Southland ignites: D1NZ’s double header roars into the new season

Southland hosted two days of back-to-back drift action as drivers pushed limits, sparked new storylines, and set the tone for the championship ahead.

Words: Megan Foster Photos: Scott Wehipeihana, Whippy Photography.

The first two rounds of the D1NZ 2026 Championship went off in the Deep South of Invercargill. Fifty-five of New Zealand’s top drifters made the trip down for the double-header, with the Friday being a full day of practice before qualifying. Saturday consisted of the usual ‘normal’ direction on the drift section, whilst Sunday had a special ‘reverse’ direction to change things up for the competitors. 

Judges for the 2026 season, Darren Kelly, Taylor James, Andrew Redward, and Joel Counter (DSO), had their work cut out for them as the weekend rolled into the official competition. 

Friday’s practice and qualifying proved difficult for some, as the weather conditions were less than ideal with rain setting in for most of the day. Connor Halligan managed to secure the Pro Top Qualifier spot with a score of 94.8 out of 100, and Blake Myles took out Pro-Sport Top Qualifier with a score of 93.6 out of 100. 

This lined up Round One on Saturday quite nicely. There were some tough battles across both Pro and Pro-Sport, with Blake Myles proving early on he was a force to be reckoned with. Isaac Aldridge, Sam Rowson and Riley McKeown were hot on Blake’s heels. Unfortunately, restricted timing meant needing to drop the battle for third and fourth place, and instead awarding the positions based on qualifying scores. Blake Myles took first place, Riley McKeown sat in second, and Sam Rowson in third place.

“What a weekend. Having such a massive trip down to Invercargill and coming away with a win for Round One is a good way to start the season. I want to say a huge thanks to the Myles Motorsport team and sponsors for making it possible.” — Blake Myles.

The Round One Pro Series also saw some early shake-ups in the battles, with reigning 2025 Pro-Sport Champion, Deane Young, bringing the heat in his first Pro Season. South Island local, Daniel Caldwell, worked his way into the Top 8, before Dave Steedman took the win into the Top 4 Semi-Finals. First place went to Steedman, with Connor Halligan in second, and Luke Fink in third place.

“We flew down to Invercargill with high expectations after some developments on both Adam’s and my cars in the off-season. Most significant for me was the upgrade to a billet block — no more concerns of being on the limit of the engine’s capabilities. While Adam had some unfortunate/controversial outcomes, I managed to come away with a win and a third place on the podium in rounds one and two respectively. That puts me on the top of the rankings, just above Connor who is arguably our biggest threat this season. We are super pumped to return to Pukekohe for Round Three in February — there really is no comparison to that crazy sweeper!!!” — Dave Steedman. 

Schmick Mick Hard Parkers came out to show off their pride and joy, with over 80 cars taking their spot for the weekend. Trophies were up for grabs, with our Schmick King being Bradley Diack in his 1974 Holden Premier, ‘NECTER’. Schmick Queen was Nicole Todd in her 1998 Nissan Skyline, ‘MZR34’. The Schmickest Ride was Eldrix Callo in his Nissan Silvia S14, and the James Schmickmanaway Award was Matt King in his Mazda 323 Wagon, ‘SKDWAG’.

Heading into D1NZ Round Two on the Sunday, qualifying scores were based off finishing positions from Saturday. Blake Myles, once again, showed his dominance early on working his way into the Top Four battles. Jordan Richards seemed a silent assassin, having got into the Top Four before Myles came through and took position. Final placements included young Riley McKeown in first place, Blake Myles in second, and Trent Elmbranch in third. 

Round Two Pro Series also showed strong contenders early on, Sam Edinburgh worked his way into the Top Eight battles, before Justin Patterson took the win, advancing him into the Top Four. Brayden Mair drove like an absolute weapon, taking out first place for Round Two, Connor Halligan in second, and Dave Steedman in third place. 

“It was an awesome weekend down in Invercargill. The car ran flawless all weekend and I’m super stoked to walk away with first place for Round Two” — Brayden Mair.

Pro Podium winners each receive a Tengtools tool box, full of epic Tengtools goodies, worth over $8,000. Along with a Logitech G Astro A50 Gen 5 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Headset and Base Station, a Schmick Mick Car Care Pack and a CRC prize pack. Second and third place winners also receive Logitech G, Schmick Mick, Tengtools and CRC prize packs. 

“Our weekend in the Deep South was full of mixed emotions. We battled some teething issues around a couple of upgrades we made in the off-season, causing missed practice and not much time to work on fine tuning the setup. The crew pushed through all three days of competition though and we managed to get some great results considering! With Round Three at Pukekohe coming up in February, we’ll be utilising the next couple of months to resolve the issues and make sure we’re 110% ready to go. Can’t wait to send it in at 200kph for the last time!” — Connor Halligan.

D1NZ would like to thank the drivers, teams, families, and sponsors who make each and every event possible. Teng Tools, Schmick Mick, GT Radial, Mimico, Link ECU, Logitech G, and SmartSteel. Great South, ILT, and Southland Sports Car Club were also a major help. A special thank you to the D1NZ team of staff and volunteers who are on the ground making the event run smoothly.

Round Three is at Pukekohe Park, 13–15 February, 2026. This will be the very last motorsport event at this track, with some existing news still to be released. Ticketing and information can be found at www.d1nz.com.