After an extended build period, Blair Gribble-Bowring’s 700hp Chevrolet Corvette C7 drift car will hit the track for the first time at this Saturday’s Mad Mike Drift Force practice event.
The Auckland-based machinist purchased the Corvette as a flood-damaged ‘Hurricane Harvey’ salvage, importing the car with the intention of converting it to New Zealand’s first competition drift Corvette.
He unveiled the car a few months ago, remaining coy on whether it will see competitive miles in the Valvoline D1NZ National Drifting Championship.
The Mad Mike Drift Force practice event takes place at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, running concurrently to the opening round of the Carters Tyres North Island Endurance Series.
The former takes place at the Club Circuit, while the latter will take place on the National Circuit.
While a limited number of spectators will be able to attend the endurance event, there are no spectators permitted at the Mad Mike Drift Force meeting due to Covid-19 measures. Competitors are also only permitted to bring along one crew member.
Gribble-Bowring’s Corvette C7 is fitted with a GM Dart V8, producing 520kW (700hp) of power and 900Nm of torque paired to a six-speed sequential gearbox.
The engine and transmission sit within the C7’s unique aluminium platform, with almost all of the supporting parts produced by Gribble-Bowring and Jason Warwick Bowring Engineering.
The Mad Mike Drift Force events are designed not only for test sessions, but also for up-and-comers looking for track miles and experience.