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 Saxon!

How / What made you get into motorsport?

When I was around 11 years old, my neighbour at the time did karting. We used to ride quad bikes together every afternoon after school for years and I would see his kart and I convinced my parents to get me one. Probably the worst financial idea they ever made but hey, it’s definitely been a crazy ride! 

What was your first race car?

First race car of mine after finishing up karting was an old BMW E36 318IS, my dad and I built this car and only did handling/safety modifications too it. I did local Super Sprints and Hill Climbs in the car and it taught me how to get the most out of a car, be smooth, consistent and keep my momentum up as it had no power. 

What is your favourite Circuit?

For drifting, it would have to be Eastern Creek down in Sydney. The amount of speed you carry while drifting is unmatched to any other track I’ve driven on in Australia and the quality of the track is amazing. From the actual track condition, grass, lights, cafetière, buildings and even the toilets are a great example for any race track. 

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

Naoki Nakamura, since I was about 12 years old, I used to watch tons and tons of videos from Japan, mainly off Naoki. I loved to study the art of drifting and learn all the different driving styles and car styles. Naoki’s driving style is so aggressive and unique, he makes it work in any power level too. Would love to drive with him one day. 

Most memorable Battle?

Top 32 Battle in the Australiasian Drift Titles where my tyre came off but I continued to drift and hit all the clipping points/filled zones for the rest of the run. Was such a weird feeling but I just stayed in it and hoped I could get a 5 minute call to get my wheel changed. Unfortunately as they were very short for time, we couldn’t get back out there as they wouldn’t let us do a 5 minute call. 

What have been the highlights of your career?

There has been a lot of highlights but something that I think I’ll remember forever is winning DriftMasters back in 2021. I drove in ProAm in my basic 180SX seat time car and it was my first ever drift comp. The day nearly finished off early when my diff exploded in practice and we would’ve missed out for qualifying but then Paul from DriftHQ Australia stepped in and let me use his car for qualifying. I didn’t even know how to start the car, let alone drift it but I made it work and qualified for the event. Then slowly going through the battle tree was such a wild feeling and then actually winning in my own car! I believe if I didn’t win this event, I wouldn’t be here today. 

Favourite Driving Technique?

Aggresive but smooth? It’s hard to put into words,but I love being super aggressive to my angle and snap to peoples doors. Timing my transitions and really pushing the lead driver. When leading, I try to get a mix of aggressive and smoothness depending on the judging criteria for the event. Being consistent is also one of my major strengths. 

Hobbies outside of racing?

I love to help people and see them achieve their goals. I work in the disability/troubled kids scene outside of cars and getting these kids life back on track or getting them more independent is something I love to see. 

Favourite Food?

Ramen, hands down, no over words needed. 

Favourite Drink?

I really don’t know how to answer this one strangely enough, I don’t think I have a favourite, it depends on the situation/time.
 

Your Dream Street Car?

Being able to drive my comp car on the street and not worry about police. 

Any Driving Tips you can give us?

If you’re just starting out, seat time is the best thing you can do. Just get as much as you can. Then once you know what you are doing, watch as many videos or read as much on drifting from all around the world. Every country has a different driving style! Start to make up a catalog in your mind so when you’re out on track you can try to implement and master these techniques. 

Another one is style, make sure you do what you love and not what everyone else does. Be different and unique. Style in my opinion is a huge factor in drifting, from the way you drive to how the way your car looks. Again, watch videos/read articles from all around the world from all the different times.