Red Bull Drift Shifters Transform the Streets of Auckland

The Men And Machines of Red Bull Drift Shifters Transform the Streets of Auckland City, If Only for a Day.

A 20,000 strong crowd flocked to the streets of downtown Auckland today, witnessing a motorsport spectacle of epic proportions. When the tyre smoke cleared and the burnt rubber settled, it was ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett (NZ) who reigned supreme clocking 4,012,088 points, defeating Chris Forsberg (USA) in the high octane Red Bull Drift Shifters finale.

“That was as hard as I could go - full throttle and the car was overheating. I lost communication with the countdown team so I played it by feel. I had some spare time left but I’m pumped we cracked over four million points, it was a tough battle,” says Whiddett.

“This is my dream, and now I’m living it. It’s a lot of hard work, but Drift Shifters has put New Zealand on a global stage today. I want to thank the New Zealand drivers, we had the best here today, I hand selected these guys and they really put on a show of precision driving. We showed how professional the sport has become. It’s such a surreal moment right now.”

“The biggest thing I’m stoked about is how much interest we had from the best drivers around the world. To have the likes of Chris Forsberg, Daigo Saito and Ken ‘Nomuken’ Nomura come along and say that it is an amazing event, shows just how much potential Drift Shifters has. We’re not trying to reinvent the sport of drifting, but just package it in a way that is accessible and easy for spectators to follow. I really think the format has succeeded in doing that.”

The unique concept of Red Bull Drift Shifters has created a format that allows drivers to break free from drifting’s traditional dual car battle format. The competition today was all about a race against the clock to score points from automated speed, angle and proximity sensors positioned around the city street course. It was literally a giant pinball game for drift cars.

Strategy also played a major part of each competition run. Detailed consultation with spotters and mechanics allowed drivers to attack the course with their own carefully planned and executed route. Drivers needed to score points in the millions to progress through each round, all the while battling a 70 seconds countdown clock.

“This was unlike any other drift event in the world,” says second place getter and recently crowned Formula Drift Champion Chris Forsberg. “An event like this using sensors in downtown city streets really brings people in right up close to the cars. It’s the ultimate show of car control. I’m really pumped to be in New Zealand and I really hope we get the opportunity to come back and compete at Drift Shifters again.”

With top international drivers in attendance, it was possible that the New Zealand field could have been overshadowed by their overseas counterparts -- but this was not the case. Mike Whiddett led the charge all day, supported by top local talent ‘Fanga’ Dan Woolhouse, surprise contender Andrew Redwood and the ever consistent Gaz Whiter.

“The first year we learnt so much, and this time around we’ve learnt even more, so it’s only going to get bigger and better from here,” says Whiddett. “My dream for this event is for it to hit all of the major cities around the world. We have a great concept here, so there’s definitely big things to come for Drift Shifters.”

The event can be viewed on demand at Red Bull TV. Visit redbull.co.nz/driftshifters for content updates. #DRIFTSHIFTERS.

RED BULL DRIFT SHIFTERS 2014 RESULTS

OVERALL

1) ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett (NZ)

2) Chris Forsberg (USA)

3) ‘Fanga’ Dan Woolhouse (NZ)

FINALS

‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett (NZ) – 4,012,088

Chris Forsberg (USA) – 2,650,885

SEMI FINALS

‘Fanga’ Dan Woolhouse (NZ) – 3,216,985

Matt Powers (USA) – 1,982,799

Chris Forsberg (USA) – 3,505,449

‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett (NZ) – 3,276,400

QUARTER FINALS

Matt Powers (USA) – 4,101,229 (top score of the day)

Andrew Redward (NZ) – 2,912,827 (retired)

‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett (NZ) – 2,685,799

Chris Forsberg (USA) – 2,194,329

‘Fanga’ Dan Woolhouse (NZ) – 1,774,430

Gaz Whiter (NZ) – 1,616,266

Ryan Tuerck (USA) – 886,850

Daigo Saito (JAP) – 719,310

-Ends-

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