Excitement is building ahead of the fourth round of the D1NZ drifting championships in Gisborne this weekend, and Gisborne teenager Corbyn Wilson (pictured) can't wait to unleash in front of the home fans. Photo / Supplied
Excitement is building ahead of the fourth round of the D1NZ drifting championships in Gisborne this weekend, and Gisborne teenager Corbyn Wilson (pictured) can't wait to unleash in front of the home fans. Photo / Supplied
The New Zealand drifting championship comes to Gisborne for the first time this weekend and the “vibe is real” for it, local young gun Corbyn Wilson says.
Round 4 of the 2025/26 D1NZ season is being held at H BlackBee Drift Park in Dunstan Rd at Matawhero on March21-22.
Drift Park is a fit-for-purpose circuit built by local men Boss BlackBee and Wereta Kake, with support from Aratu Forests.
Wilson, 17, grew up with a motorsport passion and ethic that has turned heads on the New Zealand drift scene.
This weekend, he will get to show New Zealand’s best how it’s done local-style.
It will all be happening on the purpose-built H BlackBee Drift Park track in Dunstan Rd, Matawhero, this weekend when the national drifting championship series comes here for the first time. Photo / Supplied
When he lines up on Saturday, he will be doing something he never expected to come true - competing in a national championship at home.
“Even if they aren’t into cars, it seems the local community know about it. The vibe is real,” Wilson said. “I can really feel it. My highlight will be everyone from around Gisborne seeing something you’d not expect.
“The venue is looking good and with the beach and white cliffs in the background it’s very unique and very Gisborne. I know a lot of people are excited about what’s coming.”
Wilson’s path into competitive drifting followed the route of most New Zealand motorsport, except he excelled extremely quickly.
At 16, he claimed back-to-back podium wins at the 2024/25 season-opening round.
Home advantage this weekend looks certain to play a part.
“The venue is something the locals know and that the visitors will have to discover,” he said. “It’s an old log yard with off-camber corners. The surface is different to anywhere else — more like a road — so everyone is going to have to learn and understand the grip levels.
“For people encountering competitive drifting for the first time, Round 4 will be both a spectacle and an introduction to a format that rewards precision, courage and reading your opponent under pressure.”
