Publications
Partners
Cape Town - DriftCity was without a shadow of a doubt the most entertaining motorsport event to hit Cape Town yet. If by chance you were unable to attend the event. This is what you missed out...
You have just entered the historic Grand Parade, which for one epic day, played host to DriftCity.
As you meander through the crowd of frenzied petrolheads you take some short-lived comfort in the shade provided by Cape Town’s tall buildings. It's about to get hot, real hot, in more ways than one.
The tension builds
The ground beneath your feet begins to shake. You hear the roar of high-powered engines clearing their throats, getting ready to decimate the obstacle course before them.
Two of Cape Town’s most talented drivers are on the start lines of a mirrored track ready to do battle against each other, the grueling course and the clock. The timing official counts down, arm outstretched with five extended fingers falling one by one.
5, 4,3,2,1...the flag drops.
Combustion engines explode simultaneously as drivers drop the hammer and launch off their start lines with lightening-quick reflexes. They tear down the straight and then, just as quickly as they started, the rear-wheels lock up for a split second as the drivers rip up their handbrake.
Drift machines
They tear their steering wheels left and right, throwing 1.5 tons of metal around cones and obstacles. They drive through the figure 8 and its back on power as they stand on the throttle building up speed and the angle needed to negotiate the long, sweeping, tyre-slaughtering section of the course.
2016 DriftCity: Reader's 241 bonkers pics!
Out of the sweeper it's back on the e-brake to perform perfectly executed 360's around the next obstacle. Their muscles hurt, their bodies slowly succumbing to incredible g-forces as they fling their drift weapons to and fro making their suspensions scream in agony.
They're almost there.
Two more obstacles with hardest yet to come. The drivers are about to enter the spin-cycle. They set-up their line of attack, speed up towards the box which has a cone in the middle, yank up the e-brake one last time to get the car sideways and throw themselves into the box. Then it's back on the throttle to perform a 720 degree doughnut around the cones without hitting the barriers.
YES!!! They have made it out. One last inside clip.
The final few metres to the finish line seem like a lifetime. The clip is cleared. Only one driver can win. That will be the driver who did it faster, with the least mistakes and with the most flare. They both enter their finishing boxes and the crowd goes absolutely wild as the smoke machines fire clouds of smoke into the air.
And that, was just one round. The drivers then swap courses and do it all over again.
Epic drift event
DriftCity hosted a total of 24 drivers who each had a chance to qualify. After qualifying, the field would be narrowed down with the top 16 drivers advancing.
The pack was then reduced to the top eight drivers and ultimately the final four.
THE BETTER DRIVER: Cape Town favourites Izak van Zyl and Shane Greene went head to head in the drift final. Image: Basheer Khan / Boost SA
Many of Cape Town’s top drivers entered DriftCity including regional drift champion Daniel Blaser and national drift champion Jason Webb who was accompanied by his Monster Energy team mate, Steve 'Baggsy' Biagioni who just two nights before DRIFTCity won Drift Allstars Round 1 in Abu Dhabi on Frida (April 10).
DriftCity in SA: Watch this cool 'drift-khana' Corolla V8
After many intense battles in the searing Cape Town heat, as the sun slowly started to set behind our gorgeous city, we finally crowned the top three.
Based on qualifying points Jason Gorman got third place. The top 2 were Izak Van Zyl, in his Toyota Corolla, and Shane Green in the BMW, who in an epic battle had to race one more time since they scored the exact same points in their runs. In the end, Van Zyl made a mistake which cost him dearly, handing the crown and the R10 000 prize money to Shane Green.
For more info visit the DriftCity website or catch them on Facebook.
