D1NZ Round4 Update

Hey team,

With only a week left before D1NZ round 4 at Taupo we were set for some late nights ahead after getting the RX8 back from LoKey Body kits where they have constructed from scratch the full custom built widebody kit for my RX8. This time the RX8 just HAD to be completed as the RX7 is on its way to Japan for D1GP. We stripped all the parts and sent them down to I.T.S for a full spray in gloss black so I could then apply my graphics over the top. A few days out from completion I made the call to NZ Performance Car magazine to make sure they come down late Wednesday night to shoot the car before we loaded up to head to Taupo to test the new TEIN suspension set up we have fabricated into the car not to mention all the extra HP PPRE have given it. The PCAR lads showed up at around 7.30pm and had to mingle between themselves and drink Red Bull’s while we finished the car for the magazine shoot. They were very impressed with the finished product as I must admit it was a very ugly car before hand. Adam Croy finished the shoot just after 1am then we loaded FURSTY into the rig and managed to get a couple of hours sleep before we hauled down to Taupo at 4.30am. Yep another night with not much sleep at all.

Thursday test day: This was the 3rd time I had taken this car out. The first time @ NZDRIFT finals in its standard 13b 174hp trim, the second time was a major improvement for our Red Bull VIP day with the new motor on low boost but still standard suspension with some cut springs to get it to look half decent and only running 215/17” tyres for the day and this third time with Autolign having to build and fabricate a custom TEIN suspension kit plus fit a TEIN EDFC unit, Chromies custom body drop to fit the suspension to the car and keep it super low, 265/35R18 Goodyear Asymmetrics on huge 18-12” deep dish rims to fill the new wide body, RX7 steering rack, an oversize SARD GT wing and a heap more HP sure had the pressure on with only 2 days to test the car before D1NZ on the Saturday entering in a totally fresh car to try and gain my championship lead back. It was a clear sunny day and from the 1st lap in the car it felt amazing as each lap Warren from PPRE was fine tuning it with his laptop from the passenger seat whilst I was full screaming through the drift section the response and power change was dramatic every lap. Once the power was sorted I would head out by myself and start to adjust the suspension to suit and also play with different tyre pressures. Even with all the HP we had I was actually trying to take grip out of the car by stiffening the TEIN’s with the EDFC and raising the rear tyre pressures. After burning through near 240litres of race gas with Castrol TTS and 6 new Goodyears the day was over and I was feeling really comfortable behind the wheel. It is amazing how different my two cars are to drive! Friday D1NZ Rookie and D1 practice: Now today was quite the opposite with weather pissing down the D1 drivers were sent out onto the track for testing after the rookies had finished their qualifying. I was struggling with the power in the wet on the off camber down hill section of the course where the boost would come on so fast and strong I was just running out of steering lock causing the car to spin. After the session it was pack up time and I still felt confident for a top16 result when it would come time for qualifying and also I would hope for some sun for Saturday.

Saturday D1NZ Round 4:

Again waking up to rain would lower my confidence for taking out this round but all I could hope for was some sunshine later in the day for the top16 battles. We had a good test and qualifying session in the morning and made top 16 which was a relief. Now the unthinkable all of a sudden the rain stopped and we had sunshine so after the pit walks, Rookie battles and lunch break the track had dried up. I could not believe it. We then got paired up on the dummy grid ready for our first top 16 battle.

Top16:

Unfortunately because I qualified low my 1st battle I would be up against a high qualifier this would be Andrew Redward in his Nankang tyres RB powered s14. Andrew has been driving really well this year and has made top4 at a few rounds recently. Now as we pull out of pit lane onto the track and I accelerate off in 3rd gear ‘BANG’crcrcrcr My freakin gearbox blew! I stopped and tried to put it in 1st gear ‘nothing’ 2nd ‘nothing 3rd nothing 4th seemed to roll me forward but sounded horrible as all the parts were flying loosely around inside. This meant I purely had to rely on the torque and horsepower from our 20b turbo drift machine especially when Taupo is a 3rd gear section into a 2nd gear tight exit. Luckily we run a very strong HKS twin plate clutch. I would lead the 1st pass and I managed to get through the section and pull a good lead on Redwood however coming into the tight section for the 1st time in 4th gear I needed to find a line that would work. I did straighten slightly handing him the advantage. Now this was going to be interesting as we took off ‘well I crept off slipping the clutch majorly’ I would come flying into the drift section not leaving Andrew an inch I managed to stay stuck to his car the entire way down the 1st section then just had to get through the last part with huge clutch kicks to keep the Goodyears from griping up. The crowd and the other drivers were amazed and with that I advanced to top 8!

