This article is part of our 2023 World Time Attack Challenge coverage.
Ever since the first World Time Attack Challenge, Drifting has been a part of the show, from a lunchtime expression session in 2010, to now a full-on international competition, with famous drifting names coming from New Zealand and Japan to put on a smoke show.
D1NZ champ Gaz Whiter, ‘Mad’ Mike Whiddett and Taylor James would be the drivers representing New Zealand, as Daigo Saito and Ken Gushi would bring their FD Japan weapons to compete.
The drifting competition would be brought back to a night show, which with the lack of wind, would cause problems during qualifying on the Friday. By the time everyone had completed their first runs, the smoke had become a low fog, making vision difficult and forcing the officials to wait until part of smoke had moved until sending a car out for their second run.
I had never seen conditions like this, but that’s motorsport, where weather can throw an unexpected spanner in the works. Despite the uniqueness of the night, there were quite a few drivers with solid 90+ point runs, with little gap in between. Glen Ormerod would take the top qualifying spot, followed by Brodie Maher and Matt Harvey.
I was worried that we would have the same conditions as qualifying for the drifting battles, but there was enough wind to push smoke away from the track and spectators, and it was one hell of a show. The top 8 in qualifying would all automatically advance to the Top 16, while the rest would have to battle their way in.
A few incidents would occur early in the night including Jake Jones piledriving Ken Gushi and having to retire his car. However, the best battle before the Top 16 would be the ‘One More Time’ battle between Rob Whyte and Mad Mike. With both drivers being too far back in their chase runs, the judges would get them to battle again, this time Mad Mike would hound the side of Rob Whyte’s 370Z, grabbing the win as the crowd cheered.
That battle would set the standard for the next few as Top Qualifier Glen Ormerod would send Jordan Sanderson in his VE Ute home, whilst Daigo Saito would defeat Brendan ‘Bogga’ O’Grady driving the fan favourite ‘Hulk 180sx’. Luke Veersma was becoming the underdog, getting right up close to New Zealand driver Taylor James and taking the win.
The rest of the New Zealand team would fall as Danny Probert in his distinctive Ford Falcon would hold nothing back, getting right up close to the D1NZ champ Gaz Whiter in his chase, then driving away from Whiter in the lead run. Mad Mike would suffer the same fate in his battle with Matt Harvey, struggling to keep up with the S13, as Matt Harvey would be on Mike’s door by the end of his chase run.
Aussie drift fans would see another installment of the fun rivalry between Dale Campaign and Jason Ferron as they battled for a place in the Great 8. Jason Ferron would bang doors with Campaign at the final outer zone, whilst Dale Campaign would fall back in the same area in his chase run, meaning Jason Ferron would grab a victory against his rival after a long while.
The Great 8 would now be set, with Daigo Saito and Glen Ormerod starting off the proceedings. Saito would hammer down as Ormerod gained proximity near the final outer zone. However, he would drop a wheel and that would be the difference, allowing Glen Ormerod to advance to the Final 4. Ken Gushi would also be eliminated in the Great 8, as at the start of the lead run against Brodie Maher, Gushi would have mechanical issues, being unable to initiate the drift.
Danny Probert would go off twice against Luke Veersma, dropping a wheel whilst chasing the S13, then over-rotating at the second zone, heading way off course. Matt Harvey would be the final driver to make it into the Final Four, winning his battle against Jason Ferron. During Harvey’s chase run, he would be right with the R31 Wagon whilst – as you can see in the picture above – Ferron was too shallow during his own chase.
It was now time for the Final 4, the three top qualifiers and the underdog. But it was now that the young Luke Veersma truly showed how to get it done, with an absolutely clinical lead run, as Glen Ormerod only came close in the final half of the run. Ormerod would also go wide during his own lead run, taking out three cones, and now only would have to battle for third place.
Matt Harvey and Brodie Maher would run almost identical to each other, and despite the long deliberation from the judges, they would ultimately call for a ‘One More Time’. Unfortunately, at the start of their next battle, Brodie Maher would blow a head gasket on initiation, heading straight on into the inside of the course. He would have to retire from the rest of the event giving Matt Harvey the win and also, Glen Ormerod the third-place trophy.
Now it would be one final battle between the veteran Matt Harvey and the young Luke Veersma, both having hard fought battles to get here. Luke Veersma would be right at Matt Harvey’s bumper during the switchback and once more at the final outer zone, whilst Matt Harvey had a super clean lead run.
Luke Veersma would have great angle throughout his lead run as Matt Harvey got closer and closer. At the final outer zone, Matt Harvey would bang doors with Veersma a bit too hard, having to straighten up and fall back a bit to stop the Kumho S13 from spinning out.
Luke Veersma from Western Australia would be declared the winner of the 2023 International Drifting Cup, with Matt Harvey second and Glen Ormerod in third. Luke looked exhausted, yet he couldn’t believe it and his mum couldn’t either, as she jumped up and down in excitement. The drifting action was the perfect way to end an unbelievable 2023 World Time Attack Challenge and was just one more reminder as to why this event is so special.
Words & Images – Noah Thorley