Gisborne teen drifter says thanks with winning performance in MSC Challenge NZ

Corbyn Wilson (centre) and third-placed Jason Wu (right) exchange bubbly sprays, while runner-up Tyler West struggles with the cork on the MSC Challenge NZ round 3 podium at Meremere Drift Park last Saturday. Photo / Whippy Photography

Thanks, Dad.

Corbyn Wilson said as much through his performance over the last two rounds of the MSC Challenge New Zealand drifting series.

The 16-year-old won round 3 and was second in round 4 at Meremere Drift Park last weekend. Those results meant he won the series for the second year running.

He did it without the benefit of practice laps on Thursday or Friday as his car was out of action.

On Thursday, Corbyn’s father Shaun scoured Auckland for parts to resolve an overheating issue with the car – they’d had to put ice in the radiator in earlier rounds.

Then he helped head mechanic Steve Jackson (Speedhub) work on the car until after midnight. Shaun managed about three hours’ sleep then was up early on Friday to drop off Corbyn at Meremere Drift Park.

Unable to drive his own car, Corbyn helped other drivers prepare for their practice runs.

Shaun and Steve worked into the early evening on Friday and the car was ready for Corbyn to do his qualifying laps on Saturday. Despite his disrupted preparation, he qualified first in round 3 and second in round 4, and repeated those placings in the one-on-one “battles” in the knockout stages.

Last month, he was second in round 1 and first in round 2.

Corbyn Wilson (left) in his Nissan 350Z leads out from Aaron Habib during the knockout stages of the MSC Challenge NZ round 4 contest at Meremere Drift Park last Sunday. Photo / Whippy Photography

Now with back-to-back series victories in the MSC Challenge New Zealand to his name, Corbyn is setting his sights on the five-round D1NZ, the national drifting championship series, which starts late next month.

It has two sections – Pro and Pro-Sport. Corbyn plans on going into Pro-Sport, graduating to Pro and then going on to Japanese competition.

He and his father have already visited Japan to make connections for any future foray into big-time drifting over there.

In drifting contests, drivers slide their cars into a series of curves while maintaining tight control and following a set line through the bend. In one-on-one “battles”, one car follows the preset line while the other – the chaser – shadows the first, getting as close as possible without colliding.