Aussie Drifters Reclaim Crown

When the sun goes down at the 2012 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge, don't for a second think that it is time to pack up your folding chairs and head for the car. As the time attack teams retire to pore over seemingly endless data, their concentration will inevitably be broken by the sound of rev limiters being relentlessly bashed and tyres meeting a short and painful end; a spectacle that should not be missed!

 The 2012 Tectaloy International Drift Challenge promises to be the biggest yet, with the reigning New Zealand champions returning with backup and a mysterious Japanese team rumoured to compete. As promised in last week's post, we talked to 3 of Australia's best drifters who will hopefully be bringing the crown back to our shores. Check out the exclusive interviews below for a taste of what to expect at this year's event and be sure not to miss the opportunity to see them battling some of the world's best at the 2012 Tectaoy International Drift Challenge!

LUKE FINK

Performance Garage: Missing out on the podium in 2011 while driving a borrowed car with some reliability issues, are you excited to get back out there this year and have a crack in your own car?

Luke Fink: Definitely! Last year I still had a super fun time with my mates from Japanese Parts & Performance Gold Coast but due to the car only getting put together at the last minute for the event, we were unfortunately plagued with mechanical dramas.

 The wastegate vacuum line came off causing the car to overboost and pop a cooler pipe off during the drifting. Unfortunately that’s all it takes and it’s ultimately what knocked me out of the competition.

 It’s a shame because I felt confident that I could do quite well in the car. Alas it wasn’t to be.

PG: You’ve competed internationally before with great success and proved that Australian drifters are a force to be reckoned with, competing in numerous events and taking out the title of JDM Allstar Champion in Europe. With international competition finally coming to our shores, how do you think the Aussies will hold up?

 LF: The one thing I know about Aussies is that we are a lot more aggressive than almost any other country I have been to.

 Any big Australian competition I go to, the guys are pushing it to the absolute limit and aren’t scared to trade some paint or go for a crazy entry to push it.

 That’s the one thing I missed in Europe; they just don’t push as hard. They’re more precise though so it’s a good advantage for me to mix an all out, balls to the wall style with some precise driving to get me where I need to be.

 With guys from overseas coming to our shores, it’s going to be interesting to see how they react to a whole field of guys going all out for the win!

PG: You went overseas to compete because the Australian competitive drift scene died off with Drift Australia in 2009 but by the looks of things, it’s having a bit of a revival. How important is the Tectaloy International Drift Competition to the scene?

 LF: The Tectaloy International Drift Competition is definitely a big thing for Australian drifting.

It is an event that is closely followed by the world’s motorsport media and it shows off the Aussie scene on a worldwide scale

PG: The Holford Motors S14 has served you well over the last 5 years, has much changed for the 2012 season?

 LF: To be honest our motto is; “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” We haven’t really changed the car in 3 or 4 years so we are just fitting a fresh front bumper and putting some stickier rubber under it.

The car is light, has enough power and all the basic bits needed to be a competitive drifter so the plan is to just drive the arse out of it!

PG: Travelling interstate and competing on a track that you aren’t as familiar with must be a bit of a challenge. What did you learn about Eastern Creek last year and how will that affect your driving style this time around?

LF: I’m pretty comfortable with new tracks. I just watch from the sidelines, pick my lines and hit it.

 I’m fortunate in that way and I thank my BMX background for it. I find the flow that I use to keep speed up on my BMX at the skate park is a similar sort of thing I use to pick my lines and the way I attack a drift course.

 After that, it’s just a matter of adjusting it to make the judges and fans happy.

PG: Competition is going to be stiff at this year’s Tectaloy International Drift Competition, what do you have to say to your competitors?

LF: It will be good to get some solid laps in with everyone; whether they be from here, New Zealand, Japan or where ever else they might be coming from.

I’m just going to be heading out there to have some fun and put on a rad show.

Oh yeah, and watch out for your doors!

NIGEL PETRIE

Performance Garage: You’ve gained a reputation in the drift scene as an extremely talented fabricator of custom parts through your blog Engineered To Slide and your cars stand as a testament to that. What improvements have you made to the 180SX coming into the 2012 season?

Nigel Petrie: The 180SX performed faultlessly over the 2011 season and I really found a great balance between car and driver during all of last year’s track days. My goal for 2012 was to really concentrate on getting my Hilux finished but that doesn’t mean the 180SX has gone without.

At the end of 2011 I stripped the car down and began to solve all of the small issues I had; my gearbox had slight syncro issues and the car needed a good clean up.

I cut the tunnel out of the car and fabricated a new one to make gearbox removal and refit easier to do. I do all of the work on the car myself so it’s important that everything is easy to work on.

An RB25 box went into the new tunnel and I made a new shifter. I also made a new tailshaft and handbrake mount and sat the battery on top of the tunnel. I then resprayed the interior and refitted everything.

 I removed the diff and driveshafts and checked everything for wear. After that I put new Motul fluids through the entire car.

PG: What do you think of Eastern Creek and how will you be changing your setup compared to your home track?

