D1NZ heads to the East Coast for the first time — and Gisborne has been waiting.

Twenty-one years of the D1NZ National Drifting Championship and new history gets made with its first landing on the East Coast 21–22 March 2026 when the championship arrives in Tairāwhiti Gisborne.

Round 4 of the 2025/26 season runs at the H BlackBee Drift Park, Dunstan Road — a purpose-built drift circuit that exists entirely because of the determination of local men Boss 'BlackBee' and Wereta Kake and their connection with Aratu Forests. They didn't wait for the championship to come to them. They built the venue that made it possible.

"They built a circuit. They sent emails, made calls, and dragged D1NZ to the East Coast for the first time in history."

For the Gisborne community, this is more than a motorsport event. It is the culmination of years of local work — a community-built venue earning its moment on the national stage. The H BlackBee Drift Park is not a borrowed circuit or car park. It is Gisborne's own, conceived and constructed by locals who believed the East Coast deserved a place in the national conversation.

The Championship Stakes

Round 4 is the penultimate round of the season. By the time the field rolls into Gisborne, the mathematics of the title fight will be sharply in focus. Drivers are calculating.

In the Pro Championship, points leader Dave Steedman (264 pts) holds an advantage but cannot afford to coast. Behind him, the field is tight enough that a single strong performance can shuffle the standings dramatically going into Round 5.

In the Pro-Sport Championship, Blake Myles leads with 194 points — but only by a slender 4 points. Every round Pro-Sport produces upsets. Gisborne is a new – it’s a true winner takes all.

"A bad result in Gisborne can end a title campaign. A good result can be decisive."

The Local Heroes

What makes Round 4 genuinely different from any other stop on the calendar is the presence of drivers who are not just competing here — they are competing at home.

Wereta Kake

The co-creator of the H BlackBee Drift Park has a lot on his mind – and being at home for this special weekend is one of them: “Gisborne is the township everyone drives past. A lot of people here never leave the region — so when a national championship comes to them, that means something. For me, it's a long way to travel to compete, so having a home event is very special. But more than that, it's an opportunity to bring the sport to people who wouldn't otherwise see it up close — and maybe change how they think, or even change their path in life.

“We're starting local track days — and the plan is to invest everything back in. This isn't a commercial exercise, it's about educating people, inspiring them, giving them the opportunity to try it. Some of them will take the jump and go all the way.

One of my crew was on the streets four years ago. Now he's full-time in the sport, running tyres for the team. We showed him a different side of life, gave him the opportunity, and he grabbed it. We want to do the same for others — pull their friends in, grow the circle, one track day at a time. Look at Corbyn. A lot of us older guys wish we'd had that head-start. Young people haven't built up all the mental weight yet — they're free, unguarded, not playing it safe. That open mindset is the best thing you can have in this sport. We're trying to give that to as many people as possible.”

Boss 'BlackBee'

The man whose name is on the circuit. Boss BlackBee and Wereta Kake together made this event possible through planning, investment, and persistent advocacy. The fact that D1NZ is in Gisborne at all is largely the result of their vision and effort.

Shaun Potroz

The experienced local campaigner and 2021 D1NZ Pro-Sport champion knows these roads. In a field of skilled competitors, local knowledge and the crowd behind you count for something.

“For me I’m really looking forward to seeing the Gisborne region show up – I reckon it could be the biggest event D1NZ has seen this season. When Wereta ran his first drift day I was blown away how many people came along – it really took me by surprise,” he said.

"A special thanks to Aratu Forests – they have been such a big part at allowing this to happen. The dream and vision Boss Blackbee and Wereta had then and what they have for the future – without all of them we wouldn’t being having a national championship event in Gisborne.”

Corbyn Wilson

The teenager from Gisborne is now competing in the national championship — in his own backyard. Wilson's story is the kind that reminds people why they love sport.

“My highlight will be everyone from around Gisborne seeing something you’d not expect,” Wilson explained.

“The venue is looking good and with the beach and white cliffs in the background it’s very unique and very Gisborne.

“I know a lot of people are excited about what’s coming – even if they aren’t into cars it seems they know about it. The vibe is real – seeing something they’ve not see before in their home town.”

“The most common question is how you win and that it’s not being the first car but the points you are awarded compared to the car you’re battling. So this is a good chance for everyone to understand the sport and show them what it is actually like.

“For a start it is an old log yard with off camber corners. The surface is different to anywhere else and more like a road so everyone is going to have to learn and understand the grip levels.”

That could give the locals a hometown advantage.

Also included in the weekend’s entertainment is the Schmick Mick Hard Park — the static car display area alongside the circuit. Add food trucks, refreshments, merchandise, and the full culture of New Zealand's drifting scene.

Getting There

Venue:	H BlackBee Drift Park, Dunstan Road, Gisborne
Parking:	Dedicated spectator parking on the right-hand side as you approach the venue — signposted from the road. Short walk to the ticket gate, or wait for the shuttle.

Saturday 21 March — Qualifying Day

Gates open: 1:00 PM   |  

Saturday is qualifying day — the session that determines each driver’s starting position for Sunday’s competition bracket. Both the Pro-Sport Series and the Pro Series complete qualifying across the afternoon, with every driver making multiple solo runs judged on angle, speed, line, and style.

Sunday 22 March — Competition Day

Gates open: 9:00 AM   |

Sunday is the main event. If you attend only one day, make it Sunday. Gates open at 9:00 AM and the Pro-Sport Series is on track from 9:30 AM — from that moment the day escalates continuously as drivers are eliminated, the field narrows, and the stakes rise.

Morning (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM): Pro-Sport Series bracket.  The complete Pro-Sport bracket — Top 16, Top 8, Top 4, and Grand Final — plays out across the morning. Fast, exciting, and a great way to understand the battle format before the Pro Series begins. Pro-Sport Prizegiving follows at around 11:50 AM.

Afternoon (12:00 PM – 4:30 PM): Pro Series — LIVE on SKY.  The Pro Series competition begins at noon with sight laps and goes live on SKY from 12:30 PM. With 28 points separating Pro Series leader Dave Steedman from Connor Halligan heading into Round 4, and only two rounds left in the season, the bracket today carries championship weight. The Pro Grand Final at approximately 4:10 PM could determine who lifts the title.

4:30 PM — Victory show. Do not leave early.

Weekend passes and single-day tickets are available now. This is a first — and first events at first venues carry an energy that cannot be replicated. You can say 'I was there the first time D1NZ came to Gisborne', or you can watch it on your phone. One of those stories is worth telling.