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Mike Whiddett | |
---|---|
Nationality | New Zealander |
Born | Auckland, New Zealand | 10 January 1981
Formula Drift | |
Years active | 2010, 2015–2016 |
Previous series | |
2015 | Stadium Super Trucks |
Championship titles | |
2018 | Formula Drift Japan Series |
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.
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:
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.
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]
(key) (Bold – Pole position. Italics – Fastest qualifier. * – Most laps led.)
Stadium Super Trucks results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | SSTC | Pts | Ref | |||||||||||||||||||
2015 | ADE | ADE | ADE | STP | STP | LBH | DET | DET | DET | AUS | TOR | TOR | OCF 4† | OCF 10† | OCF 7† | SRF | SRF | SRF | SRF | SYD | LVV | LVV | 38th | 0 | [17] | |||||||||||||||||||
† – Replaced E. J. Viso, points went to Viso |
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