New Zealand drifting race driver
Michael Brandon Whiddett[1] (born 10 January 1981)[2] also known as "Mad Mike", is a New Zealand drifting racer.[3] He is sponsored by Red Bull.[4][5][6][7][8][9] Whiddett has also raced motocross from the age of six and placed second at the New Zealand 1997 Pro junior 85cc Motocross Champs.
Car history
Whiddett has a strong relationship with Mazda and has been drifting in Mazda engines since he started in 2007 in a Mazda RX-7. His cars have all been named in a similar way including:
- NIMBUL, a Lamborghini Huracan with a Liberty Walk bodykit and Fi EXHAUST, makes approximately 800-900HP
- MADBUL, a Mazda FD RX-7 with a 26B quad rotor, naturally aspirated engine. MADBUL was given a new look in 2017 to have RX-3 front end bodywork and renamed MADBUL 7.3 due its design combination of RX-7 and RX-3
- BADBUL, a Mazda RX-8 with a 20B three rotor turbo engine
- HUMBUL, a Mazda FD RX-7 with a 26B quad rotor, twin turbo engine
- RADBUL, a Mazda NC MX-5 with a 26B quad rotor, twin turbo engine
- RADBUL Gen2, a Mazda NC MX-5 with ND MX-5 body panels[10] and a 26B quad rotor, twin turbo engine
- RUMBUL, a Mazda B2000 based Stadium Truck with a naturally aspirated 13B twin rotor engine
- Mazda 787D, a custom built drift car based of a Mazda 787B with the world's first 5 rotor engine.
- MADMAC, a McLaren P1 GTR with a 20B three rotor engine.
- BULLET, a 2022 Mazda3 (BP) with a 26B quad rotor engine.
He also owns a Mazda REPU with a 13B twin rotor engine called PITBUL. And a Mazda Luce Sedan set up to take up to 3 passengers called MADCAB.
Whiddett's current project car is a 2022 Mazda 3 (BP). It will feature a quad rotor Wankel engine with 1,200 hp and is being developed to race in the famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in celebration of the race's 100th anniversary.
Racing history
Whiddett has competed in Formula Drift in the United States in the 2010, 2015 and 2016 seasons and was named the Most Improved Driver for the 2010 season. He has also competed in Formula D Asia and Formula D Japan. He is the first professional Mazda driver to clench a professional drifting championship.[11]
Whiddett has also competed in off-road racing. In 2015, he participated in the Stadium Super Trucks race at the Sand Sports Super Show, an opportunity he received after meeting series founder Robby Gordon at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.[12] He drove E. J. Viso's No. 5 truck during the weekend, with points earned by Whiddett going to Viso in the championship. After starting second for the first race, he finished fourth; this was followed by a retirement in Race 2 with an engine problem.[13][14] Although he rolled in the final race, he finished seventh.[15]
2018 – Formula Drift Japan Series
2017 – Formula Drift Japan
- Finished 1st at Okuibuki Motorsports Park
2016 – Formula Drift
2016 – Formula Drift Japan
- Finished 1st at Ebisu Circuit West Course
- Finished 9th at Okayama International Circuit
2015 – Formula Drift
- Finished Top 16 at Atlanta
- Finished Top 16 at Orlando Speed World
- Finished 14th at Monroe (Lowest season finish)
- Finished Top 16 at Texas Motor Speedway
- Finished 5th at Irwindale (Highest season finish)
2014 – Formula Drift Asia
- Finished 21st at Fuji Speedway
- Finished 9th at Sydney Motorsports Park
2013 – Formula Drift Asia
- Finished 9th at Calder Park
2010 – Formula Drift
- Finished Top 32 at Atlanta
- Finished Top 32 at Wall
- Finished Top 32 at Monroe
- Finished 10th at Las Vegas (Highest season finish)
- Finished 29th at Sonoma (Lowest season finish)
- Finished Top 16 at Irwindale
2009 – Formula Drift Asia
- Finished 1st at Wonder World Amusement Park in 2009
- Finished 3rd Malaysia Agro Exposition Park in 2009
Achievements
- 2009, finished first at Wonder World Amusement Park in the Formula Drift Asia series.
- In 2014, he was the first New Zealand drift driver to receive an award from Motorsport New Zealand for outstanding achievement.[16]
- 2015, finished fifth at Irwindale Formula Drift for his highest finish in the series.
- 2016, finished first at Okayama International Circuit in the Formula Drift Japan series.
Motorsports career results
Stadium Super Trucks
(key) (Bold – Pole position. Italics – Fastest qualifier. * – Most laps led.)
References
- ^ "CRE 8 GRAFX LIMITED". New Zealand Companies Register.
- ^ "Mad Mike Whiddett: Living the Dream". DrivingLine. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ Taua, Justene. "Mike Whiddett Drift Racing". Redbull.com. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ^ "Formula DRIFT - Drivers - Mad Mike Whiddett". Formulad.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ^ "Mad Mike Whiddett: Living the Dream". DrivingLine.com. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ^ Cheng, Zarah (24 December 2015). "Mad Mike Whiddett and his Mazda MX-5 "RADBUL"". Hypebeast.com. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ^ Jonathon Klein (5 January 2016). "Mad Mike Whiddett Shakes Down His New RADBUL Drift Car". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ^ "Mad Mike Whiddett: a wet track makes me much less of a leadfoot". Stuff.co.nz. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ^ "Mike Whiddett and his Mazda MX-5 drift video - Formula Drift Videos". Motorsport.com. 20 December 2015. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ^ "This Is Mad Mike Whiddett's RadBul Gen2 Headed For Long Beach". Art of Gears. 27 February 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ "Mike Whiddett - Opponents - DriftStats". www.driftstats.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ Wilde, Dominik (4 July 2017). "'Mad' Mike Whiddett keen for Red Bull GRC chance". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ "Round 13 of 21 – Sand Sports #1 – 9/18/15". Stadium Super Trucks. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ "Round 13 of 21 – Sand Sports #2 – 9/19/15". Stadium Super Trucks. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ Sinclair, Adam (22 September 2015). "Sheldon Creed Wins Stadium SUPER Trucks Sand Sports Show Sunday Finale". Speedway Digest. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ^ "Mad Mike Whiddett | MotorSport New Zealand". www.motorsport.org.nz. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ "2015 Official Point Standings". Stadium Super Trucks. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
External links
