Like anyone that follows the drifting world, I knew about "Mad" Mike Whiddett; I saw him come onto the scene and explode once joining the Red Bull family. He conquered the international drifting scene from D1GP to Formula D and made a pit stop in the U.S. — all in the wildest rotary-powered builds ever seen. That is what made him a fan favorite, and it was the extent of my knowledge about Mad Mike... until now, that is.
You should all be familiar with RADBUL, the rotary-powered Mazda MX-5 that stole the hearts of U.S. drift fans the past two years. For Formula Drift Japan, Mad Mike pilots a rotary-powered Mazda RX-7 he calls HUMBUL, built and maintained by Total Car Produce (TCP) Magic. I have met the owner of TCP Magic, Kawato Taisuke, one a few occasions — each time trying to figure out when I could shoot HUMBUL.
As awesome as HUMBUL is, shooting it alone would feel pretty hollow without Mad Mike in the driver seat burning through tires. So it was agreed that we would meet up at Ebisu Circuit for Formula D Japan Round 2, the same round Mad Mike won at last season. And that day finally arrived.
I woke up early and caught the first train and bus to get to Ebisu Circuit as early as possible. Ebisu Circuit is made up of seven circuits; Formula D is run on the West Course. The West Course is a bit more forgiving than the Drift Stadium in that there is no wall waiting for the drivers. It also has a higher speed entry followed by a downhill into the final turn. The entry presents the greatest challenge because it is not a sweeper but more of a long straight that slightly bends leading into the first turn.
After checking in, I made my way through the paddock. There waiting, with a smile, was Mr. Kawato, who immediately introduced me to the "Mad" man himself. After we made our introductions, it felt as if I had been admitted into an exclusive club.
Mad Mike was very welcoming, as was everyone on his team — and it was a big team. There were four mechanics, including Mr. Kawato, six Red Bull media team members that pretty much travel with Mad Mike everywhere; then throw in the spotter, myself and all of the fans crowding around. It's easy to say that Mad Mike's stall was the most crowded place on the track.
UnstoppaBUL Practice
Hands were shaken, fists were bumped. It was finally time to take it to the track. Practice commenced fairly early, and it appeared everything was running smoothly for Mad Mike and HUMBUL. The modest (and I use that word lightly) four-rotor twin-turbo setup that powered HUMBUL was not only the loudest, but also the fastest. Mad Mike was able to make a reverse entry off the long straight look easy. Everyone on his team was confident.
UnpredictaBUL Qualifying
As Mad Mike was in line to qualify, the sky began to darken, and unfortunately it started raining. This meant that any oils on the track were just being brought to the surface and not yet washed away. The slick surface was too much, causing the HUMBUL to spin on the entry and resulting in a score of zero in Mad Mike's first run; thus putting all the pressure on his second run. Most of the drivers had either completed their first qualifying run in the dry or at least were better off in the wet, because eventually, there was enough rain to clear the oils that had surfaced.
After a brief intermission, the drivers returned to the track to improve their score only to find that the rain was still falling, now harder and with strong gusts of wind. Part of the track even saw standing water. It was definitely a challenge no one saw coming, but Mike knew he could overcome because he knew he could get a better grip this run compared to his earlier one.
Mad Mike was able to take the HUMBUL through the rain with no issues. The scores came in, and the relief was huge as he rose to the challenge to get into the Top 32. He was immediately greeted in his garage with numerous high-fives and big hug from the chief himself.
The weather and track did not leave the HUMBUL unscathed. External damage included both sides of the rear spoiler were destroyed, and the rear RE Amemiya rear bumper diffuser went missing. Fortunately, the engine and suspension had no issues, meaning the team just had to do a bit of cleanup in order to prepare for the next day.
Be HUMBUL, Version 2
With the competition portion of the day done for now, I was able to spend a little time looking at the HUMBUL, Version 2. The only major difference was that visuals with the matte black were being replaced with a navy camo and white sponsor theme designed by Mike's wife, Toni. This new version of HUMBUL was much brighter and more in line with Red Bull's traditional livery.
Mr. Kawato not only provides the four-rotor engine, the front knuckles and pillow mounts, but also the aggressive TCP Magic G-Face wide body kit. The kit includes carbon doors and rear hatch to reduce as much weight as possible with additional carbon pieces throughout, including the hood and rear RE Amemiya bumper diffuser.