NP: The only track I can really compare Eastern Creek to is Symmons plains in Tasmania. The fast entry and blind right hander followed with a switch back is fairly unique and it’s not easy to drive.

 I’ve only done a handful of laps around the place so this year I’ll try and get maximum practice in before the event.

My car only has roughly 250rwkW coming from the factory SR20DET so I may have to bump things up a little before the event. I’d love to be competitive this year so 300kW and some fresh Federal tyres wouldn’t go astray.

PG: Your Hilux is also a great example of your talents and drew quite the crowd in the pits of WTAC 2011. How has it progressed since then and will we be seeing it again this year?

NP: My Hilux has really been progressing lately. I just moved into a new house with a decent shed so I took 3 months off while concentrating on getting the shed all fitted out.

It’s in full swing now though and there have been many late nights on the TIG welder finishing off the chassis and sheetmetal work.

 I still work a normal 40 hour week and when I get home, I spend every minute I can working on it. The dream of driving it has kept the passion alive and 2012 is the year it will happen. You won’t be seeing it in the pits this year as it’s perched up on the chassis jig until it runs!

PG: We’ve heard rumours that you will be crossing the ditch to compete in the final round of D1NZ next week at Hampton Downs. Are you excited to check out the competition on their own turf?

NP: I have been lucky enough to be invited back to NZ to drive at the final round of D1NZ. I’m over the moon about this and would like to thank Matt Sellers and his family for this opportunity.

NZ has a fantastic drift series and I can wait to be rubbing shoulders with these blokes.

PG: With the New Zealanders taking out the top two spots last year and even more international competition expected this year, how confident are you coming into the 2012 Tectaloy International Drift Challenge?

NP: The 2012 Tectaloy Drift Challenge will be a show not to miss. If last year’s event is anything to go by, those NZ drivers will be hard to beat.

Us Aussies won’t be giving up though and it's going to go down to the wire!

BEAU YATES

Performance Garage: After the Drift Australia national championship collapsed, you all but disappeared from the drift scene until your reappearance with a victory at the 2010 Tectaloy International Drift Challenge. What caused this break and what is it about the Tectaloy event that brings you back year after year?

Beau Yates: I only stopped full-time drifting when Toyota withdrew most of their motorsport sponsorship due to the GFC. It was at a similar time that Drift Australia collapsed and my partner and I agreed to focus more on ourselves getting an income and full time jobs. It was a big change but definitely a welcomed one!

The Tectaloy event was the biggest event since Drift Australia and at first I tried to talk myself out of competing but after some friendly discussions with existing sponsors and my team, we agreed to give it a go.

When hearing about the event and seeing the lineup of drivers it made me wonder if a) the car was still going to be competitive and b) if my skills were still intact. Walking away with a good qualifying position and the win showed me that both the car and I were still very competitive so I’ve been coming back since.

PG: Thanks to your sponsors you are able to compete in one big event a year but it must be hard to limit yourself like this. Do you get to many grassroots drifting events and how do you keep your skills sharp without the constant push of competitive drifting?

 BY: I am very grateful for all my very loyal sponsors, most of who have been with me from the very beginning.

 I honestly don’t get on to the track very often at all. I might be lucky to get 1-2 corporate days a year and tend to find myself at the track closer to the Tectaloy International Drift Challenge, trying to get comfortable in the car and hone my skills. I guess you could look at it like cramming before an exam!

PG: With competition coming from not only interstate but also the returning champions of New Zealand and a rumoured Japanese team, are you feeling the pressure to perform on your home track?

 BY: To be honest, I’m not really feeling any pressure as my main priorities are trying to fulfil any obligations I have to my sponsors and have fun.

I never got into this motorsport to compete, I just want to have fun. If that’s not happening, I don’t see the point in continuing.

PG: Your famous AE86 has been a trusty chariot for many years now, have you put much development into it for 2012 or would you say it is the perfect package?

BY: It’s far from perfect! A sequential gearbox, power steering and a couple other bits and pieces would improve the car greatly and a discussion about this arises quiet often.

It seems to be quick and still competitive, proven by podium finishes in 2010 and 2011.  I ask myself; “is there really a need to make adjustment and changes when we are still getting the right results? Is there really a need to over engineer the car or re-invent the wheel?

I think for now, the aim of my ‘chariot’ is more about maintenance and reliability.

PG: The crown was snatched off you last year by the Kiwis, are you going to bring it back for Australia in 2012?

BY: I will of course give it my best but you never know with drifting if it’s your day or not.

I find everyone competes at a similar level with similar skills, so it really depends on the day and how your run is through the top 32 and 16 battles. It also depends a lot on the car and how it’s performing on the day.

 By the sounds of things Luke, Nigel and Beau will be defending our shores valiantly but they won't be alone. The Australian drift scene has been growing exponentially of late and we are sure the country's best will be in attendance of the 2012 Tectaloy International Drift Challenge.

 With only a couple of months to go, we are certainly getting excited and as the date gets closer, we will be bringing you more exclusive content from behind the scenes. Keep an eye on the Performance Garage page and start packing your bag, this year is going to be huge!