FANGA DAN
It was the early 2000s when drifting started to make its presence felt in New Zealand. As it transitioned from underground to professional, New Zealand’s first drift team, Driftcorp was formed. And a young Dan Woolhouse was part of it.
Cars were already in Dan’s DNA. Spending time in his father’s caryard washing and prepping cars, he was surrounded by iconic Japanese vehicles synonymous with early drift culture - Nissan Skylines, Cefiros, Toyota Supras and Mazda RX7s to name a few.
Driftcorp was an instant success, and so was Dan. He entered his first full season in 2005 driving a Nissan Laurel C33 in the D1NZ National Drifting Championship, finishing 3rd overall in his rookie year.
Earning the nickname "Fanga", he moved to a purpose-built Nissan S15 Silvia, winning the 2006 D1NZ Championship in his second year of full competition, also becoming the third Driftcorp driver to win a national title. In 2010, Fanga Dan represented New Zealand in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. More international events followed, including the 2012 World Time Attack Challenge in Sydney.
2013 was a big year for Fanga Dan. His weapon of choice changed from 4-cylinder competition Nissan power to a V8 Commodore. There was another major change: Castrol EDGE became his naming rights sponsor, and the backing, combined with Castrol EDGE 25W-50 in the vehicle’s engine - helped him become the 2013 New Zealand Drift Champion.
In late 2017 Dan and the FDC Motorsport Team embarked on a new challenge, with the first ever Ford Mustang RTR to competitive drifting in the Southern Hemisphere. The USA-Built 900bhp Roush-Yates V8 powered Ford Mustang RTR Spec-5D is an awesome machine, relying on Castrol EDGE 0W-40 to keep things moving. Getting the most from it was a steep learning curve, but it’s a major crowd-pleaser wherever Dan appears. Competitive, too.
The spectacular Mustang RTR took Dan Woolhouse to 3rd equal for the overall 2021 and the 1st place for the overall 2022 D1NZ Drifting Championship… and there’s plenty more to come from car and driver.
