Woolhouse, pictured with his new Link ECU NZKW Chevrolet Camaro. Photo / Matthew Hansen
Woolhouse, pictured with his new Link ECU NZKW Chevrolet Camaro. Photo / Matthew Hansen
Another newly built drift car has joined the ranks of the Link ECU D1NZ National Drifting Championship.
Dylan Woolhouse's Chevrolet Camaro drift car been revealed as a near complete build at this weekend's D1NZ event at ASB Baypark Stadium in Tauranga. It replaces his V8-powered Mazda RX-7.
"We've put together something I think's pretty special. Everyone's pretty stoked with how it's turned out," Woolhouse told Herald.co.nz.
"Change the game a little bit … everyone's got S15s. They're still cool and competitive, not taking that away. Competitive is one thing, but I want to be completely different from everyone else."
The Camaro is powered by a turbocharged 800hp 6.2-litre Stroker LS unit, aided by a Link ECU, GForce dogbox transmission, and more. It's the only drift-spec Camaro in New Zealand — following in the foot steps of America-based Formula Drift pilots Tyler McQuarrie, Ryan Tuerck, and Conrad Grunewald.
Having missed round one of the season due to a delayed start (following a campaign at last year's World Time Attack Challenge), Woolhouse had hoped to have the Camaro ready to compete at this weeken's event. But, late preparation issues spoiled a spirited run to completion.
"Just before this event I thought 'nah, let's just pull finger'.
"We took the car to BDMotorsport in Auckland where Ben … all he was really going to do was build a lock kit and a couple of little jobs. But when we dropped it off he wanted to build the whole car, effectively.
"It was a caged shell with adjustable suspension and that was really it, and he just went to work. He built this car in like seven days. We came up and helped him, and other people from around the country came and helped — just doing anything they could, getting parts for him and all sorts of things."
Photo / Matthew Hansen
"We were booked for a dyno test on Wednesday so that we could get here and test on Thursday. But when I was loading it onto a trailer on Wednesday night I caught a fuel line on the car, just on the loose bit of steel.
"I kept the electric winch going and unfortantely it ripped all the fuel lines out and broke all the fittings. Based on time we couldn't get all the stuff we needed to get it back.
"I think it hindsight it was a good thing. It looks pretty at the moment, and testing it here for a first time probably wasn't the best idea."
The new Camaro's on-track debut looks likely to be next weekend's Drift Matsuri event at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in Taupō. From there, Woolhouse is uncertain whether he will compete at round three of D1NZ in Timaru, or at the popular Naki Drift club event that shares the same date. He's then locked in to compete in the last two rounds of the D1NZ season at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon and Pukekohe Raceway respectively.
Photo / Matthew Hansen
"[Timaru is] a long way to go for a first competition for this car, especially depending on how much testing we get. We've been invited to Naki Drift, which is a bloody awesome event. So I'll play that one by ear.
"But if we drive the car this weekend and get some test times in it and it feels competitive, then why not. We'll definitely smash down to the South. But it's just a hard way to start the season; mid-season, when you're already gone for points.
"We'll see, I'm not ruling it out. We've just got to see what's going to happen."
