AMANDA SORENSEN Competes At Pukekohe Park’s Final D1NZ Drift Battle

May 2, 2026

• AMANDA SORENSEN competed as one of six invited international drivers in New Zealand’s inaugural Drift GP at Pukekohe Park’s final motorsport event, though challenging conditions and an unfamiliar borrowed-car format saw most overseas competitors exit in Top 16.
• Finnish driver Lauri Heinonen claimed victory in the D1NZ Pro competition’s Top 32 battles, defeating Dave Steedman—New Zealand’s newly crowned 2026 ‘Drift King’—while also competing in the international Drift GP showcase.
• The historic February 2026 Round 3 marked Pukekohe Park Raceway’s final motorsport gathering after 63 years, featuring D1NZ championship drifting on the circuit’s legendary 200km/h Turn 1, considered the world’s fastest drift corner.
• Challenging weather conditions throughout the weekend saw the track surface fluctuate between dry, damp, and waterlogged states, creating unpredictable competition that eliminated several championship contenders early in Pro division battles.

d1nz, drift gp, pukekohe park raceway