Top8: 
Here I would meet Francis Aro in his RB powered s13. I decided to pump the rear tyres up to 50psi and run the TEIN EDFC at full hard in the rear to give it a lot less grip making it easier on the clutch. As we drove around the circuit to the judged section I drifted the infield part of the track foot to the floor to wear my tyres down for the same reason to loose the grip we had on the rear. My lead pass I would pull a lead on Francis and gain the advantage‘ This RX8 is an absolute drift machine. No one could believe how we were doing the entire section in 4th!  Now my chase I would just do the same and not let the s13 get away from me. I had another super close chase awarding me the advantage. Already I was so stoked to have made it to the top 4 not only because it was our first time competing in the new car but the fact I only had 1 gear also.

Top4:

Now as I pull into pitlane and drive up to the dummy grid it is to my surprise that current championship leader Gaz Whiter is not there! However Fanga Dan and Cole Armstrong were both ready to fight for a spot in the finals and also congrats to Nathan Stalker for making the top4 who would no doubt be driving strong for a spot on the podium. I was matched with Cole Armstrong in the V energy drink R34 horsepower monster. I would lead the 1st pass, coming down the front section I would find myself running out of steering lock and flew straight off the track through all the mud, this giving Cole a huge advantage 10-0. For me to gain advantage Cole would need to spin or straight line. I couldn’t have got any closer in my chase run however it was not enough for me to gain an advantage to put me in the finals because of my off track adventure.

Battle for the podium spot:

Now the battle for 3rd and 4th place. I shot into our pit bay to fuel up and check my tyres, They were getting worn but I did not want to change them as a new set would have too much grip. After our first close battle the judges called for a re-run. We were both stopped not far before the judged section as the judges were working out scores from the previous battle. I asked if we could reverse back to the hairpin to enable me to have enough run up as I needed to use the momentum of the car to initiate my drift on the 1st corner. That was fine until I realized I had no reverse! So I had to slip the clutch like crazy to get off the line but as we came into the section I didn’t have near enough speed so I had to straight line in the 1st part of the corner. I did manage to drift and pull a gap between us but it was 5-5 as I had a slow entry and my tyres I could feel had worn passed the canvas and I was now drifting on wire. Time to chase and fully focused on standing on that podium I came into the section again I gave Nathan a gap before the judged section so I could come into it faster and then be able to stay with him throughout the battle. On entry bang the left rear tyre blew out leaving me to case on 3 wheels, amazingly I managed to stay hard on him and the judges gave me a clear advantage and to my luck the second I drifted over the finish line 4th gear blew apart leaving myself and the RX8 stranded out on the track.

I could not believe it for the 1st time out in the RX8 and we made the podium and only using 4th gear. This car has got so much potential and I am so happy with how it has turned out. We have decided to pull the HKS sequential box out of the MADBUL RX7 after I have competed at D1GP Okayama and fly it back with me to install it into the FURSTY RX8 for NZDRIFT r2 and the D1NZ Grand final in Whangarei on August the 14th – 15th. I will then take it back with me to install into the RX7 in Japan for D1GP Ebisu. I wonder if they will let me have it as my carry on luggage! Hahaa  

Thanks to all my supporters, family, Toni for all the behind the scene time, effort and support and also sponsors: Red Bull, Goodyear, Castrol, Redline performance, HKS, Turbosmart, Tein, Fusion, TengTools, LoKey bodykits, DC, PPRE, Weds, Classic Cover Insurance, I.T.S, magwarehouse.com, BOP polishers, Any Maz Spares and also congrats to Cole for taking his first win .