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"Mad" Mike Whiddett

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Mike Whiddett
Whiddett's Mazda RX-7
Nationality New Zealander
Born (1981-01-10) 10 January 1981 (age 43)
Auckland, New Zealand
Formula Drift
Years active2010, 2015–2016
Previous series
2015Stadium Super Trucks
Championship titles
2018Formula Drift Japan Series

Michael Whiddett (born 1981)[1] also known as "Mad Mike", is a New Zealand drifting racer.[2] He is sponsored by Red Bull.[3][4][5][6][7][8] 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[9] and a 26B quad rotor, twin turbo engine
  • RUMBUL, a Mazda B2000 based Stadium Truck with a naturally aspirated 13B twin 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 1,200hp 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.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12][13] Although he rolled in the final race, he finished seventh.[14]

2018 – Formula Drift Japan Series

  • Won championship

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.[15]
  • 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.)

Stadium Super Trucks results
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 [16]
† – Replaced E. J. Viso, points went to Viso

References

  1. ^ "Mad Mike Whiddett: Living the Dream". DrivingLine. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  2. ^ Taua, Justene. "Mike Whiddett Drift Racing". Redbull.com. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  3. ^ "Formula DRIFT - Drivers - Mad Mike Whiddett". Formulad.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-20. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  4. ^ "Mad Mike Whiddett: Living the Dream". DrivingLine.com. 2015-07-30. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  5. ^ Cheng, Zarah (2015-12-24). "Mad Mike Whiddett and his Mazda MX-5 "RADBUL"". Hypebeast.com. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  6. ^ Jonathon Klein (2016-01-05). "Mad Mike Whiddett Shakes Down His New RADBUL Drift Car". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  7. ^ "Mad Mike Whiddett: a wet track makes me much less of a leadfoot". Stuff.co.nz. 2016-02-11. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  8. ^ "Mike Whiddett and his Mazda MX-5 drift video - Formula Drift Videos". Motorsport.com. 2015-12-20. Archived from the original on 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2016-02-17.
  9. ^ "This Is Mad Mike Whiddett's RadBul Gen2 Headed For Long Beach". Art of Gears. 2016-02-27. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
  10. ^ "Mike Whiddett - Opponents - DriftStats". www.driftstats.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-10. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
  11. ^ Wilde, Dominik (4 July 2017). "'Mad' Mike Whiddett keen for Red Bull GRC chance". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  12. ^ "Round 13 of 21 – Sand Sports #1 – 9/18/15". Stadium Super Trucks. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  13. ^ "Round 13 of 21 – Sand Sports #2 – 9/19/15". Stadium Super Trucks. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  14. ^ Sinclair, Adam (22 September 2015). "Sheldon Creed Wins Stadium SUPER Trucks Sand Sports Show Sunday Finale". Speedway Digest. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  15. ^ "Mad Mike Whiddett | MotorSport New Zealand". www.motorsport.org.nz. Archived from the original on 2017-04-10. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
  16. ^ "2015 Official Point Standings". Stadium Super Trucks. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
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