SUNDAY 19thAUGUST: The world’s top drift racers descended upon the city of Liverpool today to witness Gaz Whiter being crowned champion of Red Bull Drift Shifters; one of the biggest, loudest and most precise motorsport events to ever hit the UK.
‘Crowds line the streets of Liverpool to see Gas Whiter crowned Champion of liverpool drift event’
After watching formula drift for years, seeing these machines up close and personal was Epic! There’s something about the sound of a cars racing past you at 50mph and the smell of burning rubber that really gets your adrenaline going!
The competition saw twelve global drift legends showcase their skills just feet from excited spectators in the shadow of the iconic Royal Liver building. The drifters made the entrance flying out of the Mersey tunnel, onto a custom built track full of objects with Liverpool links. The Yellow Submarine and the red telephone box, which was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott the architecture of Liverpool Cathedral.
The drifters could take any route they wanted around the course which allowed them to strategically gain the most points. The track was fitted with sensors, which set the ‘pinball’ style bells ringing every time the cars got within 30cm distance. Points were scored based on speed, line, angle and proximityof their cars to the obstacles.
Qualifiers
After only one run in the morning to get to know the track (as the second practice run was cancelled), racers took to the course still only learning the best way to attack it and strategise for the optimum point scoring.
Key standouts from the qualifiers were James Deane, Forrest Wang and Abdo Feghali who all scored over 4m points. But Kiwi Gaz Whiter made it clear here was taking no prisoners with his impressive score of over 5m!
Quarter & Semi finals
Once again Wang put on an impressive performance and was positioned as frontrunner to take the win. By the Semi-Finals it looked like Forrest Wang would be the man to beat, with his consistent high scores throughout the competition.
Top 4 scores were: Gaz Whiter (5.33m), Forrest Wang (5.21m), Fredric Aasbø (5.15m) and Piotr Wiecek (3.93m).
The Final
The juicy head-to-head battle between the dark horse Gaz Whiter and the chill Hawaiian driver Forrest Wang was a spectacle. It was clear from Whiter’s entrance to the track that he was going to steal the show, and indeed he did with an an immaculate drift around the course smashing it with a score of 6.29m!
After a day of heated competition and high octane moves, it was Gaz Whiter from New Zealand, driving a Nissan Silvia V8, who topped the podium on Liverpool’s iconic dockside – beating rivals Forrest Wang and Fredric Aasbø who came in second and third respectively.
When asked how it felt to win, with his last lap reaching the highest score of the day, Gaz said:
“It’s been amazing! The electricity from the fans here in Liverpool was incredible and it’s been a blast to put on a show in the UK. I had my route mapped out in my head, it was a bit risky, but thankfully it paid off. The talent on the track was beyond measure and I’m stoked that Red Bull and Mad Mike put on such an epic show. It was a blast!”
liverpool drift event Final Results:
- Gaz Whiter
- Forrest Wang
- Fredric Aasbø
- Piotr Więcek
- James Deane
- Abdo Feghali
- Masato Kawabata
- Dean Kearney
- Mad Mike Whiddett
- Joachim Waagaard
- Fanga Dan Woolhouse
- Matt Carter
Red Bull Drift Shifters was originally dreamt up by New Zealand professional drifter ‘Mad’ Mike Whiddett, debuting in his home town of Auckland back in 2012.
Mad Mike, the brainchild of Red Bull Drift Shifters who placed 9th today said following the event, “It was absolutely unreal, I’m ecstatic! It was overwhelming to see how many people came out and to see the actual event unfold so perfectly. People are like ‘ah, you got knocked out early’ but for me the success of the event is far, far better than me standing on top of the podium”.
For more Liverpool Events check out our ‘Liverpool Guide’ section
Mountains, trails, paddleboards – if it’s outdoors, I’m probably obsessed with it! As an Outdoor Adventure and Travel Editor, I’m always seeking my next escapade. Through my blog, I share adventure stories, mountain-tested advice, healthy food inspiration, and training tips.
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