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5 & 6 June 2010
AutoTrader SupaDrift
Its begun, and as South Africa prepares to welcome the world to what promises to be the most exciting month ever, the drift fraternity has been waiting in equal anticipation for the latest addition to the current drift scenes running in and around Gauteng. XS Promotions together with AutoTrader this past week-end signed sealed and delivered an unbelievably awesome SUPADRIFT series to thousands of die-hard fans. You take a first class drift series and slot it in with a Gauteng Motorshow and you are left with a smile and deeply routed satisfaction. The SUPADRIFT series was stylishly executed and without incident after a two day battle for final victory.
Some of SA’s finest were invited to compete alongside a special international guest all the way from Greece, Nicos who made the long trip down to SA and was very impressed with the level of drifting thus far. Saturday saw the drivers pushing themselves and their cars into the red, it was short and sweet, no frills about it! The judges digressed and deliberated and after an impressive show of skill and talent they paired the guys off for Sunday’s tandems.
Not ideal for a Drift Team and encouraged by “Murphy”, Mark Weyers was paired with Otto Graven, inevitably one of our boys will drop out of the running for a chance in the finals. Its nothing short of spectacular, when Otto Graven pilots that beastly 350z but it was particularly special watching our newest drifter in a tandem tango with the master, Mark held is own and if anything bagged some fans! Zunaid Mobara strapped himself into the blue Skyline, he managed to get some good rounds under his belt, but didn’t qualify for the tandem battles. It’s a simple concept that sometimes if the pressure is on and your trying to give it your all mistakes can and often happen, these are costly at any event! A straight line, a spinout, a wheel off the track is all it takes to knock you out of the running. We are confident that Zunaid will become a top contender, in the meantime we will have to find away to silence those “nerves”. Ronnie Graven is known for his aggressive style, some things change but we assure you this is not ever going to. Ronnie fearlessly set out to intimidate his opponents in his black R33 Skyline. It worked until an impressive Tsuiso drift from XS Promotions own Jonathan Rudman sent Ronnie back to the pits.
Monstermob has a dedicated pit crew, under the professional guidance of “Speedy”, we assure you that he lives up to that name. Our drivers work closely with the pit crew and while the show goes on, speedy and the guys are constantly going over our fleet…! Its with this in mind, that Otto manages to launch his 350z into a precise, strategically and consistent drift every time. With confidence & skill the owner of Kimberley’s Monstermob Raceway has an unparallel presence on the track. It takes immense concentration and focus to get your car where you need it to be for a perfect score. A certain kind of frequency that a drifter needs to tune into in order to make it to the finals. To date we aren’t sure what that frequency is,…Otto knows and he’s not telling!!
Monstermob would like to congratulate XS Promotions on the launch of their first SUPADRIFT series, it was “Ayoba”, AutoTrader you guys are incredible and we thank you for your hospitality. To the marshalls, and event co-ordinators at Swartkops Raceway, thumbs up for letting us burn rubber, we look forward to many more “smoking” events. To our sponsors, Megatron, Liqui Moly, Graven Mining and Sunoco Race Fuels, we thank you for your continued support.
1 May 2010 - Rock Raceway
1 May – Vintage Day vs. Japan Auto Drift Series (Round 3)
magine if you will, an 8 hour haul from the City that Sparkles to the City of Gold, entertaining, scenic and potentially hazardous with all the road works that are on route. We have grown somewhat accustomed to this monthly ritual, and spend a good part of that time brainstorming. There is and always will be room for improvement, whether you are perfecting the art of photography or simply thinking up genius ways to introduce “Drifting” to thousands of the oblivious, a dull moment you shall not have to endure!
Sliding into Gauteng we realized that we were not awfully successful in escaping the rain clouds back home, they followed us and invited the family along... not the kind of weather a Drifter welcomes, as we cursed this ridiculously large black cloud above. With a positive mindset, we all prayed that the sun would break up the party – and soon!
