Two of the best Link ECU D1NZ National Drifting Championship Pro-Sport Series front runners are looking to move up.

Points leader Liam Burke is on target to take out his first Pro-Sport Series title this weekend at Pukekohe. He leads the standings by a staggering 81 points over nearest rival Taylor James of Central Drift Team.

Burke is yet to finish outside the top two so far this season. With three second place trophies and a win to his name, Burke is the hot favourite heading to Pukekohe Park this weekend.

The Whangarei drifter said he couldn’t have imagined he’d have so much success in his first proper assault on the series.

“I’ve got four of these damn trophies now, it’s pretty crazy,” he said.

“You’d never think you’d go into the D1NZ Pro-Sport Series and get four podiums finishes.”

Burke is hopeful that he can take out the title this weekend and announce a move up to the Pro Series. However, he knows that the step is a big one to make.

While his Toyota 2JZ-powered Nissan Silvia S13 is a front runner in the Pro-Sport Series, more wild and ambitious builds are taking hold in the leading Pro Series. Just last season fellow Whangarei drifter ‘Fanga’ Dan Woolhouse debuted two Ford Mustang RTRs.

“It’s a huge difference between Pro and Pro-Sport. They’re that next level.

“We definitely want to move to Pro next year. Hopefully I can get a little bit more sponsorship backing, but that’s all down to me to work on.”

Burke said his biggest challenge is not so much improving the set up on his car, but himself as a driver. Qualifying has been key for Burke this year and he’s not often been outside the top five.

“Moving into Pro will push me to do even better. Where the Pro-Sport guys are averaging 60 to 70 qualifying runs on points, the Pro drivers are going anywhere from 70 to 90 points.

“That’s the next stepping stone, but I think when you’re in that class you have to perform and you have to learn to perform, especially when it comes to battles. Honestly it’s down to the driver. We’ll have to step up our game.”

Burke’s teammate Scotty Dinsdale won the last round at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in April. The final battle saw Burke go head-to-head with his Team 13 stablemate, the first time they’ve ever battled in a final together.

Dinsdale currently sits third in the points order just ahead of former title contender Jordy Cole, who failed to qualify in the fourth round due to a mechanical failure.

Following a spate of mechanical gremlins and a crash early in the season, Dinsdale said the move up might hinge on how he goes at Pukekohe.

“Because we haven’t been super consistent with the car changing just about every round, we want to move up to Pro but that’s dependent on how we go at Pukekohe,” Dinsdale said.

“We really want to go to Pro because that’s where we’re aiming. We’ll see how we go.”

Burke said he’s confident his teammate could be competitive in Pro competition despite any doubts Dinsdale might have.

“He actually said to me the other day ‘I might do another season of Pro-Sport’, but he’s got the skills. He’s just as ready as I am.

“It would be cool if we both moved up as a team to Pro. Obviously from this event he’s definitely a contender. He’s smashed it.”

The Link ECU D1NZ National Drifting Championship concludes at Auckland’s Pukekohe Park over May 12-13. For more information visit D1NZ.com, tickets are available via iTicket.co.nz.

A Bathurst 12 Hour winner, Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup champion, and Virgin Australia Supercars Championship title winner—Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen is well versed in the world of motor racing. It is perhaps a bit of a surprise that the 28-year-old isn’t so fond of his next big challenge.

There are corners all around the globe that require drivers to pull their belts just that little bit tighter on approach. Taking ‘The Chase’ at 300kph around Mount Panorama for 161 laps is standard issue for van Gisbergen, but taking turn one at Pukekohe Park sideways at 200kph is going to be a whole new task to tackle.

This weekend the Link ECU D1NZ National Drifting Championship rolls into Auckland for the grand finale. Pukekohe Park plays host to the D1NZ Pro and Pro-Sport Series where drifters will try to get upwards of 200kph sideways in their purpose-built drift weapons.

When van Gisbergen was confirmed to join the series for selected rounds of the 2018 calendar, there was one that stood out for him.

“I told Brendon White (D1NZ Category Manager) a few times I wasn’t interested in Pukekohe, it’s sort of too fast,” van Gisbergen said.

“Driving into that corner and going sideways on purpose at 200kph is going to be a bit of a shock to the system I think. It’ll be pretty awesome, I’m looking forward to that one.”

On his return to the series at ASB Baypark Stadium in Tauranga, van Gisbergen experienced the highs and lows of drifting competition. On his first run the Supercars veteran lay down an impressive score, notable given he’d not even practiced on Friday and only arrived at the circuit on Saturday morning.

He went on to battle reigning champion and good friend Cole Armstrong. The V Energy-backed drifter got the better of van Gisbergen in the top-16 battle, but it was a close call that only just saw Armstrong go through.

