Drifting: Party time for drift fans

Gary Whiter drifts under the lights at a previous outing at Mt Smart. Picture / David Atkinson

Top three will light up the action at the drifting final, writes Eric Thompson

After five rounds three drivers have a chance to grab the National Drifting Championship title this weekend. Three-time former champion Gary Whiter is just in front of Kiwi international Mike Whiddett, with another former champion, Curt Whittaker, third.

Fans of the sideways action will be in for another treat as the action will be under lights for the first time in two years at Mt Smart Stadium. A successful night round on a temporary drift track at Mt Smart two years ago has prompted D1NZ boss Brendon White to revisit the format.

"Running under lights adds a whole new dimension to the already high-octane mix of a typical Cody's D1NZ drift series round," White said. "There's more of a party atmosphere for sure. The drivers get into it, the crowd gets into it - it's mega.

"Realistically it's between Gary and Mike and 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 who wins the round will have a bearing on who gets the 2013/14 title.

"Curt's been there or thereabouts all season. Andrew Redwards, who's fourth, won at Bay Park in January. Dan Woolhouse is fifth - and you can never count him out. Then there's Shane Van Gisbergen who got his first podium at Hampton Downs and his second down south. If he comes through and wins at Mt Smart where does that leave Gaz and Mike?"

People turning up on Friday and Saturday will be entertained by another full roster of battles in the Pro-Am and D1 Pro-divisions as close to 60 drivers vie for points and position across the two classes.

Looking at the respective point's tables for both categories, the battle for the 2013/14 title is even closer in the Pro-Am category with Vincent Langhorn having finally leap-frogged Tom Marshall after class wins in the last two rounds.

However, one of the emerging Auckland drifters, Gareth Grove, is only 13 points back in second with Joel Hedges third and brothers Tom and Joe Marshall fourth and fifth respectively, still in striking distance of Langhorn.

In the two years since the series was last at Mt Smart, the presentation and profile of the sport have developed with more mainstream fans rocking up regularly and the organisers are expecting about 5000 spectators.

Such is the expected support for the final round of the series, the organisers are building a 2000-seat grandstand at the south end of the drift section and putting on entertainment between drift brackets as well as a fireworks display to cap off the series.

"It's about entertainment and giving the fans something they will remember," said White. Gates open on Friday at 9am and on Saturday at 12.30pm.

*Driven is getting into the swing of things with a ticket giveaway and the chance for a lucky reader to win a ride with one of the top drifters in the lead-up to the event. To find out how to enter, go to the Driven Facebook page at facebook.com/DrivenNZ and get your name into the mix.

How they rate

D1NZ National Drifting Championship Series after five rounds
1. Gary Whiter - 442.5
2. Mike Whiddett - 412
3. Curt Whittaker - 359
4. Andrew Redward - 345.5
5. Daniel Woolhouse - 316
6. Nico Reid - 295.75
7. Cole Armstrong - 292
8. Shane Van Gisbergen - 284.25

Pro-Am Series points
1. Vincent Langhorn - 396
2. Gareth Grove - 383
3. Joel Hedges - 364
4. Tom Marshall - 362