MMR would like to take this opportunity to, officially introduce you to the newest member of our Drift Team: Zunaid Mobara, who managed to instill the fear of “Otto Drift lessons” into the hearts of the 21 entrants for the Japan Auto Drift Series. It was palpable, as the air lay heavy with competition vibes, after all, there is only one 1st-place position and they all want the same thing. Zunaid did not disappoint and was on top form until his tandem run with the Rock’s Tim Stephens saw him fall out of the running. Zunaid still walked away with the “Driver of the day” trophy, a massive achievement for anyone in his 2nd event ever...
So Saturday mornings are usually bright & early for the team, this particular Saturday was simply early as we dodged puddles and took cover under the gazebo’s, we sent Ronnie’s Skyline off to JMS for a dyno and spent some time marveling at the Vintage cars that were on display. The clouds moved on just in time for the solo qualifying which secured a place in the top 16 for Otto, Ronnie & newcomer, Zunaid. The Tsuiso battles carried on late into the night, and had everyone tilting on the edge of their seats, Otto was unstoppable, and together with his 350z beast, he drifted his way into the top spot after an impressive tandem battle against friend & fellow drifter Pieter Smit, in the Slideways Extreme Supra. Not to be left behind, Ronnie was on equally fine form, unfortunately, he clipped a cone, in a tandem battle against Pieter, which bought him back to the start line, this time against Mathys Naude (Blue Boy Drifter) which found the younger Graven winning an opportunity to battle it out for the 3rd spot. It was a tough call, but the judge’s decision is final and 3rd place went to Tim Stephens. Ronnie clinching a deserved 4th place overall was still chuft and felt much better for not having to relive the disappointment he had when car trouble rendered him out of the previous Carnival City Casino Drift Nationals event held at the Rock Raceway.
The Monster Mob Team would just like to thank our sponsors:
Megatron | Graven Mining | Liqui Moly | Red Bull
Lastly, to our fans, your constant support is always appreciated!
17 April 2010 - Rock Raceway
Monstermob Raceway - 3 April 2010
NDS Round 2 hosted by Monstermob raceway
This weekend Monstermob raceway hosted the NDS (national drift series) for the very first time. The day began with gymkhana which was open to the public. To test out their skills on our new track
The NDS round 2 started at about 5 o’clock with the warm-ups. All together there were 23 drivers from all around the country. Each driver had his/her change during the qualifying round to get as many points on the board as possible; sadly only 8 drivers could go through to the next round.
Ronnie collided with the barrier of tires and he was out of the race to everybody’s disappointment. The next round was Tandems, where 2 drivers race against one another. The drivers battled it out on the track until there were only 2 drivers left at the final! Otto VS Pieter.
The tension rose on both sides. The final race was an unforgettable race as both racers would not give up and gave a performance the audience would not forget. The race was hardly finished as the crowd started screaming for more!
They had no choice but to go for another round. Otto won with Pieter taking second place, but what a race it was…! Congratulations to all drivers doing well, and to everybody who made the trip down to Kimberley, we thank everyone and everybody involved.
East London - 6 March 2010
Otto VS Team Orange
The Drift team visited East London this weekend the 6th of March. We were going to make this an unforgettable event in EL, and it was! When we finaly got all 4 cars on the truck we were on the road about 2 o’clock. It was one long drive and the weather was changing as we got closer to EL. We arrived at nine at night on Thursday night.
On Friday morning we got up early and was on the racetrack at 6 for practice. The day continued without any problems. Team Orange from Japan was on the roll this weekend and it was clear that the competition was going to be tough.
Otto never back away from a challenge as you all know and he was ready to take on anybody on the racetrack. Practice continued till past seven on Friday. We went back to the hotel, tired and anxious to see what was going to happen on Saturday.
Saturday we got up early again and was at the racetrack at about 6 again. It took about 2 hours to set up the Monstermob pits and the Megatron Stands. The event started at about 9 that morning. The competition was tough. As predicted, the dirvers from team organge was giving the South African drivers hell on the track.
