On top of capturing all the best bits of Gatebil’s Main Event 2024 at Rudskogen Motorsenter in NorwayI had another goal this year: to drive a professional drift machine.
Asking a random stranger if I can be a passenger is something I am bad at. But then I remembered – I have plenty of friends who ride for Gatebil. I can ask anyone.
While Saturday’s drift sessions were in full swing, I positioned myself at That famous drift initiation spot on the Rudskogen straight to pick out a car.
I say this every year, but standing in this spot, with only a thin metal barrier to protect you from drift cars approaching at over 200 km/h, is exhilarating. It didn’t take long for me to decide which driver I wanted to ride with.
See Olav Haugen HasdalThe Mercedes-Benz A-Class, powered by a BMW twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 700 hp.
I watched Olav compete at Gatebil events for a few years and he was happy to help make my dream of working as a drift passenger come true. I said goodbye to the life I once knew and we hit the track.
It didn’t take long for Olav to catch up with the group. We quickly switched to full tandem mode, with drivers Odd-Helge Helstad in his 2JZ S14.5 leading the way, followed by Max Vonka in his ex-D1 Grand Prix Nissan Silvia S15 and Max’s brother Ludvik Vonka in his grassroots S15.
After a few twists and turns of the S-chassis trio, I began to understand why people dedicate their lives to this sport. Nothing compares to the feeling of g-forces pushing you back into your seat as the front of the car takes a direction you’re not used to.
Before I could think about it further, we emerged from Paris Corner together and headed towards the Rudskogen straight.
I tried to take a picture of the speedometer, which read 210 km/h before Olav headed for the steel barrier and threw his Mercedes backwards into the first corner. All I could do was clamp my camera between my legs and hope for the best.
Eventually Ludvik caught up with us and we rode the remaining laps in the same manner.
Completely bewildered by what I had just witnessed, all I could do as we drove to the pits was shout the word “crazy” in Swedish, over and over again. After thanking Olav for the passenger ride of a lifetime, I took off the racing suit I had borrowed – which was surprisingly dry – and tried to make sense of the experience.
It took a while for my adrenaline-fueled body to calm down. Walking around the paddock and chatting with some other Icelanders helped.
Once the heat subsides in the latter part of the day, Gatebil’s Show Garden is always worth a visit. Here, show cars from all over Scandinavia fill the karting track below the main circuit.
German car brands seem to dominate this side of the Gatebil, with one clear favorite among owners: BMW. This M240i on RAYS Volk Racing TE37s was a standout for me.
And because it’s Scandinavia, there is of course also love for Volvo.
The same goes for Japanese cars, even though entry-level prices for models like this standard European Mazda RX-7 are now stratospheric.
Fortunately, there are still people willing to adapt them, and I fully support that.
One of Gatebil’s most iconic sub-events is the Knitting drawers, or power-slide competition. This year, over 130 drivers lined up for the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon, which you might be surprised to hear wasn’t a record number. However, it did make for a long and exciting competition.
Unlike Super 3, where teams of three drivers drive as close together as possible, Knitting drawers is about individuals achieving the best slide while maintaining angle and speed. But this year the rain created a slightly different dynamic where car control became paramount.
Some drivers turned the Knitting drawers into a spectacle. Lower speeds allowed for impressive maneuvers, such as one-handed drifting. I even saw a driver remove his steering wheel and wave while to conduct.
The situation became even more dire when water remained on the track. Even the Audis struggled with their famous four-wheel drive drifts.
That didn’t stop the drivers from enjoying themselves though. When the last cars started their qualifying laps I called it a day; the rain was pouring down.
When I woke up the next morning for the final day of the event, the weather had not improved. The rain had set in full force and everyone had resigned themselves to the fact that the Knitting drawers The final was to be played in the rain.
Although I don’t want to sound overly negative, it was a sad sight. The stands were almost empty and the hype was almost gone. Until I spotted the Norwegian madman Morten Lyngøy. You have more chance of winning the lottery than seeing this man without a smile on his face.
The drivers were lined up, the tires had warmed up a bit and for me it was time to enjoy the last moments during Gatebil’s 2024 Main Event.
The top three – Morten Lyngøy in 3rd place, Ole Morten Davanger in 2nd place and Odd-Helge Helstad in 1st place – had no problems with the wet track.
I had my doubts about the last Gatebil Extreme race. But I wasn’t surprised when the thirty-something cars roared past with watercock tails in tow.
With so much water and horsepower together, off-track excursions were expected. Fortunately, there were no major incidents.
Mads Siljehaug took the win again, claiming first place ahead of Mr. Gatebil Extreme himself, Kai Roger Bakken.
It’s always a strange feeling to see the last track group receive their awards. It’s almost time to pack your bags and go home.
The six-hour drive back to Stockholm, Sweden gave me time to reflect on the best Scandinavian event on the summer calendar. As always, Gatebil’s Main Event was a success – even with the terrible weather this time around. I have more to share from the event, so stay tuned.
Next year Gatebil is heading to Germany, with a new event at Circuit Meppen in Lower Saxony. I really can’t wait to show the Germans how Scandinavians party, Gatebil style. Let’s go!
Alen Haseta
Instagram: hazeta