West Australian drivers will use hometown knowledge to their advantage this weekend at Barbagallo Raceway, in round one of the 2007 Toyo Drift Australia Series.
Competition will be strong among the 30-car field, however with many of their rivals having never Drifted at Barbagallo ahead of the series' first event at the Perth circuit, locals Adam Trewhella, Michael Sullivan, James Eames and Lance Biffen will be drivers to watch.
The 2006 Toyo Drift Australia Series showed just how important home-track advantage can be, with four of the five rounds won by drivers at their home track.
In the only round of the series that didn't have a local driver -
Symmons Plains in Tasmania - Adam Trewhella scored the best result of
his debut Drift Australia season en-route to ninth in the Championship.
He finished second, behind former BMX World Champion Luke Fink, a result he'd love to replicate on home turf this weekend.
"I'm pretty confident going into the weekend," Trewhella said.
"We showed last year that we can mix it in what is a very competitive field.
"Drift Australia will use the same layout of Barbagallo that us local
guys use regularly, and gained plenty of experience on over the last
few years."
While plans to debut a new Nissan Silvia S15 this weekend haven't come
to fruition, Trewhella's flame-throwing, Toyo Tyres-sponsored Nissan
Cefiro will have more power on tap than in 2006.
"It's still a good car, and we're going from a virtually stock
2.4-litre motor to a heavily modified 3-litre engine which will give us
a boost in horsepower," he said.
"We've made a lot of big changes to the car, and I'm expecting good things from it."
Joining Trewhella as a fulltime Western Australia representative in the
Toyo Drift Australia Series this year is Michael Sullivan, who will
drive the new MayTech Nissan 180SX.
"I did the very first Drift Australia event in 2005 at Wakefield Park
and there was steep competition even back then in the very early days,"
Sullivan, who finished second in the 2006 WA Drift Series, said.
"I've spent a lot of time on Barbagallo - it's a technical layout and experience on it will help.
"I'm looking to get a good result from the round, which will give me a
lot of confidence for facing new tracks later in the year."
While Lance Biffen and James Eames will, for the time being, only be doing a one-off at Barbagallo, they're also keen to shine.
2006 Western Australian Drift Champion Biffen will pilot the C-Red
Nissan Laurel in his top-level debut, having previously done a round of
the Super Drift feeder class in 2005.
"In the last three years, we've been heading across to events in the East whenever we could," Biffen said.
"Barbagallo is the best track I've drifted on - it's got seven corners, all-linked, so we're flat out for a minute.
"I'll be out there giving it everything."
James Eames (Imports 101 Nissan 200SX), who finished fifth in the 2006
WA series, is not only eagerly anticipating this weekend's action
itself, but also the boost it will provide the local Drift scene.
"Drifting is growing here in Western Australia, and having a top-level
national round over here will boost that," Eames enthused.
"I know the track inside out, just a matter of not letting nerves get to me.
"It's a fast track with heaps of corners, and it's awesome to Drift on.
"Like the other West Australian guys, I'll be going out there, doing out my best and seeing how we go."
The two day program will feature Toyo Drift Australia Series and Super
Drift action, team Drift, free-style expressions sessions and an Auto
Salon Magazine Show 'n' Shine.
Adult tickets are great value at $15 for Saturday, $25 for Sunday or $35 for the weekend.
Kids between 12 and 16 get in at the discounted rate of $10 on
Saturday, $20 on Sunday and $25 for the weekend, with kids 11 and under
free all weekend.
For more information about the Toyo Drift Australia Series, head to www.driftaustralia.com.au
About Drifting
Originating in Japan, Drifting is a form of motorsport where drivers
are judged on their speed, line and angle through each corner on a
course.
Like extreme sports such as freestyle motocross, surfing and
skateboarding, drivers are awarded points by judges, based on a number
of factors.
Two cars battle at a time, with the driver who scores the most points
in a battle - two passes of the course - advancing to the next phase.
Competition starts with an elimination round of 32, then progresses
through Top 16, Top 8 and Top 4 rounds before two drivers battle to
determine the event winner.
Since it first arrived in Australia just a handful of years ago,
Drifting has become one of the fastest growing forms of sport in the
country, and now has a strong following of spectator and commercial
support.
The Toyo Drift Australia Series is the official Australian Drifting Championship.
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