Motorsport: Taupo venue for last round of drifting

Taupo's Ricoh Motorsport Park will host the grand final of a national drifting tournament.

The final round of this season's D1NZ National Drifting Championship has been moved to Taupo, after organisers decided to take it away from Pukekohe Park Raceway.

The event is being held during the weekend of June 22 and 23.

Pukekohe Park Raceway has traditionally been the preferred venue for the final round of the series and organisers originally had a date in April pencilled in for the 2013 event.

However, series organiser Brendon White said the date came and went as various groups involved in running the venue dealt with a number of issues, including the major upgrade to the track and facilities associated with the V8 Supercar round.

White said late last week it was decided an alternative venue and date had to be found.

"After such a fantastic season and with the points at the top so close we couldn't keep pushing back and pushing back the date of our grand final so I approached Taupo," White said.

"They said yes, so Taupo it is."

D1NZ still looks to retain drifting at Pukekohe and remains positive that this will happen next season.

The grand final is shaping up nicely for the Taupo event, with points leader Daniel Woolhouse (Castrol Edge Holden Commodore V8) from Whangarei only 28.5 points ahead of second place Mike Whiddett (Red Bull/Speedhunters Mazda RX7/8) from Auckland.

Aucklander Andrew Redward (Achilles Tyre Mazda RX7 V8) sits 6.5 points further back in third. It's also close in the Pro-Am support class heading into the final series round.

Having won Pro-Am at three of the five previous rounds Aucklander Darren Kelly (DKM Fabrication Nissan R32) leads the points standings.

This season has seen a 60-strong field feature at each Cody's D1NZ event and organisers expect at least as many across the two categories - D1 and Pro-Am - at Taupo.

The final is a two-day meeting with practice for both D1 and Pro-Am categories on Saturday morning before Pro-Am qualifying and first battles in the afternoon. Sunday then brings D1NZ qualifying, the final Pro-Am battles and the final D1 battles of the season in the afternoon.