Anywhere but Straight Ahead

On a slippery, autumn, Wellington morning in the 90s, I lost control of my bright green Fiat X1/9. It was a sweeping left-hander on the Brooklyn hill and, with handfuls of opposite lock, I drifted the tiny sports car with stuntman precision, lightly grazing the Fiat's nose along a clay embankment and narrowly missing an oncoming car full of elderly ladies dressed in their finest lawn-bowl whites.

I may have looked like a professional, but inside the X1/9 it was all sweaty palms, swear words and soiled underpants. I was an accidental drifter. No thanks to me, drifting has grown to become a highly organised competitive sport and it was both a pleasure and an education to sit down with Connor Halligan, one of New Zealand's top drifters, and delve into what makes him want to go sideways on purpose.

Connor has just finished his season in the Pro class of New Zealand's premiere drift series, D1NZ, finishing third overall. He drives a seriously modified Nissan Sylvia with a turbocharged 2JZ, three litre straight six, pumping out close to 900 horsepower through a sequential five speed gearbox. It's a car he and his dad built themselves in their Taupo workshop.

The car is an absolute weapon, with every component designed and tuned to deliver on the track. The cockpit is dominated by a huge handbrake lever next to the shifter. Electric power steering and radical suspension and steering geometry allows for 75 degrees of wheel angle to hold the car in extreme, sideways, power slides. At the rear, a quick-change diff allows for custom gearing to suit each track. Also at the rear, two big radiators cool the motor and help achieve a 50:50 weight distribution. Up front, the built 2JZ runs a link ECU with two power distribution modules. Sensors on each header tube also feedback data and all contribute to an infinitely tunable setup.

"It's a balancing act," says Connor, pointing out that head-to-head drifting requires precision adjustment not only to match the track conditions, but also to match the opponent's car speed. Drifting comprises two cars sharing the track over two runs. One car leads and the other follows, then a second run where the roles are reversed.
The following driver's goal is to tuck in as close as possible to the lead driver, matching his drift angle and pace, without touching. Maintaining that sideways attitude is everything for a drifter and the skill required to transition from sliding left to sliding right is crucial. Drivers are not allowed to let the car straighten up at any point.

A skilled driver like Connor is completely dialled in with the car to the point where it becomes a graceful dance with his opponent. His connection to the machine is more than just from his talent behind the wheel; as an apprentice engineer, Connor learnt real-world fabrication skills and now, at 28, he and his team have built this car themselves. "What I love about drifting is that we can build a car in our own workshop and compete at the highest level anywhere in the world." While the focus for Connor is winning here next season, his medium-term goal is to compete in Europe at the top level Drift Masters.

Another major factor in the popularity of drifting is the open nature of the rules that govern the drift cars. In short, there aren't many, apart from the obvious ones related to safety. Connor elaborates: "It's quite cool in drifting because there is such a variety in the cars. You've got your Toyotas and Nissans, but people run all sorts. Johnny Latham from the South Island runs a BMW with a NASCAR V8 motor. It's very cool."

This freedom spawns creative thinking and encourages drift teams to arrive at their own design solutions. And it makes it fun. In theory I could enter that old Fiat X1/9, though it has likely rusted away by now.

Connor loves the constant learning curve the sport provides both from a driving and an engineering perspective. He is completely focused on success and steadily maps out his path to reach the top of the sport, constantly acknowledging that he can't do it alone: From his mate staying for a week to fabricate manifolds, to BurgerFuel feeding the whole crew, to favourable deals on tyres, it's a collaboration that Connor clearly appreciates, and it is easy to see why sponsors want to be a part of his journey.

Extremely approachable, humble and passionate about what he is doing (and what he hopes to achieve), it's not hard to recognise the uniquely kiwi traits that might conjour names like McLaren, Britten and Munro. A hands-on racer, completely at one with his machine.

Perhaps the real reward for Connor and his team is being a part of something meaningful. Listening to him describe his crew, the road trips, the events, the banter, and the camaraderie among competitors, it's obvious that this is a true community.

Connor describes drifting in Japan or Tasmania or Taupo and the friendships he's made here and abroad. He talks of what an honour it is to be old enough now to help young new drivers if they need guidance. He points out that if you need help, your rivals will be the first ones to offer it.  There's no question that rivalries exist. This is sport. When the pedal is to the medal, it's on, but when the tyre smoke clears, it's like family.

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‍Photo Credit: Thomas Falconer - @intheframemedia

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