A BMW that Made the Trek from Australia to Michigan to Satisfy an Owner’s Drifting Dream Will Attend Sick Powerfest
The automotive hobby is alive and well is not just North America, but several other countries as well. Australia can claim responsibility for burnout competitions being a big step ahead of just a “sit and spin” mentality, and that style to use the “entire burnout pad” has carried to other areas of the world to use.
However, drifting is not as big in Australia, and a family made the move to the United States to pursue the dream of drifting.
For Brendon Greaves, pushing cars to their limits almost landed him behind bars. “Australia has very strict road laws, and Brendon got caught multiple times for reckless driving,” his wife Amy said. “He was told if he got caught doing it again, he would go to jail.”
After that, Brendon decided to keep the showing off on a closed track, venturing to a burnout competition. When he got there, he learned of another opportunity to have fun without fear of police issues. “They told him he could also enter the drifting competition for an extra ten dollars,” said Amy. “He had never heard of drifting.”
Brendon decided since the drifting was first in the event schedule, and it gave him a little more track time, why not jump in? “He was not in something he could drift easily,” said Amy, referring to the 1984 Holden Brendon was wheeling at the time. But it made an impression, and Brendon started to pay attention to drifting more.
Summit Racing Equipment Sick Powerfest Presented by M1 Concourse comes to Pontiac, Michigan this Friday - August 11, 2023! For more information, click HERE!
Amy and Brendon met through a performance shop they both used in Australia, and after being friends for a while, the move to a relationship happened.
Amy had participated in drag racing, but “I knew nothing about drifting until he showed me,” she said. “Drifting isn’t as big in Australia as burnout competitions are. But once Brendon showed me drifting, I was hooked.”
Knowing the possibilities for drifting were minimal, the couple decided to make the jump to the US to allow Brendon to pursue his dream.
“We moved to Michigan in 2021, and we’re here to focus on drifting,” Amy said, noting they would’ve made the move earlier, but Covid delayed them by a good year. “We knew we’d need a couple years to get set up here, and get a car to the level he needs to run Formula D drifting,” said Amy.
Amy wasn’t the only one join Brendon in the move to Michigan, as they brought a 2011 BMW M3 as well. “We bought it as a stripped car in Australia,” said Amy. “Up until recently it had a RHS block-based 7-liter LS engine with twin 76-millimeter Borg-Warner turbochargers.”
When that engine checked out recently, the back-up plan produced a 6-liter LS engine that is ready to rock at Summit Sick Powerfest Presented by M1 Concourse.
Although Brendon’s move to Michigan came with a job, he is planning to try and advance his drifting prowess in the Pro Spec drifting class. “We’ll planning to do Pro Spec in 2024, but waiting on a couple things, including rulings on right-hand drive cars,” said Amy, as their BMW is a right-hand drive car.
Pro Spec currently has 4 national events throughout the United States, and although Amy has no plans to run a drift car herself, she has a lot of respect for those that can master the art. “The ability to be precise when drifting, especially during tandem to be right next to your partner, while not touching, is insane,” said Amy. “I think it’s amazing, but a little nuts as well.”
The Summit Sick Powerfest Presented by M1 Concourse is a huge 1-day event coming to Pontiac, Michigan this Friday, August 11th, 2023!
Massive amounts of smoke will come from the burnout competition, as well as the style and engine-screaming sounds of the drifting competition, with $5000 on the line for each!
PLUS, a super-sized Car Corral, nitro-breathing cackle cars, Powerwheels, and RC Drag Racing, it’s a full day of fun you won’t want to miss!
Want to participate, or come out to watch all the action? All the information on Summit Sick Powerfest is available HERE!
Spectators: you can get special $10 general admission tickets thanks to Summit Racing! Use the discount code summitracing when you pre-purchase tickets HERE!
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Brendon and Amy Greaves.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com