Tauranga's Cole Armstrong takes on the world's best in professional drifting in China this weekend.
The 26-year-old is usually flanked by a team of two additional drivers but will be flying the New Zealand flag solo due to mechanical delays in additional team member camps.
Round one of the seriestakes place at Tainjin Olympic Stadium, where the impressive purpose-built athletics track is converted to a tar seal oval surrounded by a 60,000 seating capacity.
Cole will then join Kiwi team members at additional impressive Chinese locations, when the remainder of the competition and series heats up again in September, with finals in October and November.
The World Drift Series (WDS) is fully funded by the Chinese Government and has been since 2006. Celebrations throughout the event mirror the significance of an Olympic spectacle. In Asian nations, drifting is embraced as a high-profile spectator sport, attracting global media attention as stars of the sport light up the stadium with smoke-filled stands and bumper to bumper action.
"Representing New Zealand last year at the series was a huge deal for us, and it's no different this time round," Armstrong said.
"2012 was a huge learning curve as a debut to the series and this year, with that under our belt, we're setting the bar high for ourselves. It will be different not having the rest of the Kiwi contingent around us - but that just means that if we're going to put New Zealand on the world stage I'm going to be the one to do it.
"WDS do a huge job to make us feel like superstars over there. Professional drifting is a spectacle and the Chinese provide an electric atmosphere for both spectators and drivers alike. Being part of an event like this is definitely the reason why we do what we do, it's an absolute privilege to be invited, and it's an even bigger buzz to drive amongst guys we look up to. We'll be giving it everything, especially for our supporters back home."
Armstrong farewelled his locally engineered 460 kilowatt Nissan Rb34 Drift Skyline on its voyage to China last week. The car has seen him through two New Zealand professional seasons and another national representative stint in Australia following World Drift Series in 2012.
The series is now in its eighth year of competition and attracts the world's best drivers.