A Rocket Bunny rear spoiler round off the aero enhancements that all help to keep the HUMBUL planted, which at 1,000 horsepower, can be challenging at times. TCP Magic DG-5 suspension along with Rays Graham Lights 57Xtremes wrapped in Nitto Tire NT05s round out the footwork.
IncrediBUL Top 32
The following day started out in dramatic contrast to the previous, with a sunny sky and warm temperatures. Although the weather was much better, it didn't mean that the day wouldn't throw more challenges at our guy once again.
Due to the poor weather during qualifying, Mad Mike qualified 17th and would face fellow Mazda RX-7 driver Junji Yamamoto in a rotary versus rotary battle — a great way to start the day. Mad Mike chased in the first run, staying close to Yamamoto throughout all the sections. While the run was smooth, it was at this point that news came that there was an issue of a broken throttle cable.
The team managed to rig up the cable enough to allow Mad Mike, with some creative driving, to continue the battle with Yamamoto. Now in the lead position, both rotaries were screaming around the course, but HUMBUL was louder than usual. The broken throttle cable meant the RX-7 was raging with the throttle stuck open and the car pegged on the rev limiter. Everyone could hear the loud shotgun-like sounds as Mad Mike regulated speed through his clutch work. The loudest battle of the day was followed with an eerie silence. Then came the announcement: "Mad Mike takes the win!"
UnbelievaBUL Top 16 Battle
Although Mad Mike made it through to the Top 16, his qualifying position meant he would be facing Andrew Gray next, the reigning Formula D Japan Champion. As the two warmed up, the signature sound of the four-rotor signaled the battle was about to start, but little did everyone know how intense of a battle it would turn out to be.
With Gray in the lead position, Mad Mike was very aggressive, pushing hard to stay on the rear quarter of Gray's JZX100. It was a great run for both drivers; any small mistake in the next run would be a costly one.
Swapping positions, Mad Mike entered at a blistering speed with Gray some distance behind. We were pretty confident that Mad Mike had done just enough to pull off the upset, but the judges took a long time to finally make their announcement: "One More Time!"
One More Time
It was not the announcement we were expecting, but it wasn't one to complain about, especially by the fans.
Again, Gray took the lead position, and again Mad Mike stuck the HUMBUL directly on Gray's tail. This time, however, Gray kept the gap between them much shorter and improved on the first follow run. What would the judges decide this time?
"One More Time!"
One More Time x2
Two "One More Times" are rare but not unheard of, and we can agree that the second set of runs were much closer than the first. Besides, the crowd was loving it.
There must have been a glitch in the Matrix, because the second "One More Time" was almost identical to the previous — so identical that the judges came to the same conclusion, announcing yet another "One More Time!"
One More Time x3
Three one more times. I could not think of any other instance where there were so many.
Now it had become a battle of nerves to see who would blink first. Both drivers charged hard into the sweeper with Mad Mike again showing his aggressive style hot on Gray's heal through the down-hill section. It was at this turn that Mad Mike got a little too close and made door-to-door contact.
Not knowing how the judges would interpret to contact, everyone was hoping for the best as Mad Mike took the lead position for the next pass. Like the runs before, HUMBUL seemed to outpace the JZX100, and now it was just waiting to hear if their would be another one more time.
There was not, and the judges declared Andrew Gray the winner.
ForeseeaBUL Future
After such a hard fought battle, it would be understandable for anyone to be disappointed, even upset. Despite the result on the scoreboard, everyone knew Mad Mike and the team had given it their all. All the applause for the fan favorite spoke for itself: This was clearly the battle of the day. The judges gave a consolatory explanation for their decision, and not dwelling on the negatives, Mad Mike quickly moved on to focus on Round 3 at Fuji Speedway.
Before this event, I only knew of Mad Mike through the media's eye. Although his builds are "Mad," and many would consider him pretty crazy, he came off modest and humble the entire time. He welcomed me into his life and allowed me to stick a camera in his face and follow him around for two days.
There were plenty of fans that came just to meet Mad Mike. One standout fan is Sato Yoshimi, who has made an RC replica of every "BUL" Mike has ever driven in competition. If you didn't know, Mad Mike loves RC just as much as he loves rotary engines.
A special thanks to Mr. Kawato for being patient as we worked out where and when to meet and his crew: Ryo, Tsushi and Okuno. Also, a special thanks to "Mad" Mike's media team and Red Bull New Zealand for allowing me to shoot along with you.
After a tough weekend of competition, how do you think Mike relaxes? He heads to the mountains.
