Records were broken at a thrilling final round of this season’s Cody’s D1NZ National Drifting Championship at Auckland’s Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday night with Dargaville ace Gary ‘Gaz’ Whiter (Tectaloy Nissan S14 V8) claiming an unprecedented fourth New Zealand title and Aucklander Daynom Templeman (NAC Insurance Mazda RX7 2JZ) winning the round after setting the highest ever qualifying score.
Heading into the gala grand final round held under lights in front of a 6000-strong crowd on a fast, unforgiving temporary course at the western end of the Penrose, Auckland, stadium grounds, the battle for the title of 2013/14 Cody’s D1NZ ‘Drift King’ looked like it was going to be between three-time former series champion Whiter in his V8-engined Nissan S14 and high-profile Auckland-based drift international ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett (Red Bull/Speedhunters Mazda RX7).
Whiter had beaten Whiddett to the top step of the podium at the first round at Hampton Downs in November last year but Whiddett turned the tables on his long-time rival and good friend at the second round in Whangarei a month later to take a series points lead he would not lose until his early exit at the recent Christchurch round over the Easter weekend.
By winning the Taupo round the month before (Easter) Whiter had closed the gap on Whiddett, and a win at Christchurch saw him head back north with a 30.5 lead over his season-long rival.
With a film crew from sponsor Red Bull documenting his every move at Mt Smart the pressure was definitely on Whiddett, and when he broke an axle entering the first corner on his first qualifying run the tension was palpable.
Feverish work by his pit crew saw the axle replaced in time for his second (of two) runs but in typical ‘Maximum Attack’ style fan-favourite Whiddett went out all guns blazing, his single 91 point run good enough for third qualifying spot behind Templeman with his record 96 and fellow Aucklander Nico Reid (Luxury Sports Nissan S15) with 91.5.
“The crew did an amazing job getting the car back in action and it definitely was a tough decision in terms of what I was going to do,” Whiddett admitted. “Was I going to go 80% and just get some points on the board or was I going to go 110% and try and pull some points back off Gaz?”
The 110% option got the nod, and Whiddett got the qualifying position he wanted – though the advantage was short-lived, the 2013/14 Whiter’s for the taking when Whiddett went down to young gun Shane Allen (BOC Gases/Speedstuff Ford Falcon V8) in the Top 16.
“I’m gutted,” Whiddett said afterwards.”I did two solid-as runs but the judges’ call said I lost.”
After showing plenty of promise in the car he has shared this season with V8 Supercar ace Shane van Gisbergen, it was Allen’s first time in the Top 8 and the young Waiuku driver was justifiably proud of his giant-killing achievement.
“I’m stoked,” he said. “It’s good to know I can battle and win against the top guys. Bring on next season.”
Whiter, meanwhile, felt for his friend and long-time rival Whiddett but admitted that when he heard the result his first reaction was relief..
“Yeah, ” he said. “It was a big relief, though in saying that it still wasn’t over. Curt (Whittaker) was still in there and I still had my own battles to complete. Obviously, I still wanted to get a result too, get on the podium.”
To that end Whiter won his top 16 battle against top Auckland driver Zak Pole, the latter in a borrowed car after an engine issue with his own Club Auto Nissan Skyline R32, then his top 8 encounter when Andrew Redward spun on his chase run, only to finally meet his match when he came up against a rampant Daynom Templeman in the Top 4.
It was close but Templeman was on a roll, Whiter sealing his own fate with a half spin on the last left-hand corner of the drift section.
“When you are in the moment,” he explained, “it is hard to make quick decisions and I made a wrong one, it was as simple as that. Daynom’s car pumps out so much smoke that you can’t see a thing and you have to almost guess where you are going to turn. When I did the tyres (marking the inside edge of the turn) were there and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
On the other side of the battle sheet 2012/13 Pro-Am class champion Darren Kelly (Thirsty Liquor Nissan Skyline R34) was steadily working his way forward, meeting and beating fellow Aucklander Brad Smith (Burger Fuel Nissan 350Z) in the Top 32, V8 Supercar ace Shane Van Gisbergen (BOC Gases/Steedstuff Ford Falcon V8) in the Top 16, and Shane Allen in the Top 8.
After his giant-killing performance on the Top 16 against Whiddett, Allen looked set to be a real threat, only for his car to stall at the last corner on his chase run and again – this time at the first corner – on his lead.
That left Kelly to finish the run and then go up against – and again beat – defending Cody’s D1NZ title-holder Daniel ‘Fanga Dan’ Woolhouse (Castrol Edge Holden Commodore V8), meaning he (Kelly) would meet Templeman in the Final with Woolhouse and Whiter meeting to dispute the final step of the podium.
Both drivers carried strong momentum into the Final battle but Templeman prevailed with another set of perfectly executed lead and chase runs, the perfect preparation for his next event, the first ever Formula Drift Asia series round at Mt Fuji in Japan in early July.
“I always knew, deep down, we could have a round like this,” said the multi-talented Templeman, “so yes, I am really pleased. It’s good too in that it gives us something to build on in the lead-up to going up to Japan.”
Having blown a turbo then run a bearing at the penultimate series round in Christchruch, Darren Kelly was more than happy just to qualify and get into the top eight at Mt Smart. So to be able to to battle – and win – his way through to his first podium for the season was ‘dream-come-true’ material for the talented North Shore driver.
“I don’t know what to say, I still can’t quite believe it myself, ” he said afterwards. “We were just joking around a couple of weeks ago about the new motor we were building would get us to the podium…and it did!”
Unlucky, meanwhile, after a strong qualifying performance was Tauranga driver Cole Armstrong (V Energy Nissan Skyline R34) with a broken crankshaft. Sky Zhao (2 Degrees Nissan 350Z V8) also showed strong form only to go down in his Top 16 battle with Daynom Templeman.
There was a new face, meanwhile, on the top step of the podium in the Pro-Am support class with former international motorcycle racer Sam Smith from Pukekohe (Vernon & Vazey Nissan S15) coming back from a car-bending wall ride in his first battle against series newcomer Jordan Tweedie (Nissan S14) to beat Taupo’s Rene Richmond (ILS Mazda RX7) in the Top 8, Tauranga’s Adam Davies (Mimico Nissan S14 13B) in the Top four and the Far North’s Tom Marshall (ATJ International Nissan S13) in the Final battle.
The result didn’t effect North Shore, Auckland Nissan Laurel driver Vincent Langhorn’s series title hopes, but it underlined just how competitive the Pro-Am class has been all season, Langhorn knocked out of the Top 16 by Marshall, but several One More Times (battles repeated before the judges can separate the drivers) required before Marshall met Smith, the latter taking the round from Marshall and Gareth Grove (Spill Response NZ Nissan S13).
Langhorn scored enough points to take the season title, with Grove second, Tom – the older of the two Marshall brothers who contested this season’s series – third and West Auckland driver Joel Hedges fourth.
