DRIFTCITY TAKES CAPE TOWN BY STORM
Event date: 10 April 2016 | Press release by DriftCity| Photos: Junaid Hamid & Nishaam Ebrahim

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DRIFTCity along with Cape Town's hardcore petrolheads have once again proved that when we all stand together for the love of motor sport, anything is possible.


For the first time ever a world class motor-sport event was given the green light and hosted on one of Cape Towns most historic landmarks, namely the Grand Parade Cape Town. Another first was the type of motor sport event, hosted by Clippin Point.


Drivers and spectators got more than they bargained for. DRIFTCity was a mix of Drifting and Gymkhana which, when thrown together, is an incredible concoction of high revving engines, tons of tyre smoke and the most technical and entertaining driving you have ever seen.


With a total of 24 of Cape Town most talented drivers in the intital line-up the competition was fierce. The morning kicked off with open practice and track walks so the drivers could memorize the technical course which consisted of tights 360’s, long sweeping drifts, and figure eights.

By the time practice ended the venue was already jam packed with fans routing for their favourite cars and drivers. Drivers had one last chance to tweak and repair their cars before qualifying started. This is where every second counts. Literally, since this was a mirrored track and drivers would be racing each other and the clock.


Qualifying was absolutely jaw-dropping. The drivers now were under pressure to lay down the best time possible by running the course with as much speed and flare as they could without picking up any infringements, like knocking cones or obstacles, which would ad time penalties to their final time, or score if you will.


Qualifying well was really important since only the top 16 best times would advance into the next round.


After qualifying it was time for some entertainment of a different sort. The fans were treated to some motorcycle stunts performed by the STUNTR Crew. This again was another first since Cape Town has never had the opportunity to see these types of stunts performed at an event of this magnitude. Shortly after the two wheeled mayhem it was time for some off the chain spinning action which is something the spectators enjoyed and could really relate too.


After lunch it was go time and we had a top 16 bracket, who by this time were very comfortable with the course. The atmosphere was electrifying. Drivers gave it their all pushing themselves and their cars to the absolute limit on the very technical and physically grueling DRIFTCity course.


This is where the top 16 gets cut in half to provide us with the top 8 drivers who advance to the next round. This is where the crowd really started to share their energy and this in turn hyped the drivers up.


The top eight bracket is where things really got heated. The difference between runs was literally 1 second in certain cases. This is also where the tables turned drastically.

The biggest upset here was for the regional drift champion, Daniel Blaser, who had to retire after his steering decided to give up mid-run putting his Nissan 200sx squarely in the tyre wall.


Advancing into the final 4 we had Shane Green, Jason Webb, Jason Gorman and Izak Van Zyl. By this time the intense Cape Town heat subsided a bit but the heat in the competition however skyrocketed. This one was for all the marbles.


This is where the blood, sweat and gears really counted. The 3rd and 4th positions were awarded based on the drivers qualifying points. The final run was an all out battle of skill between Izak Van Zyl and Shane Green. Their first time out was so close the judges called a 1 more time. The second time out the crowds were literally losing their minds and one could see the determination in the drivers eyes. It was all or nothing.


Shane Greens car was about to overheat and he had to drive it around the track a few times just to get it cooled down. The drivers lined up, they were counted down, and when the flag dropped it was pandemonium. Both drivers launched their cars with split second reaction times ready to attack the course for the final time. Shane Green entered the first obstacle flawlessly.


Izak however made the one mistake of the day that cost him dearly. He entered a little bit tighter than he should have and took a cone along with him. This cost him a time penalty and threw him off his driving line, costing him precious seconds.


In the end the spoils, and R10 000 prize money went to Cape Town favorite Shane Green.


2nd place on the podium was stood upon by Izak Van Zyl and 3rd place went to Drift Team Vision driver Jason Gorman.


Driver of the day went to another Drift Team Vision driver Raymond Hearn.


The Clippin’ Point promoters has set the bar high with their inaugural event DRIFTCity and look forward to promoting more of Cape Town car culture in the future. DRIFTCity is proof that Cape Town has the skill and the know how to host an event of international caliber. We are humbled and proud to be part of this culture of cars and cannot wait to see you all in the near future.