Carco Raceway in Wanneroo played host to Round 3 of the D1 Western Australian State Drifting Championship. A custom track layout was used running a section of the short course in reverse direction, linking three corners and creating two inside clipping points, three outside clipping points and an all important outside clipping zone through the second corner.
Drifting is as much an art form as it is a sport, making scoring a complex and somewhat ambiguous job. However, D1WA event judges do a fantastic job of quantifying how in which drivers are to be scored for their runs in a high level of detail. These elements include:
- Placing your car as close as possible to the clipping points and zones.
- Have as much angle as possible without wiping off too much forward momentum.
- Carry as much speed as possible without over rotating or needing to excessively use the brakes to slow down & make the turn.
- Be stylish – produce lots of smoke, use as much throttle as you can and be smooth in your transitions.
- Whilst chasing the lead driver, place your car as close as possible to theirs without colliding & emulating their movements.
The solo runs of qualifying saw driver’s push to the limit unencumbered for a chance to secure one of the 32 available spots for competition battles. Unlike circuit racing, exact finishing position is not so important, the main objective is simply to secure a place in 32nd or above.
With the field qualified and the 32 cars revealed, drivers broke off into pairs in a winner takes all format with the victor or each pair progressing to the next round until only two drivers remain. To make it to the final round your car will need to survive a total of four battle runs as the field crumbles from 32 drivers down to a final 2.
Damien McBride and Jamie Worrol would narrowly miss their chance for a top two finish and would face off one final time for the third spot on the podium. After a dramatic smoke show it would be 2023 D1WA Champion Worrol who would prevail in his freshly tuned S15 Silvia.
The ultimate battle for gold and bragging rights would come down to Ethan Faithful and Luke Veersma. A nail biting finale saw both drivers display the best car control and precision of the event and ultimately judges would hand the final winning score to Luke Veersma. Congratulations Luke!
Round 4 of the D1WA Championship will return to Carco Raceway on the 24th of August.
