It was hard for Lincoln Whiddett not to spill the beans about his “dream come true” before the big reveal.
But earlier this month, the 16-year-old drift car racer was able to officially announce his factory drive for Mazda Japan and TCP Magic which would take place at Mazda Fan Festa this November in Mimasaka, Japan.
The year-12 Hauraki Plains College student told The Profile it felt “unreal” when he found out.
Not only would it be Lincoln’s first drive in Japan, the drifter would also debut a new vehicle for Mazda.
While Lincoln couldn’t give anything away about the car, the one thing he could mention was “it’s ridiculous”.
“We will reveal the car [on] the day of the event – make sure to follow my instagram to see the reveal,” he said.
His drive would take place on the Okayama circuit on November 9 and 10, and in preparation for it, Lincoln said he planned to train on the circuit through his simulator at home.
In the week leading up to the event, Lincoln said he would do a “shakedown” of the car, which is a test to make sure everything worked as it should.
When asked if he had a routine before his races, Lincoln said he blocked out any outside thoughts and slowed his breathing.
But while he was racing, Lincoln said the main thing that went through his head was to stay focussed on his consistency and “putting on a good show” for the crowd.
The biggest hurdle in his competition drifting was trying to impress all the judges, he said.
Judges’ votes were opinion based, so the challenge was to try and adapt his driving style to fit their preferences, he said.
And when it came to overcoming nerves, the young drifter said he always embraced them to “fuel the adrenaline”.
The young athlete’s favourite piece of advice from his dad and drifting legend, Mike Whiddett, better known as Mad Mike, was to “just have fun”.
Lincoln said Mike told him: “If you’re not enjoying what you do, you can always find something else”.
But it was his passion for motorsports that motivated him.
Lincoln lived, breathed and “loved everything” about it.
“Everything is so different from all other sports, and that’s what I think is the best part.”
One thing that pushed Lincoln to “do my best” was the pressure he felt.
“I feel like a lot of people expect a good result from me, being Mike’s son and living right next to a race track.
“But what keeps me going is how much effort my parents put in for me, so I try to repay them with the effort I put back into it.”
Lincoln’s advice for others inspired to get into drifting was to get involved at events.
“Even if it’s offering a hand to someone to start off with.
“There’s lots of jobs and careers apart from the driver,” he said.
“They obviously need a crew to help them which has a lot of very important roles for the team.”
DETAILS: To follow Lincoln’s journey to Japan, and to keep up with his drifting, follow him on Instagram: @llincoln_whiddett.
