ARTICLE ISSUED BY:  MIKEY SKELTON

The SupaDrift Series Event 05, hosted at Dezzy Circuit on the 21st July 2012, was an absolute hit amongst drivers, fans and sponsors alike! 4500 fans honed in onto the ever quaint and scenic circuit to witness the best drifting in SA to date!

SA’s top drifters showcased their ‘sideways’ sliding skill on the Dezzy tarmac and masqueraded off in serious rubber burning style to achieve first points in a 9-stop series; the winning prize amongst honour and bragging rights is cash and drivers were itching to grab a fist full! The Motorsports South Africa (MSA) endorsed event is ever-growing in popularity and certainly changing the mindsets of traditional motorsports followers with the ability to watch 100% of the race all the time.

33 x Competitors started the days affair, but as the practice drew to an end a few drivers had to call it quits as their trusted steeds bombed out of the running; the rest of the field (29 x drivers) battled the judges and the drift event criteria to qualify for a Supa 16 spot. The cornering and ‘skidding’ slides of the rear wheel drive vehicles directed by South Africa’s top drifters and talented drift pilots, held their own and shattered previous skill levels with higher speeds, better lines and the formidable angle of the cars as they channeled the corners increasingly so.

Drivers making huge impacts were newcomers; Shane Gutzeit who qualified in his first ever event; Paulo Gouveia hit a six with the crowds in his BMW E30 and Wade van Zummeren, running in a R34 Skyline sponsored by Black Tracker, who also won the coveted series in 2011, made impressive impacts and starts to their campaign

Practice and qualifying was all the more interesting and unexpected when Series leaders Wade van Zummeren and Jason Webb collided, damaging much of the drivers door of Webbs 200SX drift vehicle and obliterating the nose of van Zummerens Skyline; which set a trend for close approximation and tyre to tyre action for the rest of the day.

Jonathan Rudman, in his Turbo Toys 200SX made early impressions in qualifying as well as David Nell in his newly sponsored GWT S14 Nissan who literally smoked away to the front of the que in qualifying just behind Wade van Zummeren. Other great qualifiers were Michael Radloff who recently had a high speed accident and was back at Sheppies to claim back his previous win at the circuit.


Van Zummeren went to battle Des Gutzeit, circuit owner, in his Dezzi Equipment Nissan Silvia S15 and won convincingly to progress to the Top 8 battle where Turbo Toys’ Riaan Stokes awaited him, and who had taken out ALB Performance S13 of Adam Shefer, whose turbo had been replaced the day before and was struggling for boost and power.

Michael Radloff, representing Mallaz customs, had his hands full when he came up against Monster Motorsports Chase Audagnotti, who himself was getting used to the Sheppies circuit. Radloff embraced the newcomers inexperience of the circuit and took out Audagnotti in a close encounter.
GWT driver David Nell battered on Shane Gutzeit, who actually outperformed all expectations in his quest to becoming a future drift star, and took Nell to an OMT. The OMT proved Nells aggressive driving to be his spearhead and made him a clear winner in the second run off.

Paulo Gouveia did battle with Martin van Zummeren and his Nissan Skyline R34. Gouveia proved himself strong and ready for the Top 8’s by winning in style. Monster Energy’s Jason Webb paired up against KZN local driver Morne Venter in the Top 16; venter drove formidably well and was a close match for Webb and had learnt to drive door to door with the Series leader. Unfortunately, Venter veering off of the blacktop in his E30 BMW, and handing Webb the win.

Dorne Brits and Jim McFarlane were the last Top 16 pairing and despite his astronomical performance in qualifying, Brits lost to McFarlane who was forced to use his back-up Speed and Sound Chevrolet Lumina when his Ed Hardy Nissan 350Z developed a misfire.

The Top 8 battles proved to be where the men left the boys and tarmac drama unfolded with several one-more-times (OMT’s). The first Top 8 battle between Stokes and Van Zummeren was a spectacular and controversy unfolded when Stokes’ control arm broke, causing him to smash through the tyre barriers over a small cliff and bend his chassis. Van Zummeren eyes were set for the final and Stokes was left with a major panel job.
Vd Berg gamed up against Radloff, and the circuit was unkind to the rotary again and Radloff moved into the Top 4 when the rotary straightlined.

GWT’s Nell and KZN’s Gouveia battle got the crowd fired up but the final decision was that Gouveia was just outclassed on the day, despite his efforts and Nell was awarded the win.
Webbs Top 8 battle against McFarlane turned south when he cut the last corner, even after some of the closest tandems seen in SA to date, he lost as he smashed the clipping cone, which was adjudicated as an offline drift.

The final four was a match up of note but cars were starting to take strain; Radloff’s RB25DET powered S13 burst into flames on the start line but was quickly extinguished. Van Zummeren, however, took full advantage and beat his hometown compatriot. McFarlane, in his V8, battled Nell and Nell made the formidable mistake by getting too close to McFarlane and straightlined, this losing and assisting McFarlane into ihis fiorst ever final and podium finish.
Radloffs vehicle was not able to get going in his 3rd/4th place run off against Nell , so Nell walked onto the podium in 3rd place.

The final was a blistering powerful affair. McFarlane not having all the pace of van Zummeren and eventually losing narrowly to the Border Town drifter. All was well between the two competitors who shared the top places on the podium and deservedly so.

Achilles Tyres, Turn 1 Wheels, Speed and Sound Magazine, Liqui-Moly, and AutoTrader.co.za have all been the trendsetters and leaders in the drift scene in South Africa and are partner and sponsors of the series in 2012.  

XS Promotions, are the organisers and commercial rights holders of the SupaDrift Series franchise, have promised a well-bettered event with every stop over and have committed to bringing drift fans and patrons a familytainment showcase…

New Age motorsports of this type will continue to attract a high breed of partnership, as the appeal is exciting, colourful, fast and thrilling! These being contributing factors for companies who have joined in the sideways craze like Ed Hardy Energy Drink (official energy drink partner) and Chevrolet motorvehicles, amongst newcomers like TurtleWax and performance sound company Rockford Fosgate, who certainly blew the crowds away with their gig rig and sound machine have all committed to sponsoring the SupaDrift Series as well as drift teams and drivers alike for the seasons ahead and into the future.

ABOUT SUPADRIFT SERIES EVENTS IN 2012…

The SupaDrift Series Event is the country’s premier national pro-drifting series, featuring a nine-round championship scheduled for 2012 with the rising stars of professional drifting set in a full-scale lifestyle festival.
See more on the newly released Atomic Junkies TV broadcast on Ignition Channel.

For more information, visit facebook: SupaDrift Series, XS Drift, or XS Promotions.

For all media interested in the SupaDrift Series, please contact Mikey Skelton, XS Promotions, mikey@xspromotions.co.za.
For more information on SupaDrift Series sales and sponsorship opportunities, contact.

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