Although this isn’t his first car, Mat’s owned this K-Sev since he was 17, and it now harbours a history as long and storied as Bana’s Beast itself. Although he built it for drifting, Mat really can’t bring himself to endanger it in the brutal world of sideways sliding action anymore, unless the show ponies are stabled and the track is empty.

“Aside from drifting, I’ve done hillclimbs in it, but lately I’ve thought about drag racing,” Mat begins. “There’s risk, but we’re all going in a straight line; it’s not as bad.” With the Drag Challenge classes not well geared towards four-bangers, Mat is in Tuff Mounts 235 Blown, up against anything and everything
with forced induction and a small tyre regardless of cylinder count, but he’s philosophical. “I’m not trying to win this comp; I’m here to see how the car will do, then work out what I need to do to win it later.”

Not afraid to upset the status quo by chucking a four-cylinder cat amongst the V8 pigeons, he continues, “It’s a pretty competitive category, and to win, I’d need 1500hp backed by an auto. I don’t want to put an auto in it, but I want to see if my drift car can compete in drag racing.” Whatever it takes, Mat will surely get there; he built his 4AGE ‘black top’ himself, and is proprietor of MT Performance Engines, a machine shop and engine builders specialising in power sources of the JDM variety. “It’s been dynoed at 489hp at the hub at 9100rpm, with the Garrett 30/70 GTS screaming at 90,000rpm, but I’ve got an engine on the stand at home good for at least 800, which I’m gonna push to 1000.” Well, that explains the 1500hp-capable Race Tech Services four-speed NASCAR-spec gearbox.

Walking around the car, it’s clear that it’s well-loved, the paint cost Mat $1000 many years ago, and he’s the first to admit that it shows. The interior is, like any drift machine, bare bones, and the front bumper is covered in texta marks. Noticing my puzzlement, he explains, “I broke my spine snowboarding, and during my recovery, I really struggled with concentration. One day I went out and worked out the timing
and tune, plugging and unplugging stuff until it all worked, keeping track with these numbers. It was a major accomplishment for me.”

With the conversation coming full circle, Mat returns to the subject of drifting, “I’ve still got all my drift wheels and tyres, and it’s still got the drift knuckles that’ll give it insane steering lock, but I mean, if I was to ever do it again, I won’t go in like battles. I won’t go next to someone. I don’t want to destroy the
car. I’ve got too much sentimental value in this car.”