Deane Young’s dream to stand in the number one spot for this year’s D1NZ series has become a reality, despite a fiery “mechanical drama” and weather which sought to dampen spirits.
Hailing from Paeroa, Deane’s season in the Pro-Sport Restricted Class started out strong, with three events and three podium finishes.
But round four and five weren’t as smooth sailing.
“Round four, we didn’t have a good weekend with that one,” Deane recalled. “I don’t even know where we finished. I think it may have been like 14th or 15th or something like that… so that hurt us quite a bit, points-wise.”
Doubt crept in during the series’ grand final, held at Baypark in Tauranga on April 25-26.
“My car had a few mechanical dramas and I lost the first and second battle. I got to run my third and fourth battle, but I had to forfeit the car, so we ended up in fourth place for the last round,” he said. “But luckily, we still had enough points to get us through to the top step of the championship.”
Deane earlier told The Profile that one thing pushing him to clinch the season was the fact the winner received a free trip to Japan, joining the crew at Drift Japan and driving three of the country’s famous drift tracks.
He also wanted to better his last year’s placing – fourth overall.
“It actually hasn’t really set in 100 per cent yet,” he said, “but I’m super proud that we did get there in the end. We’ve done three seasons of D1NZ Pro Sport, so we’ve kind of been around long enough and have had a few podiums here and there… So to get up on one of those top steps and be able to take a trophy home was super rewarding.”
But Tauranga over the Anzac Day weekend saw cool mornings and “terrible” weather conditions, making it not only harder for drifters to impress the judges, but also the crowd, Deane said.
“It’s not like normal race tracks that are made out of asphalt and grippy material. Baypark is made with a smoother-finish concrete so in the wet it just turns into an absolute nightmare, but hey, it was an even playing field, everyone had to deal with it,” he said.
“As for how it impacts… the art of drifting is putting your car where the judges want, but it’s also the smoke and the adrenaline and the speed of the cars. If it’s raining it just slows everything down.”
But now that this season is over, and with a trip to Japan in his sights, Deane’s experience and first-place finish means he must move to the top tier of the D1NZ series called the Pro Championship – this year won by Luke Fink.
“So that’s the same level as Mad Mike [Mike Whiddett], Fanga Dan [Daniel Woolhouse], Darren Kelly – all the big names that drive not only here in New Zealand but in Australia and the USA.
So, providing we can get some sponsorship backing, we potentially will do next season – which will kick off this side of Christmas,” he said.
“We’ll just play it by ear and hope for the best.”
BY KELLEY TANTAU
