‘Mad Mike’ scores Red Bull Eseries drive
Champion drifter ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett will become the latest Red Bull representative to take part in the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries tomorrow night.
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Whiddett, 39, has enjoyed a lengthy career headlined by winning the 2018 Formula Drift Japan Series.
He joins the likes of Max Verstappen and Jack Doohan in running as an Eseries wildcard for Red Bull Holden and is set to run a #123 ZB Commodore at Michigan International Speedway and a to-be-confirmed second circuit.
Whiddett has been busy on his home simulator in recent times, including competing in the charity-orientated Racing Local competition that involved Supercars Eseries points leader Shane van Gisbergen.
“It’s something I’m really excited about,” Whiddett told Supercars.com of his Round 9 wildcard.
“We’ve got a couple of simulators set up at home. I’ve got a 12-year-old son that will literally beat me on anything on simulators whether it’s drifting or racing Formula 1 or Rallycross or whatever.
“And we actually over this whole unique time we’re in right now with the lockdown have had a great chance to use the simulators to get a bit of content.
“I actually did a grassroots thing, like a casual drift track day and had my fans join in and come along and just have a bit of fun on-track going door to door.”
Whiddett, who has enjoyed a 12-year relationship with Red Bull, has enjoyed his limited prior experience in circuit racing.
“I’m full rookie when it comes to circuit racing and super thankful to have an incredible partnership with Tony Quinn, who wildcarded me into his GT3 championship; he threw me into one of his McLarens… and I was instantly hooked,” he said.
“For me, drifting is one thing, it’s a judge sport so it is very political.
“There’s a huge investment that goes into drifting and for me there’s 30,000 people in a grandstand and then there’s three judges and usually they want different things.
“So the hardest thing for me in drifting is the balance between impressing the three judges to be able to advance to the next battle but at the same time I want to be a crowd favourite, I want to put on a show for the fans, I want to give them their money’s worth.
“So it was really cool to actually hop into actual circuit racing and know if you’re sitting 20th you need to step on the gas and pick up the pace and if you’re leading, you know that’s your position.”
The Round 9 race broadcast will start at 7pm AEST tomorrow, with qualifying action taking place in the hour before.
