DCA: Drift Challenge Australia

What is DCA? It's Australia's first level playing field drift series, with an emphasis on hard driving, door on door action and bringing drifting back to its roots as the description suggests on their front page of the official website. With special guests Naoki Nakamura & Miki Yabuuchi from Team Burst coming down to compete, it was an event I just couldn't miss. Weeks before the event, much planning was needed. Sorting out accommodation, groceries & all the other essentials. With the ending week of work, it was finally time to make the trek to Coffs Harbour where the event was held a day before. So after the 6 hour drive, we finally made it to our house that we were staying at for the weekend.
With the lack of sleep & an early wake up, my cousin & I got a bit lost on the way to Raleigh raceway (Rally as the locals pronounce it?). We ended up doing some off road action, but eventually got our destination and hour & a half later... Arriving at the destination I thought we would be denied our media access as we were supposed to be there at 8:30 for the media briefing, but it was all swell & Tiarnah Fink (managing director) gave us our wrist bands & we were on our way.
After parking our car, we made our way to where all the competitors were to have a geese. A car that I've seen all over social media sites, but never in real life, Scott Grant's AE71.
Some car having issues early than expected.
Origin Lab promo car. Thanks to them, Naoki Nakamura & Miki Yabuuchi were brought over to compete.
One of the highlights from the day, Naoki Nakamura doing an on stop burnout in the pits! Just putting a show for the media guys, I love this guy!
I wish I owned these wheels.

With cars coming from all over Australia to compete, this certain R33 was quite familiar. The Marvel Drifters residing from Newcastle were a team to be reckoned with.
It was then time to shoot some qualifying rounds.
I'm not going to lie. Danny T's car would have been the car I most favoured throughout the event. Although I've seen pictures of it floating around the internet, it was just too surreal to see it in real life.
Open practice, sponsored & paid passenger rides began.
TJ's RPS13, everything about it is perfect.
Not too long after, team qualifying runs started happening.
Danny T & Nick.
It wasn't very often to go to see tandem runs at SMSP, but at this event, it was non stop!
After a few runs, it was time for a lunch break with an open pit lane for all the spectators.
Pink Style!
Quite an odd combination, a JZA80 with an 86 front.
 After a half an hour break, it was then time for the top 8 to battle it out.
Not too long after, it was time for the team battles final. Danny T & Nick...
Versus Naoki Nakamura & Miki Yabuuchi.
 Naoki Nakamura & Miki Yabuuchi ended up taking the win, although it was a close battle.
And a thumb up from Nakamura.
If you aren't having fun, then you're doing it all wrong.
After the team battle were over, it was time for the top 4 to battle it out. Unfortunately there was a mishap which lead to this...
One of the drivers being knocked out from a little collision.
Which put this little KE in 3rd place.
Followed by Stewy Bryant in 2nd place.
And Nakamura in 1st place.
Nick watching the award from afar.
One of Joel's prints. For an stickers, canvases, prints & custom clothing visit burubado.com
The man behind Noriyaro & the translator for Naoki & Miki, Alexi Smith.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to stay for the expression session as I needed to head back to the weekend house to pack up & leave due to having work the next day. But all in all, it was an amazing event, with rad driving & just an awesome atmosphere. I'm hoping to make the other rounds for DCA, but we'll see how that goes. Big ups to all the organisers & team behind DCA, you guys sure did deliver.