He’s been away from the drifting scene for several years, instead focusing on drives in the Supercars Championship with leading outfit Red Bull Holden Racing Team. Among other drives in Europe and North America, van Gisbergen hasn’t had the time to drift. With calendar clashes this year in the IMSA and Blancpain GT Series, it opened a door for his return home.

The drifting scene is in stark contrast to the circuit racing world in which he resides. However, it’s a refreshing return with comradery so prevalent in the drifting series.

“That’s the best thing about drifting, everyone gets along and everyone encourages each other so much. We saw that at Wellington when people were crashing and the drivers who they crashed with were helping them.

“That doesn’t happen in many other sports. Drifting with all those guys that I used to look up to, Gaz Whiter and Cole Armstrong and ‘Fanga’ Dan, it’s pretty awesome that they’re still in there. Hopefully I can jump back in an have a play with them. It’s been a few years!”

The Link ECU D1NZ National Drifting Championship final takes place at Pukekohe Park over May 12-13. For more information visit D1NZ.com. Tickets are available via iTicket.co.nz

A breakthrough win for Scotty Dinsdale and second for Liam Burke cemented a top two lockout for Team 13 at the latest round of the D1NZ Pro-Sport Series.
 
Held at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in Feilding, Dinsdale finally managed to get one up on his teammate Burke.
 
Burke currently leads the Pro-Sport Series division of the Link ECU D1NZ National Drifting Championship on 360 points. So far this year he hasn’t finished outside the top two positions.
 
The team, which is named after the fact that they both drive Nissan Silvia S13s, sit first and third in the points standings.
 
The win for Dinsdale is a solid return to form after an average start to the year, which saw him crash at Tauranga. The subsequent rebuild saw the car receive a completely new look.
 
“It’s been a pretty rough start to the season so it’s good to have the car back looking fresh, to make it on the top spot for my first podium is just the best,” Dinsdale said.
 
“We haven’t really had anything the same for any of the rounds, so we’re adjusting every time we drive it. I can’t wait to send it at Pukekohe.”
 
Dinsdale said he’s struggled in the past to get into the right mindset, but at Manfeild he finally managed to overcome his mental block.
 
“The nerves get to me sometime so I just pretend I’m at a track day because without any nerves I know how to drive the car.
 
“I had to just to push it to the limits because that’s what you’ve got to do to be at the top. It’s good to finally be here.”
 
Burke and Dinsdale qualified third and fourth respectively, which ensured they’d be on opposite sides of the battle tree. Burke fought Jared Coombes and went to a One-More-Time in their initial battle.
 
Coombes managed to maintain proximity with Burke in their top-16 battle, but that came at the cost of angle. The judges decided Coombes ran too shallow and Burke got given the advantage. Burke played it safe in his chase and duly got given the pass into the top-eight.
 
Dinsdale loaned his car to John O’Gorman for the top-16 competition following a mechanical failure for the Falken Tyres-backed drifter.
 
O’Gorman ran super close with Burke in the chase, but Burke managed to get even closer and matched his line nearly perfectly. Despite being such a close battle, Burke got given the go ahead.
 
Burke went on to face Simon Lee in the top-four. Lee was shallow on entry and switched too late and was out of the designated zone to do so. The V8-powered Nissan 300ZX couldn’t maintain proximity and missed matching the line of Burke.
 
Burke and Lee fought hard, but the difference in their battle came down to an inside wheel drop by Burke on the chase, which was enough to force the battle to an OMT. Burke ultimately won the second run.
 
On the other side of the tree Dinsdale proceeded through to the top-four after Michael Thorley spun at the hairpin in their top-eight battle. He then defeated Central Drift Team driver Taylor James, who made a mistake exiting the hairpin.
 
The finals pipped Burke against teammate Dinsdale and James against Lee. James went on to beat Lee in their third place playoff.
 
In the battle of the Team 13 drifters, Burke looked to have the initial advantage after Dinsdale dropped a wheel off at turn three. However, Burke made a big blunder through the transition and straight lined. He dropped back and Dinsdale was duly given the win.
 
Dinsdale said he was fortunate to get away with the win after he encountered mechanical troubles late in the piece.
 
“We both know how we drive and I knew Liam would be super aggressive. With that clutch slipping I was nervous, but I knew I had to be on his door the whole time. I felt like on my lead run I threw down one of the best runs of the day.
 
“I still saw Liam right in my mirror, but he must’ve got lost in the smoke or stage fright up against the teammate. It’s definitely good to get one over him.”
 
The Link ECU D1NZ National Drifting Championship Pro-Sport Series concludes at Auckland’s Pukekohe Park where Liam Burke will look to win the title. For more information visit D1NZ.com or NZXMS.co.nz.

Link ECU D1NZ Pro-Sport Series round four, top 10:  
1. Scotty Dinsdale
2. Liam Burke
3. Taylor James
4. Simon Lee
5. Jared Andersen
6. Michael Thorley
7. Ra Heyder
8. John O'Gorman
9. Callum Neeson
10. Ben White