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February 06, 2024 3 min read

We are happy to announce another new driver to our team for 2023 - drifter, Paul Austin from South Australia.

With a wealth of experience and a very well built sileighty, Paul loves getting onto his competitors doors is set to take the drifting world by storm. 

"Go Hard. Enjoy."

Paul and his car

At 38 years old, Paul has been drifting for over a decade and has established himself as a formidable competitor in the South Australian drift scene. His Sil80 is a true beast on the track, boasting a 400kw rb25 with a forged bottom end using Nitto and CP parts. Paired with a Garrett G30-770 turbo, a ThirdStrike manifold, and a Turbosmart 50mm gate, providing impressive power, response and boost conotrol.

The Autronic ECU and IQ3 dash give Paul precise control over his vehicle's performance, while the Garage 7 tune ensures that it runs at its absolute best.

Driveline wise, a 370z CD009 6-speed gearbox with an ATS Carbon Twinplate and Nismo 2-way diff provide smooth and reliable shifting and power to the rear wheels, enabling Paul to effortlessly navigate even the most challenging of tracks and allowing him to rub doors with anyone.

With his incredible talent, experience and vehicle, Aussie is poised to further embed his name into the drift scene Australia wide.

Hardtuned is proud to be supporting him on this journey, and we look forward to seeing him push the limits and achieve new heights of success.

Stay tuned to the Hardtuned community for updates on Paul's progress and to keep up with the latest news and events in the world of drifting.



An insight into Aussie's life

Here at Hardtuned, we love to get to know our athletes on a personal level - so we thought we would dive a little deeper and find out some interesting facts about Aussie!


How / What made you get into motorsport?

As a child, my interest in motorsport actually begun with F1 believe it or not. It is really good to see how much this sport has taken off over the years. 


What was your first race car?

My first race car another, much more tame Nissan Sil80.


What is your favourite Circuit?

A tough choice for me, I would have to put this down to a tie between my local track, The Bend in SA & the famous Ebisu circuit in Japan!


Is there any drivers you look up to (and why)?

There are a few actually! Ayrton Senna (so aggressive but masterful), Naoki Nakamura (aggressive steering), Daigo Saito (aggressive throttle) 


Most memorable Battle?

This is a good one! It would have to be my battle vs Scott Miller, Top 4 battle in Round 4, 2022 Drifting SA Series. It actually won battle of the year. It was very hard for the judges to choose a winner.


What have been the highlights of your career?

An unforgettable adventure of my driving career is definitely going to Japan! Driving drift cars on the street all around Japan (literally) and drifting at some of their most iconic circuits, ending with a big weekend at Ebisu Circuit. 


Favourite Driving Technique?

Aggressive yet calculated in every aspect, although like anything you can only calculate so much! Things can change in an instant, so I really need to be on the ball.


Hobbies outside of racing?

I love Music and Astrophotography outside of racing.


Favourite Food?

Anything Italian goes down a treat!


Favourite Drink?

I'm Australian, so it has to be a nice cold beer!
 

Your Dream Street Car?

McLaren P1 would be the ultimate dream for me.


Any Driving Tips you can give us?

I am a firm believe in you are as good as the people you surround yourself with, so you should always be pushing yourself but not beyond your limits. Chase people better than you, ask questions and learn as you go! There is no replacement for seat time.


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