The Monstermob drift team experienced some technical difficulties with the cars but at the end it was a good day. The event ended at about 4:30 on Saturday and then it was time for award giving. Otto stood his ground and gave an excellent performance.
Otto won second place! First place went to the Japanese Girl driver from Team Orange. As most of you know, Team orange has some of the best drivers in the world. With Otto coming in second place during this event he has proven to everybody around the world that his one of the best drivers in the world! Congratulations Otto!!!
Rock Raceway - 6 February 2010
Otto's small brother taking up the challenge!
The drift team arrived at about 10 o’clock on Saturday in JHB. We took the cars to JMS Dyno. They tested the Megatron cars and the tension rose as we waited for the results to come through. Amazingly the Megatron cars were much more powerful than everybody thought.
Otto’s skyline
303kw at 559Nm
6000rpm in 3rd gear
Ronnie’s Skyline
303kw at 559Nm
6000rpm in 3rd gear
This is great tweaking by the Monstermob mechanics. They felt very proud of themselves and the confidence was on a high.
We arrived at the Rock Raceway at about 5 and had some warm-up runs before it started to rain. We waited it out and finally the event started, not knowing what was in store for the rest of the day. During our qualifying round it was clear to everybody that the Megatron team was going to give everybody a hard time on the track. Ronnie ended first, Pieter second and Otto third for the qualifying round. Otto experienced some difficulties with the clutch but luckily made it in third place.
After the qualifying round it was time for solo’s. Both Otto and Ronnie did very well again. Sadly Otto’s clutch gave in completely and he know that that was it for the weekend. But as everybody know, Otto is no quitter and he will give a battle to the end. Then it was time for the favorite part, and you could hear the crowd going wild.
It was time for the tandems! Otto vs Jean – Otto gave Jean a race of his live with only in 1st gear all the way!!! Jean passed him and splashed mud onto Otto’s windscreen making it even more difficult for him. Otto hit a cone on one of the turns and was disqualified. Then Ronnie and Tim was going at it and Ronnie proofed that he was the brother of Otto by giving an excelling performance. He easily cleared everybody out to get to the final.
There it was, Ronnie and Pieter, both with excellent skill and a will to win. Ronnie got his first win ever during a drifting event and claim his place at one of South Africas best drivers just like his brother Otto. From all of us at Monstermob, Megatron and all the fans out there, we would like to congratulate Ronnie on his first win.
Event Articles 2009
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Port Elizabeth - 10 October 2009
MONSTERMOB TAKES FIRST PLACE ONCE AGAIN (10 October 2009)
It was the event everyone was waiting for. National Drift Series (NDS) round 3. Following the success of MONSTERMOB at The Rock Raceway, all eyes were on Otto Graven. Everyone was wondering if Otto will be able to top the performance he gave in the event just a week ago. 7th of October 2009, time too saddle up and hit the road down to Port Elisabeth for what was promising to be one of the best drifting events South Africa has ever seen.
Upon arriving in P.E. it was clear that the weather was going to make it difficult for the drifters with light drizzle falling for hours on end, making the track extremely slippery.
Thursday night the crew setup up their workspace at the track, getting the cars ready for a day of tire ripping mayhem. Otto arrived and immediately set out on the track to make sure the two cars are exactly how he wanted them. After a successful practice run, one could see Otto standing amongst the other drivers, exchanging thoughts about the event and each other’s cars. Otto even jumped under the bonnet of one of the drivers Toyota Soarer that for unknown reasons refused to run.
Friday morning…24 hours till the start of NDS Round 3. After a quick breakfast and a bit of well deserved rest for the mechanics, the crew met at the raceway.
After a brief introduction to the drivers, Jody Powell and Mr. “Sleepy” ( former D1 drifter and present manager of team orange) briefed the driver on the day’s proceedings and rules. Following the briefing I met up with sleepy during the practice runs. “I’m surprised by how much the drivers have improved. Especially Otto! At the moment I’m using his practice runs to determine what the perfect drift will be, and trust me, u won’t get a better drift than that one!!!” Sleepy practically screamed as Otto came past us, showering us with smoke and rubber from those huge tires!
