Amanzimtoti drifting ace is revving for next year’s competition

With the build of her own car almost complete, drifting ace Melissa Nell, 23, cannot wait to start bellowing smoke next season. Her and her father, David Nell, himself a drifting legend, are suping up a Nissan 200SX S13 body that will be powered by a 2JZ Toyota Supra engine and GT 35 turbo.

“My father has build the engine and he is doing the wiring. I put in the suspension, fitted the race seats as well as the hydraulic handbrake and I painted some of the parts that we installed. I love being part of the process and don’t mind getting my hands dirty.

The Covid-19 lockdown was a setback in terms of the timeline, as the entire racing season for 2020 was cancelled. Hopefully the car will be ready by February for me to get in some practice and seat time before the racing season for 2021 starts. It is 90% complete – we just need to complete the wiring, put the propshaft in and have it dyno’d. It has cost a lot to build. My father worked on the car as a project over time and bought parts as and when he had extra money.

“He doubles as my mechanic on race days, as he is an all-rounder. As he built the car and used to drift himself, he knows how to identify a problem on race day straight away. He is a race engineer for a team called Capricorn Racing. They have two cars, which he built and oversees and then mine, so on race day he looks after all three of us. He also knows how to read the track lines and the other competitors, and advise us accordingly, which helps tremendously. Without him, nothing would be possible.”

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Melissa started drifting the first time David put her behind the steering of his 1000bhp car, at the tender age of 14. “It runs in my blood. I grew up next to the track, as my father has been drifting since 2007. He is my inspiration, because he was one of the pioneers who started the sport in South Africa at the Rock Raceway in Johannesburg. I love the adrenaline rush from the car being sideways and the sound of the powerful motor in your ears.”

Next year she will be in action in a series, which attract drivers from all over the country as well as Mozambique. “I might also enter the SupaDrift events at Dezzi Raceway in Port Shepstone. This will be my first full year of competing and I am very excited. I’ve done smaller events in my dad’s car when I was younger, but I never did a full series. I’ve competed in events at Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, Carnival City and Wild Coast Sun, but when I did the SupaDrift event at Carnival City in 2018 and came second, my dad decided I needed my own car to start competing in a full series.”

At the Rock Raceway all the drivers qualify together and depending on their score and the number of drivers, get divided into groups to compete for a gold and silver cup. The qualifying round is to see who you are going up against in the tandem runs. Drivers then tandem against their opponent to move up the ladder if they eliminate them.

“I’m hoping to compete in the gold cup from the word go. I’ll work hard and do my best, as I have big shoes to fill following in my father’s footsteps. I want to make him proud. However, I am confident that with his coaching and guidance, I’ll be competitive. The car he has built for me is drift ready in terms of the setup, which also helps a lot. Practice makes perfect and I am willing to put in the hours. However, I am humble and appreciative to be able to compete.”

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As soon as Covid-19 regulations are relaxed to allow spectators to attend sporting events, racing will get underway at the Rock Raceway. Hopefully drivers will get to enjoy a full season, starting early next year. There are usually nine events in the year to make up the championship. Race weekends will be split between the Rock Raceway and Dezzi Raceway, which is her favourite track. There usually is prize money after each event, but with the current economic situation due to the pandemic, she is not sure if that will be on offer next season.

At each event, drivers can go through about six sets of tyres, which includes practice as well. David and her were hoping to have her car ready for a practice day at Dezzi in November, but failed to make it. “I had mixed feelings when it wasn’t ready. As much as I would have loved to drift, I understand the time, effort and money that goes into getting a car track ready from scratch.

Asked what makes a good drifter, Melissa replied: “Passion. Being hands on and being able to read the track and track lines as well as your competitors. Being a woman doesn’t give me an edge over the men, as everyone is judged by the same criteria. If you have the talent and passion, and are willing to listen to mentors and work hard, it puts you on the same level as the men. Over the years there were a couple of women who started the sport, but only competed in a few races. I do not know if there will be any women competing next year.

“I definitely hope to encourage other girls to try it when they see me, because drifting is a very fun sport to do. But it is not for the faint-hearted. It takes a lot of someone to do something this extreme. During the last event I did at Carnival City, my entry speed was between 115 and 120kph and then I had to pull up the handbrake with a concrete barrier right in front of the initiation point.

“The hardest part of the sport is getting sponsors and funding to be able to race. Also getting the car ready for race days when it’s racing season. I have a very competitive mindset, so getting competition-ready is not difficult for me. From a young age, I have competed in all kinds of sport and getting myself focused on the task at hand was never difficult. As soon as the car is 100% ready, I will start approaching possible sponsors.”

Follow Melissa on Instagram @melissa_nell_1997 and Facebook ‘Melissa Nell’, where she has posted some content of the build of the car and what they have been doing to it.

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