Amy @ DA

You can now purchase any of the Round DVDs from the 2008 Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series and check out this year’s wildest sideways action. Individual Round DVDs - $25 (inc p&h) Series Set (All 5 Rounds) - $100 (inc p&h) (* All DVDs include the 1 hour Inside Speed/ Fox Sports Show and the ½ hour Channel 9 Show) For more info or to purchase any DVDs (credit card payment over phone) contact; Amy Boatwright (02)9750 8857 0417 688 866 [email protected]

South Australia looks set to take out the Drift Australia ‘State of Origin’ title for the third consecutive year as the series heads into the final round at Oran Park Raceway on September 20 & 21. South Australia leads Victoria by just 163 points, followed by Queensland in third place then New South Wales and Western Australia. State of Origin positions are calculated by adding the championship points scored at each round for the two top drivers from each state. Leighton Fine has contributed 44% of the teams points tally. Others that have contributed to the SA points tally are Christian Pickering, Tom Monkhouse, Adam May, Linden Reynolds and Simon Podlewski. Drift Australia State of Origin points table after 4 rounds:- South Australia 3443 points Victoria 3280 points Queensland 3027 points New South Wales 2791 points Western Australia 2593 points

The 2008 Australian Drift Champion will be crowned at Sydney’s Oran Park Raceway next weekend, 20-21 September, in the final round of the Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series. While 30 drivers will tackle the historic Sydney circuit, all eyes will be on the three fighting for the championship; Leighton Fine, Luke Fink and Beau Yates. After three wins from four rounds, Fine holds a 70-point lead over Fink, with 2006 Australian Drift Champion Yates the outsider, a further 159 in arrears. Fine (Commercial Truck Sales Nissan 180SX) was in a similar position in 2006, entering the season finale with a 126-point advantage, only to suffer an engine failure in practice. Unable to source a replacement, he jumped aboard a rival’s spare car, but was knocked out in the Top 16 round of battles and fell just short of the crown. “Losing the championship at the last round in 2006 was incredibly disappointing,” Fine said. “Hopefully this year will be different, we’ve had a fantastic season to get us to this point and we’re going to Oran Park determined to wrap up the title. “A lot can happen over the weekend, so we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves - we know what we are capable of, so we’ll just take it one battle at a time.” If Fine finishes first or second - or third after qualifying inside the Top Six - next weekend, he will become the 2008 Australian Drift Champion regardless of Fink’s results. For his part, Fink (Holford Motors Nissan Silvia) is set to continue with the same aggressive style which has taken him to a win and two second-place finishes. “It’s good to be second in the championship, but we’re after first place,” Fink said. “Giving it everything all year is what’s put us in this position; we’re going to do the same next weekend. “We’ve worked hard all year and scored some great results, winning the championship would a great reward for the guys.” With 500 points on offer, third-placed Yates (Toyota Racing Developments AE86 Sprinter) is 229 behind Fine and an outside chance of snaring the title if Fine and Fink are eliminated in the opening round of battles. “The pressure is on Leighton and Luke, really,” he said. “We’ve got nothing to lose, so we’re going to get out there and try to win the event and see how everything else works out.” The 2008 Toyo Tires Super Drift Series champion will also be crowned next weekend at Oran Park. Josh Coote currently leads the feeder class, by a commanding 276 points, over South Australians Stewart Furze and Ben Monkhouse. The two full days of action will also include expression sessions, team drifting, the Racing Logic Extreme Entry competition, stunt bike demos and the Hardtuned.net Show ‘n’ Shine. Tickets are $20 on Saturday and $30 on Sunday, with a $40 weekend pass also available, while kids under 12 are free all weekend. For more information about the Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series, head to www.driftaustralia.com.au. Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series Standings 1. Leighton Fine (SA, Commercial Truck Sales Nissan 180SX) - 1836 2. Luke Fink (VIC, Holford Motors Nissan Silvia) - 1766 3. Beau Yates (NSW, Toyota Racing Developments Toyota AE86 Sprinter) - 1607 4. Adam May (SA, WheelWorx Nissan Skyline) - 1424 5. Khudar Elhaouli (VIC, JDS Auto Imports Nissan Silvia) - 1401 6. Christian Pickering (SA, Senwill Civil Nissan Silvia) - 1395 7. Robbie Bolger (QLD, VIP Petfoods Holden Monaro) - 1395 8. Tom Monkhouse (SA, Japanese Motorsport Nissan Silvia) - 1382

The top two drivers from this year’s Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series will be invited to compete in the brand-new Red Bull Formula Drift World Championship in November, putting even more up for grabs in the season finale at Sydney’s Oran Park Raceway on 20-21 September. To be held on a top-secret street circuit in Long Beach, California, on 15 November, the new World Championship is joint initiative by the energy drinks giant and Formula Drift, North America’s professional drifting championship. Australia’s top two drivers will join the world’s best, with leading competitors from the United States, Japan, Europe, New Zealand, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore all set to do battle. “We’re thrilled to receive invitations for the top two Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series drivers to compete in the Red Bull Formula Drift World Championship,” Drift Australia director Wayne Boatwright said. “It shows that the growth of drifting in Australia isn’t going unnoticed and how highly our domestic championship is regarded internationally. “Last year, Robbie Bolger, Christian Pickering and Fernando Wiehrl all did a great job in a similar international event, I’m sure whoever represents Drift Australia on the world stage this year will do us proud.” Battling it out to become Australian Drift Champion, Leighton Fine (Commercial Truck Sales Nissan 180SX) and Luke Fink (Holford Motors Nissan Silvia) are in the box seat to receive invitations. With three wins from four starts this year, Fine holds a 70-point lead over Fink, while third-placed Beau Yates (Toyota Racing Developments AE86 Sprinter) is a further 159 points behind. “The championship is our primary focus going to Oran Park, but to represent Australia in the World Championship would be fantastic,” Fine said. “To compete against the world’s best on the streets of Long Beach would be an unreal experience, and a great opportunity to show how much the Australian drift scene has developed.” A former World BMX Champion, Fink is no stranger to international competition. The Melbourne resident has enjoyed a breakout season, with a win and two second-place finishes behind Fine. “Competing in the World Championship will give Australian drivers a chance to show what we can do,” Fink said. “We’ve had a great year, we’re going to be giving it everything to try and win the title, and getting the international invitation would be the icing on the cake. “I’ve won events in America with two wheels and pedal power; hopefully we can go over there in November and have some fun with four wheels and plenty of horsepower.” Fine, Fink and Yates will be part of a contingent of 30 drivers in action during Round Five of the Toyo Tires Drift Australia Series at Oran Park Raceway on 20-21 September. The two full days of action will also include the final round of the Toyo Tires Super Drift Series, expression sessions, team drifting, the Racing Logic Extreme Entry competition, stunt bike demos and the Hardtuned.net Show ‘n’ Shine. Tickets are $20 on Saturday and $30 on Sunday, with a $40 weekend pass also available, while kids under 12 are free all weekend.