NZ Performance Car – October 2019

NEWS

Going 15 years strong and showing no signs of

slowing down, it was confirmed on the eve of this

year’s CRC Speedshow that the D1NZ National

Drifting Championship has become one of the

main drawcards in a mega motorsport offering for

the 2020 season.

The series will undertake a refreshed five-

round calendar with three rounds in conjunction

with Speedworks Events, which includes the

Castrol Toyota Racing Series, BNT V8s, and

support classes.

Long-running venues such as Hampton

Downs Motorsport Park, Trustpower Arena, and

Pukekohe Park will stay on as regular fixtures;

however, the lower North Island will miss out for

the first time in several years with Manfeild Circuit

Chris Amon and Wellington Speedway dropped

from the line-up. The trade-off is that Teretonga

Park in Invercargill, where drifting at this level has

never been seen, has been added.

To ensure the grassroots side of the series

has one hell of a good time while keeping the

season affordable, Pro-Sport will drop down to

four rounds, skipping Teretonga, and start prior to

the Pro Series. And it’s just been announced that

Zeroclass DRIFT will take over the reigns and kick

off the Pro-Sport season with round one at Drift

Matsuri Spring Break 2019 (16-17 November 2019;

Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo) before the

class rejoins the Pros at Bay Park Arena, Hampton

Downs Motorsport Park, and Pukekohe Park.

2020 D1NZ NATIONAL DRIFTING

CHAMPIONSHIP PRO SERIES CALENDAR

ROUND ONE: 2 4–26 JANUARY 2020 — TERETONGA PARK, INVERCARGILL

ROUND TWO: 7 –8 FEBRUARY — PUKEKOHE PARK, AUCKLAND

ROUND THREE: 28–29 FEBRUARY — TRUSTPOWER ARENA, TAURANGA

ROUND FOUR: 27–28 MARCH — HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK, TE KAUWHATA

ROUND FIVE: 8–9 MAY — PUKEKOHE PARK, PUKEKOHE

2 020 D1NZ NATIONAL DRIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP

PRO-SPORT SERIES CALENDAR

ROUND ONE:16-17 NOVEMBERR — DRIFT MATSURI SPRING BREAK 2019

ROUND TWO: 28–29 FEBRUARYY — TRUSTPOWER ARENA, TAURANGA

ROUND THREE:27–28 MARCH— HAMPTON DOWNS MOTORSPORT PARK, TE KAUWHATA

ROUND FOUR:8–9 MAY — PUKEKOHE PARK, PUKEKOHE

D1NZ SERIES

SHAKE-UP

FOR NEXT SEASON

Clocking up a whopping 60 years, the Waimate 50

has become one of the most iconic motorsport

events in the country. Each year, thousands

descend on the small South Canterbury town of

Waimate — a tradition spanning back to 1959, when

a young Bruce McLaren went on to win the 50-lap

‘around the houses’ street race.

This year’s incarnation will go down between

25 and 27 October (Labour weekend) and promises

a series of top-tier motorsport names, including the

likes of Hayden Paddon, ‘Fanga Dan’ Woolhouse,

and Kenny Smith, among the many drivers who flock

from all over to get in on the tight and unforgiving

1.3km Waimate Street Circuit — a race in which

the spectators are able to get close enough to the

madness to taste the rubber.

Friday afternoon will kick off the weekend with

a sealed hill climb; Auckland’s Kevin Sanderson, in

the Hayabusa-powered Starlet, will be one to watch.

Then the action will turn to the Waimate Street

Circuit. Led by former World Rally Championship

(WRC) driver Hayden Paddon, 50 cars will compete

in the Street Attack, whittling the field down for the

Top 10 shoot-out on Sunday afternoon.

As the sun goes down on Saturday, northern

drifters Darren Kelly, Cole Armstrong, Gaz Whiter,

Troy and Ben Jenkins, Carl Thompson, and

Andrew Redward will go up against a selection

of southern counterparts to take out inter-island

bragging rights for another year.

As always, there’ll be a ton of demonstration

races that bring out bikes, vintage steel, muscle

cars, touring cars, pre-’85 Formula Fords, and

historic saloons.

The 60-year celebration will be one not to

miss. Tickets are available at waimate50.co.nz.

60 YEARS

OF STREET

HOONAGE

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