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Australian drift champion to be crowned at Oran Park |
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Tuesday, 16 September 2008 |
The 2008 Australian Drift Champion will be crowned at Sydney's Oran Park Raceway this weekend, in the final round of the Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series.
| While 30 drivers will tackle the historic Sydney circuit, all eyes will be on the three fighting for the championship; Leighton Fine, Luke Fink and Beau Yates. After three wins from four rounds, Fine holds a 70-point lead over Fink, with 2006 Australian Drift Champion Yates the outsider, a further 159 in arrears. Fine (Commercial Truck Sales Nissan 180SX) was in a similar position in 2006, entering the season finale with a 126-point advantage, only to suffer an engine failure in practice. Unable to source a replacement, he jumped aboard a rival's spare car, but was knocked out in the Top 16 round of battles and fell just short of the crown. "Losing the championship at the last round in 2006 was incredibly disappointing," Fine said. "Hopefully this year will be different, we've had a fantastic season to get us to this point and we're going to Oran Park determined to wrap up the title. "A lot can happen over the weekend, so we're not going to get ahead of ourselves - we know what we are capable of, so we'll just take it one battle at a time." If Fine finishes first or second - or third after qualifying inside the Top Six - this weekend, he will become the 2008 Australian Drift Champion regardless of Fink's results.
For his part, Fink (Holford Motors Nissan Silvia) is set to continue with the same aggressive style which has taken him to a win and two second-place finishes.
"It's good to be second in the championship, but we're after first place," Fink said.
"Giving it everything all year is what's put us in this position; we're going to do the same this weekend.
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| "We've worked hard all year and scored some great results, winning the championship would a great reward for the guys." With 500 points on offer, third-placed Yates (Toyota Racing Developments AE86 Sprinter) is 229 behind Fine and an outside chance of snaring the title if Fine and Fink are eliminated in the opening round of battles. "The pressure is on Leighton and Luke, really," he said. "We've got nothing to lose, so we're going to get out there and try to win the event and see how everything else works out." The 2008 Toyo Tires Super Drift Series champion will also be crowned this weekend at Oran Park. Josh Coote currently leads the feeder class, by a commanding 276 points, over South Australians Stewart Furze and Ben Monkhouse. The two full days of action will also include expression sessions, team drifting, an Extreme Entry competition and off-track entertainment including a Show 'n' Shine. Tickets are $20 on Saturday and $30 on Sunday, with a $40 weekend pass also available, while kids under 12 are free all weekend. For more information about the Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series, head to www.driftaustralia.com.au. Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series Standings1. Leighton Fine (SA, Commercial Truck Sales Nissan 180SX) - 18362. Luke Fink (VIC, Holford Motors Nissan Silvia) - 1766 - 22663. Beau Yates (NSW, Toyota Racing Developments Toyota AE86 Sprinter) - 16074. Adam May (SA, WheelWorx Nissan Skyline) - 14245. Khudar Elhaouli (VIC, JDS Auto Imports Nissan Silvia) - 14016. Christian Pickering (SA, Senwill Civil Nissan Silvia) - 13957. Robbie Bolger (QLD, VIP Petfoods Holden Monaro) - 13958. Tom Monkhouse (SA, Japanese Motorsport Nissan Silvia) - 1382 |
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| 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 Tires Drift Australia Series is sanctioned by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport as the official Australian Drift Championship.
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