Motorsport: Close finale expected for drifting

KING IN THE NORTH: Dargaville's Gaz Whiter is currently leading the Cody's National Drifting Championships ahead of this weekend's final round under lights at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.PHOTO/FILE

Dargaville's Gaz Whiter, Whangarei's Dan Woolhouse, or Auckland's Mike Whiddett?

That's the question on who will come out on top at the final round of the Cody's D1NZ National Drifting Championship under lights at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium tomorrow.

"That's the question everyone's asking but no-one can really answer right now," confirmed D1NZ boss Brendon White. "Realistically it's between Gaz and Mike - there's only 30.5 points between them - but you never know. Pretty much anyone in the top 10 is capable of winning a round right now and whoever wins the round will have a bearing on who gets the 2013/14 title."

Dargaville's Whiter is on top of the standings, followed by Whiddett, and Aucklanders Curt Whittaker and Andrew Redward. Sitting fifth is "Fanga Dan" Woolhouse.

"You can never count [Woolhouse] out. And what about our V8 Supercar star, Shane Van Gisbergen? He got his first podium at Hampton Downs in November last year and his second in Christchurch last month. If he comes through and wins at Mt Smart, where does that leave Gaz and Mike?"

Woolhouse, who is the defending champion, said this year has been busy for him - balancing work, competing and building a new car.

"We have just completed building my new VE Holden Commodore, which will be out in full force next season," Woolhouse said.

"I'm looking forward to the grand final to see where we end up in the championship after an interesting year competing in one car and building a new car in my spare time."

Fans face another full roster of battles in both the Pro-Am and D1 Pro divisions, with close to 60 drivers vying for points and position across the two classes.

If anything, the battle for a 2013/14 series title is even closer in the Pro-Am category with Vincent Langhorn, from Auckland, having finally leap-frogged Kerikeri's Tom Marshall for the series points lead after wins at the two most recent rounds.

However, one of the other emerging Auckland drifters, Gareth Grove, is only 13 points back in second with Kumeu's Joel Hedges third and Northland's Marshall brothers, Tom and Joe, now fourth and fifth but still within 50 of Langhorn.

In the two years since the Cody's series was last at Mt Smart, both the presentation and profile of the sport have come on in leaps and bounds with rounds now regularly attracting over 5000 spectators, and the sport is now second only in popularity - in motorsport terms - to speedway.