After making a very good impression on Sleepy, Otto retired to the pit lane to join the rest of the drivers and crew, who were all huddling for shelter from the freezing wind. After having something to eat behind the buss, away from the wind, the crew set off to the hotel for some rest before the big event.
Saturday morning the crew arrived at the track at 07:00, braving the cold to make sure that all is well with the cars. The Megatron staff started to sat up their stand, setting out the free posters and finger extensions which proved to be a big hit with the crowd. After a few practice runs by all the drivers, Otto decided to run the cars on 1.2bar boost, “…just to ha enough power for that little extra smoke.” Otto told me with a little smile on his face. Once again Sleepy gave the drivers a briefing on the judging and congratulated Otto for being nominated to compete in the D1 Gran Prix this coming November. The drivers were sent off to begin the qualifying runs. With the crowd slowly building up next to the track, the drivers set off one by one, but it was Otto and Ronnie that really stood out of the crowd with the striking blue skyline’s and extreme amounts of smoke from the rear wheels.
Both Otto and his younger brother Ronnie left the crowd with smiles on their faces with their aggressive driving styles. The two MONSTERMOB drivers proceeded through to the tandems with ease, and started taking the other drivers on in the twins. And then the highlight of the day arrived. Otto was pitted up against Ronnie in a tandem battle. Both drivers showed immense skill in car control, but in the end Otto was chosen to go through to the final battle against Adam Sheffer.
Seeing how Otto and Adam went at it just a week ago in Johannesburg, where Otto came in first place, it was promising to be one hell of a race. Both drivers were giving it all they had, pushing their cars to the limits. But in the end Otto was once again proclaimed the best drifter.
With taking first place for a second time in a row, and being nominated to compete in the D1 Gran Prix, our very own Otto Graven is shaping up to becoming a drift icon in South Africa. Maybe even the next Drift King? Whatever happens, be sure to keep an eye on this space. This is just the beginning…
Rock Raceway - 3 October 2009
Rock Raceway - The Road Too Victory (3 October 2009)
Following a disappointing clutch failure in the last event hosted by The Rock Raceway, the whole MonsterMob team had been preparing to show Johannesburg what their made of. Friday morning arrived, cars loaded the team set off on a long road to The Rock Raceway. Even with the memory of the last breakdown in everyone’s mind, you could see the determination on the crew’s faces. ‘’This time we’re bringing back first place” , one of the mechanics remarked as we arrived at the raceway nine hours later. We all retired to the hotel for some rest before the big day, mechanics planning their strategies for the event.
Saturday finally arrived, cars being unloaded everywhere with a thick smell of afgas and rubber hanging in the air. A few practice runs by Otto Graven was followed by a photo shoot and interview by Speed and Sound Magazine. Otto was already giving the crowd a treat before the event with his aggressive drifting. As soon as Otto was satisfied with both of the Megatron branded Nissan Skyline’s, he was joined by Ronnie, his younger brother, for a little tandem practice. Everyone could see that neither of the drivers was going to hold anything back. At around four in the afternoon the stadium was packed and all the drivers set off for the parade lap and introductions. From the first time the MonsterMob cars went around, you could feel the crowd getting ready for a drifting session they won’t forget. Directly after the parade lap, the drivers started setting out on their qualifying laps.
With such a wide variety of cars including: Toyota Supra’s, Skylines, 200sx’s and RX7’s, each driver with a different style of drifting. It was difficult for anyone to determine what was going to happen at the end of the day. From the get go, Otto with his precision and Ronnie with his aggressive driving style, was showing the other drivers that they were going to have to step things up a bit to be able to compete in the tandems with the guys from Kimberley. Both Otto and Ronnie made it into the tandems with ease.
Night began to fall on the raceway as the event moved ito the final stage with driver going head to head. “The amount of smoke from the MonsterMob cars are insane!”, I heard one of the people in the crowd say to his friend. And it was true indeed! At occasions so much that is was nearly impossible to see anything on the track!
