• Drift car comes through finishing tunnel at Red Bull Drift Shifters event
  • Curt Whittaker drives a drift car watched by crowds at Auckland Victoria Park Red Bull Drift Shifters event
  • Test track for Red Bull Drift Shifters event
  • Test track for Red Bull Drift Shifters event
  • Drift car on the test track for Red Bull Drift Shifters event
  • Automation Associates Technicians checking the Undertaker before Red Bull Drift Shifters
  • Jason Sellers drifts at Red Bull Drift Shifters event
  • Red Bull Drift Shifters car drifting the course
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Red Bull - Drift Shifters

Automated scoring for a drifting competition.

When Red Bull asked us to turn Fanshawe street into an automated scoring system for drift cars we got right onto it. Using industrial sensors on an Ethernet backbone, with a custom coded software scoring engine running outputs to lighting effects, sound effects and display for the OB vans the system was a world first.

Drift Shifters is the brainchild of Mike Whiddett, arguably New Zealand’s best known and most talented drift driver. In his professional career Mike has traveled the world, racing in many top motorsport locations, but nothing that will come close to Red Bull Drift Shifters.

Two Automation Associates technicians put the finishing touches on the under truck sensors. Pinball like obstacles were located around the track with radio transmitters to link them to the scoring network.

Point to point laser beams were used to provide start, stop and timing signals as well and as speed readout on the giant LED screen.

Automation Associates Staff with event designer Mike Whiddett at the end of the 2015 event.

Read about another of Mike’s drifting escapades here.

Despite the punishing motorsport environment, our system maintained 100% uptime, a good thing when your feeds are going out to a live international TV audience.

Contact us today to talk about your special project.  If you can dream it, we can achieve it.

With offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, our friendly consultants are here to help.

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