Woodhouselee Road resident Lindn O'Keeffe is gearing up to take another step forward in his short drift racing career this weekend, when he will take to Wakefield Park for the Revolution Motor Sport practice day.
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Having taken up drift car racing in mid-2018, O'Keeffe has yet to compete officially, but is dedicated to improving his skills as much as possible.
"It's more just a practice for guys like myself who are just starting out," O'Keeffe said.
"We've got guys coming in who are more experienced. For this event, we've got a guy coming from South Australia named Clint Clarkson, he's been drifting for about 17 years and is really well-regarded in the sport."
Although O'Keeffe is new to drifting, he has actually been peripherally involved with the sport for more than half a decade.
"One of my really good mates [Mitchell Cole], he has been a part of Hi-Tec Drift Allstars for the last three years, and he's been drifting now for nearly six years," O'Keeffe said.
"I've been helping him out from day one, since the day he started, and I grew a bit of a liking for the sport. One day we were out at competition, I was watching him buzz out when he won his first battle, and I went 'you know what? Bugger it, I'm sick of watching you have all the fun'."
In the time since his decision to take up the sport, O'Keeffe has taken part in several practice days and said he intends to begin competing officially in the coming months.
"I'm just getting used to the car and stuff like that at the moment," he said.
"It's more just practicing and trying to get my name going and try to get as much seat time as possible."
The Drift Allstars competition is a high-quality, high-coverage competition, and O'Keeffe wants to ensure that he is as prepared as he possibly can be before he competes officially.
One of the biggest challenges for newcomers to drifting to overcome is apprehension about the severity of speeds and braking required.
"When you're coming into the corner and smashing the clutch, putting your foot down, the clutch in, the handbrake back on and your head's going 100 miles an hour, you get some blokes that try and compare driving on the street to drifting, that goes completely out the window," O'Keeffe said.
"How often would you pull the handbrake on at 100 miles an hour and let go of the steering wheel?
"It does take a lot to get your head around, [and] a lot of time and persistence in yourself just to execute a good drift."
The Revolution Motor Sport practice day will begin from 9.00am at Wakefield Park on Saturday March 16.
