On the heels of his recent victory, National Red Bull Car Park Drift (CPD) Champion Nicholas
‘Tazz’ Barnes has already set his sights on plans to wow spectators as he competes for the Global Drift King title in at upcoming CPD finals in Saudi Arabia.

The 23-year-old Montegonian, who was crowned national champion after battling 19 of the island’s finest
drifters last Saturday, displayed a range of skill, precision and talent, at the competition’s Western Hemisphere debut in Jamaica.

Among the youngest in the competition, Barnes, who amassed 805 points out of 900, shared, for Our Today, his take on the culture of drifting in Jamaica, his background in the world of motorsports, as well as the history spectators would come to witness.

How long have you been drifting?

Nine years

Describe how you first got into motor sports and drifting, specifically.

With my father as a retired racer and growing up in a racing household, I was automatically induced into the racing world. It thus piqued my interest from a very early age and I began my racing career via go-karting and worked my way to my older years into drifting by being around influential persons such as Mr Cleve Ottey.

Rate your support from friends and family.

My friends and family go beyond any quantifiable description. I consider myself highly fortunate to have this strong of a support system.

If you could meet the drifter you admire most, who would it be and what would you say?

Ken Block is someone I’d say. I’ve enjoyed watching him and I admire his skills.

What’s your favourite thing about drifting?

Being one with my car and the adrenaline rush it brings takes me to my ultimate comfort level.

What are you looking forward to the most from the competition?

We compete to win and, if I do excel at winning this competition, it would be a great honour to represent Jamaica on an international platform, especially based on the nature of the event. And this would also highlight how many well rounded talents hail from Jamaica.

If you could use three words to describe your drifting style, what would they be?

Confident, tenacious, versatile.

Describe the current culture of drifting and motorsports in Jamaica? What do you hope to see in the future?

In my opinion, Jamaicans love the motorsport world. More recognition could be drawn to the industry, as many persons are still unaware of events and persons associated with it. It would be good to see more rewards and personal beneficial stagings in the future in this industry, both locally and internationally.

Give us an idea of what we can expect from you whenever you take the obstacle course.

Expect an entertaining show. At the end of the day, while it is a competition, I highly enjoy what I do and pleasing the patrons. There is a lot of appreciation for the people coming out show after show, so I give thanks for them and want them to feel satisfied with their time spent.