ADGP

The first video from the weekend is here! Highlights from the ADGP and FD Asia doubler header at the Calder Park Thunderdome. Lots more coverage still to come on Speedweek, online and in Motive DVD. This is only a little taste

After a action packed, drama filled day of excitement, the Just Car Insurance Australian Drifting Grand Prix Thunderdome Exhibition Match has been run and done. Nick Coulson broke his 4th place curse from 2012, and took the win in the Achilles Radial Holden VE Ute, backed by Just Nice Cars, Hi-Torque Performance and Fulcrum Suspension. #1 Qualifier, Tom Monkhouse, took the number 2 spot after an epic re-run final and Khudar Elhoulo took the number 3 spot. Michel Prosenik turned around his bad luck from lat year and took the number 4 spot. Stay tuned for a quick video tonight, a full write up and highlights video early next week and 10-minute  highlights feature on Speedweek May 19th. Motive DVD will be providing full coverage in a future issue!

Being a drift judge isn’t easy. Some runs are so close they are hard to call and, being subjective in some areas, means not everyone agrees with you. Lets face it, the judges have a hard job, and are  often under appreciated. The ADGP judging system keeps things very uniform. The judges and the drivers are both given a pre-set judging criteria to drive and judge to, meaning everyone is on the same page. Our judging team in 2012 was a fantastic crew, but our most experienced judge, Clint Brown, will not be returning this season as he wished to spend more time with his family after the birth of his first child. We would like to take this time to thank Clint  for all of his hard work from Day 1, good laughs and great times. No doubt he will never leave the drift scene completely!

Our remaining two judges, Trent Whyte from Qld, and Nicholas “Banger” Van Geest, will both be returning for the 2013/14 season,  along with our judges manager and scorer, Tessa Whyte. New for this season, to mix things up, we will have a different 3rd “guest” judge at each round. For the ADGP Thunderdome Exhibition Match, local drifting hero, and internet superstar, Nigel Petrie, will be joining the team and give judging on a national scale a try for the first time.

Nigel is well known not only for his drifting skills, but his car building skills as well. His website/blog, Engineered to Slide, has a massive following, as it showcases the build and modifications of the cars in his garage, including his 180SX competition car, S13 street car and his crazy, custom designed,  made from scratch, tube frame Hilux drift ute. If you havn’t checked it out, then head to his website right now! NIgel has been around the Australian drift scene since the very beginning, and has competed locally, nationally and internationally, driving in the Tectaloy Drift Challenge and competing in New Zealand in a D1NZ round. HIs experience as a driver, having competed at the Thunderdome twice before, will make his judging decisions highly respected. NIgel  is looking forward to trying out a new drifting experience and seeing what the sport is like from the other side of the fence. We look forward to having Nigel part of the team for the ADGP Exhibition match this weekend, the 27th of April, at the Calder Park Thunderdome.

The Just Car Insurance Australian Drifting GP and Achilles Radial Formula Drift Asia Double Header is going to be massive! Predictions are it will be the biggest and best drift event ever in Australia as our top drivers take on some of teh world’s best, including Daigo Saito, Fredric Aasbo and Robbie Nishida just to name a few. Discount online tickets will go on sale for the ADGP/FD ASia Doubler Header on April 9th. Weekend passes will be $45 for walk about ( save $25!! ) and a weekend grandstand pass will be $60 ( Save $30!! )