Taupo’s Ricoh Motorsport Park will now host the final round of this season’s Cody’s D1NZ National Drifting Championship over the June 22/23 weekend in a move which series organiser Brendon White says is in the best interests of everyone involved in the high profile series.

Pukekohe Park Raceway has traditionally been the preferred venue for the final round of the series and White originally had a date in April pencilled in for the 2013 event.

But that date came and went as the various groups involved in running the venue dealt with a number of issues, most with the major upgrade to the track and facilities associated with the V8 Supercar round, but others concerning the greater Pukekohe community like the number of days the new upgraded track can be used, as well as noise.

White says that even a couple of weeks ago he was hopeful an accommodation could be made. But late last week, in consultation with the series’ drivers’ committee and Pukekohe Racetrack management he decided that an alternative venue and date had to be found. D1NZ still looks to retain drifting at Pukekohe and remains positive that this will happen next season.

“After such a fantastic season and with the points at the top so close we couldn’t keep pushing back and pushing back the date of our grand final so I approached Taupo. They said yes, so Taupo it is.”

Some grand final it is shaping up to be too, with points leader Daniel ‘Fanga Dan’ Woolhouse (Castrol Edge Holden Commodore V8) from Whangarei and runner-up ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett (Red Bull/Speedhunters Mazda RX7/8) from Auckland (who have so far won two series rounds apiece) separated by only 28.5 points with another Aucklander, Andrew Redward (Achilles Tyre Mazda RX7 V8), just 6.5 points further back in third.

High-profile international Whiddett has already won the three-round BP Ultimate 98 Triple Crown series-within-a-series  – from Woolhouse and 2012 series champion Curt Whittaker (Autosure Nissan R34 2JZ) – but so closely matched are the top five or six drivers that the title fight could well go down to the final battle at Taupo.

It’s also close points-wise in the Pro-Am support class heading into the final series round.

Having won Pro-Am at three of the five previous rounds Aucklander Darren Kelly (DKM Fabrication Nissan R32) leads the series points standings but a low-scoring opening round (thanks to a turbo failure) means he is still just 33 points up on first round winner Matt Lauder (Shred Industries Nissan 180SX) from Wellington who in turn is only 28 points ahead of the countrys’ top female drifter, Tauranga’s Jodie Verhulst (Mag & Turbo Tauranga/Elf oil Toyota Supra) who is currently third overall.

This season has seen 60-strong fields at each Cody’s D1NZ round and Brendon White expects at least that many across the two (D1 and Pro-Am) categories at Taupo.

The final is a full two-day meeting with practice for both D1 and Pro-Am categories on Saturday morning before Pro-Am qualifying and first battles in the afternoon.

Sunday then brings D1NZ qualifying, the final Pro-Am battles, and the final D1 battles of the season in the afternoon.

For more information go to the Cody’s D1NZ facebook page.