The other day we got an email from Australian photographer Jared Ahearn who wanted to share some photos he shot at the finale of the "Stadium Drift" series held last weekend in Queensland. I'm not terribly familiar with this series, but judging by Jared's photos it looks like the event was full of the kind of mayhem we love.
Here are a few highlights -
The always gorgeous Midnight Mechanics AE71 Corolla, looking cool under the lights.
Hey, this S14 is grinning for the camera!
This C33 Nissan Laurel looks pretty cool, but I'm not quite sure if I'm sold on the color/graphics combo….
How about this stock-bodied ER34 sedan with Nismo livery?
This turbocharged AE86 Levin seems to be sliding nicely.
Once again, Aussies and their abundance of cool secondhand Japanese cars making me envious….
Apparently this wide-fendered Silvia is driven by a fellow named "Big Ben".
It looks like the event was open both to pro-level cars, and street cars like this JZX90 Mark II.
Big thanks to Jared for sending us these pictures.
You can check out more on his website right here.
-Mike Garrett
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
THAT M.M. L71 AE71 COROLLA IS MAD RAW I BEEN SEEING THAT THING POP UP HERE AND THERE AND I LOVE SEEING PICS OF IT IN ACTION,,.. BTW IF ANYONE READING THIS KNOWS WHERE TO GET THE LOWER LIP SPOILER HE GOT ID LOVE TO KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND ONE
Sweet!:D
I think I'll move to Australia next year:)))) To the aussies reading this: How's a drifter's, racer's life over there? Good jobs? Roads? Circuits? I'd love to move there!:))
Sweet pics
you can buy those chin lips from
http://www.ajps.com.au/
I hear there's a couple of islands to the east of Australia which also have cheap cool Jap cars in abundance. I hear there's plenty of race tracks too, and many winding roads throughout the place.
the racers life over here (australia) is not as good as you'd expect. most states only have 1 track to drift (queensland is probably the best state to live in for drifting.) Sydney is loosing its most popular circuit to housing, another track closed down earlier in the year due to noise complaints from neighbours. there are many good street roads surrounding sydney but most cops know those spots..
great pics
Chris, what you are saying is what all us Aussies are thinking, but unfortunately car enthusiasts have a very bad name in Australia and the overzealous government does its best to make life very hard for anyone with a modified car. Instead of trying to interact with car enthusiasts by supporting legal track days etc, they bring in laws to crush your car for 'hooning' and make a quick buck out of rezoning race tracks for development. Unfortunately common sense has been lost to beurocracy, media hype and greed. But as you can see from events like this, the passion is still alive... F*ck the government!
Pretty sad.... Isn't there any movement to create or preserve more tracks?! I might be a ignorant, but correct me if I'm wrong, there's a s**t load of space in Australia. So isn't any one doing anything or are the conditions too harsh?
Not too much going on in Western Australia with regards to drifitng
We have the occasional drift days in Collie (~200km southwest of Perth) and at Barbagello Raceway...nothing compared to the eastern states though 
@ *bj* Reading your comment, I just realised that the government is like a evil entity that covers the world! Cause in every country the respective governments are doing their best to crush and destroy the population's joy, happyness and peace by enforcing crap all over the place, lying to us and suckin' our pockets empty worse than leaches!
With that in mind, I have a special request to all of the readers of Speedhunters and Speedhunters itself:
Please Help save Spa-Francorchamps! One of the best, most famous and the most beautiful tracks in the world is under attack by the Government for the apparent disruption of the local area... Sign the petition to keep this amazing track: Now!
http://www.defendonsfrancorchamps.be/petition-circuit-spa-francorchamps.html - Translator
Thank you:)
I drive a JZX90 therefore also awesome as hell
Wow! Thanks for the article Mike! I didnt expect this to get posted haha. Thats awesome! but you left out a couple of my favorite pictures! Oh well, thanks heaps
To chris Davy, I signed the petition i hope it helps a cause. Morr should follow. BTW i live in Texas in the states.
Down here in South Oz the drifting scene isn't huge, but it is gathering slowly. Last weekend there was a 'drift school' out at our local track (1hr30mins from town). Unfortunately, being a drag racing fan, there's stuff all in the way of strips down here. We're supposedly having a motorsport park being built in an industrial area closer to town, but the Government are fighting it at every step. Why can't they just accept the fact that as human beings we want to go fast and sideways??? If only I could win the lottery
What the other Aussies have said is true - governments and councils make life hard for anyone wanting to build a race track. Plenty of people with the money but for some reason local councils listen to the 5 people who don't like motor racing rather than the 5000 that want to come, race at teh track, stay in the local htels and buy fuel and food from the local shops!
Motor racing is also pretty much dominated by V8supercars, which is basically a haven for the Ford and Holden guys to pretend they build decent cars, basicly excluding every other class from TV and sponsorship money. On top of this they insist on using street circuits, which further hurt our race tracks...
Good work jared! Correct me if I'm wrong but the white s14 is running a 2jz?
What the Aussies are saying reminds me of Hawaii. I lived on Oaha, and we only had one track that eventually got closed down because it got re-zoned. We held a few events in the football stadium parking lot, but that got shut down due to noise complaints. Hawaii vehicle laws are really strict too. They have vehicle reconstruction laws or "recon" where you've to take your car in and meet certain requirements for ride height, noise, suspension travel, etc... it's damn near impossible to pass. You've to go back and do another inspection everytime you do/add something new to your car. It's costs $25 every time too. So, if a cop pulls you over and finds a mod that isn't listed on your "recon" paperwork, he can ticket you. The rumor was that they brought a stock Mini Cooper and Acura RSX in once and they didn't pass. If you manage to pass "recon" you still have to go pass a regular safety inspection. It really sucks because the track we had was sooo much fun, and there's a lot of talent out there. Look at Ross Petty and Forrest Wang.
"if a cop pulls you over and finds a mod that isn't listed on your "recon" paperwork, he can ticket you"
in australia, they dont even need any proof or facts of anything to defect (take off the road) your car. they are litterally allowed to use their opinion and judgement, the reason my car got defected was 'might be too loud'. ive heard stories of people with dead stock cars been defected for things like "seems to have a drift set up car"
I am an aussie in Japan with thoughts of returning. But for what?
It sounds like there is no point coming back these days.
I may have to stay here... .
Some of those cars seem to street registered. I am sure there is a cop outside the gate ready with the defect book. Thats how it used to be. You go to the circuit and defected on the way in or out.
BTW.
How much for a McDonalds meal deal?
Thats a good guage for the price of soap... and inflation.
Russ.
Yea the drift scene over here is pretty cactus (gay) so if youre from outside Aus i wouldn't recommend coming over here for drift.... there are some cool events like this that happen every now and then, but nothing too much...
The cops can be good and bad over here too, one of my mates got fined just last night and got away with just a $100 fine for no horn and washer squirters... his car is even worse than mine....
And yea hit up AJPS for those chin lips, im not sure if they are still being made though....
Some sick cars!
Video of some of the action for whoever is interested..
Only to compliment Jarad's Photography.. and not highjack his thread.
Was a great fun night.. many spills and even more close calls..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx8mqzDXLzk