Champion of the Repco Battle of Jacks Ridge, Shane van Gisbergen. Photo credit: Geoff Ridder
Drift King Mad Mike Whiddett will bring his RUMBUL super truck to the Repco Battle of Jacks Ridge next month.
The 2018 Formula Drift Japan Championship winner is one of New Zealand’s most successful and recognisable motorsport
personalities and will be a major feature at the November 15 event at the purpose-built WRC-calibre power stage on
former national champion Andrew Hawkeswood’s Auckland property.
“I’ve known Andrew Hawkeswood for a long time,” Whiddet explained. “I was up at his property about five years ago with
my son Lincoln ripping around in his trophy cart in the bare paddocks.
“I bumped into PJ [Rally New Zealand 2020 chairman Peter Johnston] out at Hampton Downs at the cafe and he mentioned
that even though WRC isn’t happening this year they were still going to push on with this mega event out at Hawkeswoods.
“I met up with Hawkeswood and looked at the property and I was blown away with what they were constructing with
excavators, bulldozers, dump trucks etc and I was super pumped to see it.
“Also having an off-roader that has been sitting in the shed all year, I was like yup, I am going to bring this out.”
Whiddett will run his 13B twin rotor engine Mazda B2000 Stadium Truck on a separate course to that of the rally cars
across the day to ensure he doesn’t cut up the stage too much.