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With the release of the awesome DiRT Showdown game this week we just had to interview one of South Africa’s top drifters – Jason Webb!
Name: Jason Ayrton Senna Webb
Nickname: Drift Prince
Age: 18
Hometown: Cape Town
Machine of choice: Nissan 200SX S13
Sponsors: Monster Energy, Turn 1 Wheels, Achilles Tyres, XS Promotions, Action Race Boys, Drift Performance Products, Liqui Moly, F-1 X Performance Exhausts, FW Lift Consultants, Cool Bananas, Malcolms auto centre.
How did you get into drifting?
I got offered the opportunity by Otto Graven, who was looking for somebody young to train up. My father worked for him up in Kimberley, and I went down to Kimberley one day to go meet Otto and from that day he wanted to train me.
How long did it take you to learn how to drift a car? What were the steps?
It took me 3 months to get the car completely sideways, perfect switches, wallrides, tandeming, it all took time because we were so precise with how we did everything. You will obviously start by just using the handbrake, going into a corner and yanking the sucker up in the air to lock the back wheels, thus initiating your drift. You would then go into more of a power slide than anything else, that’s when you would just use the power of your car to get you around corners. Then comes the switch, which is really important if you want to be precise about a run, a switch determines your speed, where you going to end up going, how close you going to get to walls, what your opponent will do behind you with your switch and how smooth it is. You have to be confident going into the switch, the judges look at all the criteria, so a switch is very important.
Is it true that you don’t have your driver’s licence but are one of SA best drifters?
That is true, at the moment I am far too busy to go drive around some poles and learn how to ‘parallel park’ don’t they see that there is a handbrake to do those type of things!
Explain your middle name?
My father loved Ayrton Senna, he loved him so much he gave me Senna’s name! Ayrton Senna is also a driver I admire, even to this day, yes he is dead, but damn that boytjie could drive! My bedroom is full of all Senna’s cars, pics, statues! haha we’re crazy about him.
Explain what drifting is?
Drifting isn’t a car out of control, burning tyres, loud engines. Drifting is an art. It’s almost like ballet on wheels, everything you do must be precise. How close you get to clipping points, your speed, line, angle, where you start initiating your drift all comes into play when the judges are watching you.
How does a drift race work? How does a driver win?
A drift race isn’t really a race. It’s about these 5 criteria’s, angle, line, speed, impact, and of course your clipping points. There is two drivers that drift at a time, the one that scores the most points from those criteria’s will win. In the case of the judges not being able to find the winner, you will do a One More Time, which means going up against that driver again, and showing the judges why you better his drift.
What have you had to customise on your car to turn it into a drifting beast?
Everything! Suspension, turning angle, engine, the cockpit, diff, the body. Let me just say this, the only thing standard on my car, is the chassis and the windscreen!
Have you ever drifted a car on public roads?
Yes I have, I drifted my R33 Skyline in the streets of Kimberley one day. Was quite eventful and here in JHB with my S13 in the streets outside our workshop, got a perfect corner for drifting LOL!
What has been the best car you have ever driven?
I would say the GTR R33 skyline I had, it was a machine with 450KW and 540nm!
You were definitely one of thehighlights at the recent Atomic Junkies show – what was your highlight of the event?
My highlight would be when I did that last lap with my car and did a wall ride with my car! My dad didn’t approve of it but it was fun, and all I needed after that was a new bumper! Haha! Also ramping the Lumina up the FMX landing was quite fun also
What is hooning?
Hooning is like being a reckless driver, driving fast and being loud, the type of stuff we do when we on public roads! I love to piss people off when I’m driving on the roads haha! Oh wait I’m not supposed to be on public roads, but yet last week I was hooning when I was going 220km/h down some highway! Hahaha
Do you reckon you’d be ableto replicate one of Ken Block’s Gymkhana runs?
I won’t only replicate it I will better it. I want myself and him to go into a head to head battle and see who comes out tops. I’m sorry for my cockiness but I don’t admire him at all.
Explain the ultimate Gymkana run that you’d like to put together?
I would do a run that Ken Block did in Gymkhana 4, that would be my ultimate Gymkhana run!
What are your goals in the sport?
I want to go compete overseas in Formula Drift, I think I’ve got the skill, I have the best car builder in the world.
Do you do any type of training to improve your skills in a car?
Riding Go-Karts or Motocross really gets your concentration levels up, and helps with the drifting. In those sports you must be consistent, and you need to be consistent in drifting.
Where do you see the sport going in South Africa?
The sport is getting bigger each event, the competition is rising and I really see this sport as being the biggest form of motorsport in South Africa!
When you’re not driving a car sideways – what would Jason Webb be up to?
Either working on my car, or heading back to Cape Town to my other family to go chill under the sun on the beach with a couple mates! I’ve taken a gap year this year, so I’m laid back all the time.
Give us some of the slang words in drifting and their meaning:
WDES – Wanna Drift Ek Se, AMSK – Awe Ma Se Kindt, AML – Awe Ma Lannie, not sure of anymore that we use!