Unfortunately Ronnie fell out of the competition by judge’s ruling, leaving Otto to keep the MonsterMob name high. Otto flew through the competition, overtaking the other competitors in both speed and style. And finally the moment arrived we’ve all been waiting for, The battle for first place. With Otto going up against Adam Sheffer in the S13, it was promising to be an amazing race. Otto and Adam lined up their cars after going around the track a few times, making sure of their lines. With the deafening roar of the crowd followed by the scream of the two cars, the Track marshal dropped his flag and they were off. Otto was leading Adam in the first lap, amazingly Adam kept his car on the track with the huge amount of smoke trailing of Otto’s wheels. From one corner to the next, there was a constant battle to prove to the judges that they were worthy of winning, but A dam failed to get ahead of Otto.
Lining up again, this time with Adam leading, the ground began to shake as the crowd was going mad with excitement. The flag dropped for the last time, and this time Otto was giving Johannesburg a display of car control never seen before. Trailing inches away of Adams bumper, Otto found a gap in the long left hand corner where he took his chance and overtook Adam. Adam responded by trying too close the gap, hitting Otto from behind, ripping of his rear bumper. But there was nothing that was going to stop Otto now. He was in the lead with just two corners to go, and he didn’t let down! Otto kept on going full throttle, not giving Adam any chance of catching up to him and crossed the finish line.
Both cars lined up in front of the judges box, waiting for the final decision as the crew was holding their breath. After what felt like ages, the decision was made. Otto had been declared the number one drifter. Delighted by the win, he smoked his car one last time in front of the crowd. Even giving one lucky spectator a piece of the bumper that was ripped of just moments before. Standing with the crew and the car in front of the crowd for one last time, we all knew, the long road to victory was achieved.
KEEPING IT SIDEWAYS IN JAPAN - November
And so the day we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived! Otto finaly got to drive his S13 Silvia to start practising for the D1 Street Legal series. As you might expect, the journey through Japan so far has been nothing less then astounding. From flights that seemed to never end, very very interesting food and of course, the hospitality of our Japanese hosts.
The day started off with a trip down to Ebisu Circuit where Otto will be competing. Apon arrival Otto emediatly climed into his car to get used to it. This going to be a real challenge for him, seeing that he is going to compete in a world class event with a car he only started using today. Never the less, Otto jumped onto one of the circuits (Drift World), and started ripping up the tarmac as if it was one of his own cars, leaving the Japanese spectators in awe. A person could see that they did not expect a South African to be able to handle a car like Otto did.
After a few laps to get the car set up just how Otto wanted it, we moved over to Ebisu West Track, the circuit Otto will be competing on. ‘WOW!!! Look at that speed!’ Jody told me as Otto came screaming downhill sideways, clipping the apex and pushing through the next few corners, leaving a cloud of smoke in his path. It was the first time that Otto actually scared me with his aggressiveness behind the wheel! The rest of the day Otto spent going around the circuit burning up tyres like there was no tomorrow.
As the light started fading, and the tyres started running out, we decided to call it a day.
Tomorrow will be comprised of practise rounds for all the competitors, including Otto.
Monstermob Raceway - 28 November 2009
National Drift and Spin off
The annual national drift and spin off took place this weekend on the 28 and 29 of November. From early morning spectators started coming in through the gates. The weather forecast stated that it was going to be a hot day, and was is hot! Even though we had some difficulties, the rest was going as planed. With some great competition on the spinning side to amaze the crowd with some great stunts and performances, it turned out to be one amazing weekend. During the drifting event the spectators was entertained with some wild drifting. Some of the countries best drivers and drifters attended. Every driver gave his/her best. Some drivers went through the tire barriers as they try to perform their skills with passion, luckily nobody was hurt.
Otto was on the ball again this weekend and had an excellent performance during the tandems in the finals. It was very close but Otto won again, proving that he is one of the drifting kings in South Africa! Hope to see you there during our next event, keep your eyes on our website for dates.
