Initial Drift Australia

What a wonderful thing a 4 day Easter long weekend is.  On one hand you don't need to work for a whole 4 days, and if you do, you get paid handsomely for it.  On the other, it creeps up on you until you realise at the last minute that all the shops are shut on Good Friday and you haven't bought dog food.  If you're like me, you spend a frantic trip down to the shops after work on Thursday, only to find a mad dash and horrendous panic only to be rivalled by the few days before Christmas.

Calm down people, the shops are shut for one day.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel however.  You see, after the hot cross buns have gone slightly stale and you've eaten as much crème eggs as your body and PT will allow, the Easter Monday at Wakefield raceway presents Initial Drift Australia.

A wonderful grass roots event where 'run what you brung' is the name of the game.  the 2015 event was slightly drizzly but that didn't stop the drifters, in fact, it made it a cheaper event as they didn't have to waste tyres on the unforgiving asphalt.  What they lacked in smoke, they more than made up for in wall scraping manji!

Happy days!

See you at the track

- Willie

Powercruise 2015

Well its been a while hasn't it? The kids over here at Bad News Panda HQ have been on a bit of a hiatus. To be honest things got out of hand the last few years and the blog kind of fell by the wayside and put on the old back burner.  Well now we're back and will try and keep the blog updated all year, imagine that! all year! well maybe not that often but we'll try to get to as many shows as we can.

Anyway... Powercruise!!!

This was the very first of this magnificent event I've been able to make it to and it sure didn't disappoint. I've heard stories but never been able to witness the spectacle myself.  We were fortunate enough to be able to make it to the Sydney event, held at the famous Sydney Motorsport Park which is quickly become a favourite track of mine.  With the World Time Attack Challenge, Top Gear Festival (will this even go ahead?) and Powercruise among the headliners at the track as well as V8 races and the various club events, it is really becoming the top player in the Australian automotive scene.

But i digress, Powercruise was amazing, the thing i liked about it the most was the fact that there was such an eclectic mix of cars, from old school muscle to full blown drag cars who somehow managed to scrounge up a set of number plates and hi powered imports to balls to the wall rotors.  This show really has it all.  Plus the fact that its a no alcohol event really makes it worth the trip.

Anyway, you guys want me to shut up and get to the photos, either that or you've already skipped to the pics....

So thats it! if you guys want to ceck out some more photos, hit up our new instagram - Bad_News_Panda and twitter accounts and give us a like on the ol' facebook.

See you at the track!

- Willie 

South Coast Nats 2013

In its 24^th year, the annual South Coast Nationals had netted itself a glorious day, making the trip down from Canberra was well worth it, not only for the cars but it was just nice to get out of the gloom that we’ve been putting up with these last few weeks.  A hint of the coming spring perhaps? 

I’ll be honest, this is the first year I’ve made the trip down to Moruya for the show in a number of years, as in 2009 they came under fire at the usual venue from surrounding homes as the smoke and noise from the burnout comps and go-to-whoa made them a little bit upset.  Boo Hoo. Once a frickin year… anyway, since their relocation to the Moruya High school, I’ve been quite hesitant to go as there would be no more driving events and would merely be static show.  If you went to see a variety of cars you would be a little disappointed as it was (and pretty much always been) a v8 show, with a light sprinkling of V6 toranas.  There was a lone RX7 and a single minitruck.  I think the boys and I might try and change this next year as the only Japanese car I spotted was a fairly standard S15 in the sound off.  There wasn’t even a VL with an RB anywhere.  I might even pick up a trophy next year!

Anyway, what it missed in variety, it certainly made up for in domestic grunt, with a fair few big trophy cars.  Onto the pics!

This beach cruiser had some rad authentic patina on display

This Torana was super clean, not too super about the colour matched wheels though

The paintwork on this rod was amazing, apparently the only thing not modified on this was the windshield surround

These guys looked pretty rad until old mates bike broke down and didn't start again

Some displays were more .... interesting than others

The lone VL, not sure what i think about that

Poor rotor fans didn't have much to keep them amused

A Mustang club had a few pony's on display

This F truck had some killer pinstriping 

Old mate went around the show flogging his skills, not too shabby at all 

Pro style bike, wonder if this kid will grow up and be one of these boys

The Speedway museum had a display on ....

... got to say, they were some pretty cool cats

Not really sure why there was a standard FT86 on display

The bay in this commodore had my jaw on the ground, super tidy and effective

I loved this old mercury with matching camper

Vintage details in this thing....

.... Down to the leather hood straps

Couldn't make up my mind about this wagon

Spotted this as i was leaving the show, it was nice to hear something at SC Nats other than the sound off.  Hopefully one day they'll be able to bring back the driving events.

Till next time

-Willie