Melbourne.
Definitely up on my list of people to thank for the year is Nigel, from the first time I spoke with him he always had a moment to chat.
Suited up in race gear and in uncomfortable warm weather he never seems a million miles away, happily chatting to fans and other drivers.
Without Nigel’s friendly and helpful nature, we would not have had such a great success with this site in the short time that it’s been online.
Thanks for all the help along the way, here’s to another great year of drifting in Australia.

Lotus Exige, Rob Roy Hill Climb – Melbourne.
We hope you have enjoyed looking at these photos as much as we enjoyed taking them.

Mitsubishi Evo VI, Calder Drags – Calder Park Raceway, Melbourne.
From everyone involved here at Grip Shift Slide thank you and have a safe and happy new year too!!
We’ll be back with a feature car or two in the first few weeks, until then…
Thanks for reading,
– Gwyn.

ADGP :: Round Two, Day 2.

Grant — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:33:39 +0000

Well back for another day! “Thank-you baby jesus” I uttered as I approached the entry gates for the sunshine bestowed on us. Already you can probably sympathise with the stupidity in that statement once we all left the track after 4pm with a tan line for life. I decided to kick my morning off in the pits, mainly because it was the least distance to walk (come on who wasn’t hung over?)

Jerome’s S15 had quite a presence.

It’s all business in here, rocking a quick-release and shift light.

Jake ‘Drift Squid’ Jones Onevia looking tough in the pits.

Under the hood of the time Attack S15.

I have a slight infatuation with S15’s!

I’ve never really been a huge fan of aftermarket bonnets, but I do like this, one tough R33.

Always better to stand out, I could spot this a mile away.

I’m sorry, but if you can’t get an erection or lady wood over this, that’s your problem, not the cars.

Hacketts machine, put in a solid effort all weekend!

I had a good chat with Levi Clarke during the lunch break, seriously amazing car!

Wagg’s S15

Another car park treasure, I love the rear diffuser.

Fink’s 2nd beast.

“She’s all good mate”.

A few drivers having a chat before the battles.

Fink passing on some info to Levi.

Yep, I’ve been there before.

Tony giving his media spin.

Squidy’s baby before it hits the track.

From the pits I decided to venture to the other side of the track, and caught a few of the nice rides to grace the show & shine.
The colour on this 32 was gorgeous!

The vertex soarer, I remember photographing this back at stadium drift at Parklands a few years ago. Great to see it’s still in immaculate condition!

Adzy’s Sooby and his Cube in the back-ground. Both made appearances at Jamboree.

A very respectable S14. Seems today ‘less is more’ is here to stay.

The wide S15, seen this around the local circuit, never gets old.

A perfectly presented Evo. Much love.

This sprinter was tucking nicely!

Here are some shots of the drivers heading out.

Now back to the drifting!

Aggy tearing it up.

A well executed tandem entry from Tony.

To wrap up, Track Battle put on a fantastic event with world class drifters & drivers combating the elements of the weather over the course of the 3 days. I’d like to extend a big thanks to Amy Boatwright and Yoshi Abey and the rest of the ADGP Crew for allowing Gripshiftslide to get nice and close to the action over the weekend.
Podium finishes and pics will be up soon.
Thanks for looking.
P.S. Western Australia, you’ve got a great few days of drifting coming your way!
-David

ADGP :: Round Two, Day 1.

Grant — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:58:38 +0000

Well it’s been quite a long time between drinks for me I must admit. But when Gwyn from Gripshiftslide asked me to go out and have a look at the new competition in Australian professional drifting, well that’s as good excuse as any to come out of retirement. Although mother-nature decided she would throw a few curve balls my way with ominous rain and intermittent cloud cover just to make it that little bit harder.

Arriving at the track by 0800 I was able to get an idea of the layout by panning across the open and flat course that is QR. In the past I’ve covered Stadium Drift which substituted more turns for less straights. However at QR the back straight (commonly utilised in the Sprint Series, Powercruise & now Time Attack) would be used as the entry point for maximum speed leading into the dipper followed by a sweeping left back to the northern end of the track. This in a sense really leveled out the playing field, as even the QLD drivers were unfamiliar with this course, so to say I was excited was a fairly large understatement. To couple this excitement I decided to familiarize myself with the pit layout.

The first car I noticed was 50MAN, a very nicely presented Nissan 180sx with an aggressive S14 front.

After no more than 10 seconds, the driver Tony Harrison introduced himself, asked if I wanted to see under the bonnet, inside the boot for the fuel setup etc, just an all round nice guy to talk with.

The motor setup seemed very familiar, and then I remembered Tony ran an LS1 VN for a number of years, and now seems said motor has made its way into the 180. The only other cars that could match this thing for noise and pure obnoxiousness were the two 350z’s.

Tony completing a reenactment of a 360 spin.

Parked just opposite Tony was ‘The Boss Hog’ Danny Kenneally and his renowned Hogs Breathe Café Silvia Ute. Danny’s record over the last few years in Australian drifting is impressive in itself, notching up well over the 50 mark in podium finishes.

Pit lane in itself obviously has the cream of the crop, but you can’t forget about what lurks in the adjacent car park. I managed to find a few beauties on my walks.

Luke Finks daily S14 – Exceptionally tidy!

Dru’s daily R35 GTR. Also worth noting his track car will be competing in the Time Attack series, pictures of that jizz machine later!

A nicely presented FD RX7 from Stiff-Diff.com

Tina’s 02JAP 350z.

Jerome Kennedy’s S15, 530bhp SR20 running a TD06 built by Ivan at Hi-Power Racing.

I managed to catch up with Ivan on the weekend, he also did a lot of work on my own car.

Joe Waghorn’s Nissan S15…

Punching out a healthy 480bhp.

Don’t we all?

Robert Turner in his incredibly clean time attack S15.

Chris Coroneos in staging for his first time attack practice session.

James Willard’s ballistic EVO 6.5. The noise this thing made was beyond belief.

Dru Schull’s Nissan R35 GTR , also a competitor in this years WTAC.

By this time most of the clouds had partially vanished, but due to the previous nights weather events, the schedules had been delayed slightly. Practice sessions began with the Track Battle Time Attack.

By now, it’s out with the grip and in with the slide, the drifters began their staging. Fink preparing for his first run.

Anthony Bilic – Much like Tony Harrison, Anthony was more than happy discussing his car, the track and overall competition with not only media, but the general public as well. He always gives something to the cameras!

Fink giving us the salute, legend.

Some final words of encouragement.

Ryan Cummings S13.5 – I will echo what Gwyn said previously, “this car is by far the best looking in the drift competition”.

Rob Whyte – The sound Bullet and Motul created was pure Armageddon!

This 180SX making a perfect entry to the ‘dipper’.

Fink – What can I say, I really don’t want to sound like a sack-rider, but when someone can throw their car into the entry being full perpendicular to the direction of the track, they get my vote.

Unfortunately for Jake Jones, this did not end so well. Over-corrected during practice, at least he tapped the wall!

Even great drivers like Jake even get a little bit too close at times.

Jerome Kennedy Linked this perfectly through the ‘dipper’, doesn’t look like much of a pig, it’s to clean!

As previously mentioned due to the new track layout and previous nights rain events, delays were to be expected naturally, but eventually the top 32 were qualified . check the Australian Drift GP website for the results.
Day two’s coverage will be up soon, until than…
Thanks for looking.
– David.