Photo: Defending D1NZ champion Gaz WhiterAfter early exits at the opening round of this season's D1NZ National Drifting Championship Series at Manfeild last month, defending series champion Gaz Whiter (Nissan S14) and recent Tectaloy International Drift Challenge winner Curt Whittaker (Nissan Skyline) will be looking to make amends at the second round of the 2011/12 series at Pukekohe's Pukekohe Park Raceway this weekend.
Whiter, from Dargaville, and Whittaker from Auckland, are two of just on 70 drifters from all over the country confirmed for the Friday/Saturday meeting.
Auckland-based international 'Mad Mike' Whiddett (RedBull Team Need For Speed Mazda RX7) heads the leaderboard going into the meeting after winning the opening round - and with it the $5,000 first prize from Wellington's Shred Industries - from Auckland's Andrew Redward (Nankang Nissan S14) and Whangarei's Daniel Woolhouse ( Castrol Edge Holden Commodore).
Both Whiter and Whittaker were eliminated in the Top 16 battles at the opening series round, Whiter losing out to Steve Sole (Toyota Chaser), Whittaker to Hawke's Bay's Mac Kwok (Milwaukee Nissan S13 V8).
Victory in ProAm. meanwhile, went to Aucklander Russell Sifleet (Nissan S14) from Waiuku's Shane Allen (Nissan Skyline) and Richard Tucker (Nissan Silvia).
As a D1NZ series venue Pukekohe Park Raceway's main claim to fame is its sweeping opening corner which competitors are now routinely entering at over 196 km/h. That makes it officially the 'fastest drift corner in the world.'
It won't just be drifters taking up its challenge this weekend either. The weekend meeting also hosts the first round of D1NZ's new Time Attack Series.
Time Attack competitions pit driver against driver, tuner against tuner in a battle to set the quickest single lap round a circuit. Like Drifting, Time Attack has its origins in Japan. Though in the past three years it has expanded into the United States, the UK and Europe and here and Australia.
Former Porsche GT3 Cup race winner Jono Lester (Mitsubishi Evo) is currently the country's most experienced Time Attack exponent and this weekend he will be going head-to-head with former SuperGT class front-runner and Targa regular Harry Dodson (Nissan GT-R35) and Hans Ruiterman (Nissan S14).
The D1NZ/Time Attack meeting will also give fans the chance to get up close and personal with former NZV8s champion Kayne Scott's new V8 SuperTourer which will be in display at the meeting on Saturday.
In keeping with the series's stated aim of putting up a prize pool to the value of $5,000 at each this weekend's Pukekohe round has the support of Drift Max, the official bodykit supplier of D1NZ.
