Who is the best New Zealander on four wheels? It’s a question that Red Bull wanted to answer and managed to bring together F1 racer Liam Lawson, NASCAR phenomenon Shane Van Gisbergen and drifting legend Mad Mike Whiddett for a showdown to answer that question once and for all. In a three-round competition that tests precision and speed, the trio gives everything. The whole thing culminates in a three-way lawnmower race for ultimate speed supremacy. This one is for all mahbles.
It’s things like this that really set Red Bull apart from the rest of the industry. Is there another motorsports sponsor that organizes these types of once-in-a-lifetime athlete battles for the enjoyment of the fans? There are thousands of companies involved in modern motorsport, but no one is moving into the cross-platform and multi-disciplinary intersection like Red Bull. The company reported about $14.3 billion in revenue in 2025, which is about a quarter of what Coca-Cola does, but you don’t see Coca Cola sponsoring drivers in virtually every form of racing and extreme sports out there. Come on, big soda companies, do more exciting things like this. Are you really going to let a small energy drink company walk all over you?
Every motorsport enthusiast should stop what they are doing and watch this race. These Antipodean helmsmen are revered as some of the best in the business. Liam Lawson races for the Red Bull junior team Racing Bulls in Formula 1, Shane Van Gisbergen is a three-time Aussie Supercars champion who recently moved to NASCAR as a track racer and won five races for the Trackhouse team last year, and Mad Mike is perhaps the most prolific tire shredder on the internet.
The best of the best
Van Gisbergen had the best performance overall, but a few minor mistakes prevented him from winning the event title outright. He was clearly the fastest in the trophy truck, despite the truck itself being built by Whiddett and his team, who had a celebrity advantage. Spinning out before hitting any of the targets in the second round really crippled his championship fight. He also had the better of Whiddett on the lawnmowers, but a foray off the track ended his hopes.
Mad Mike, meanwhile, was the perfect picture of consistency across the three events. He really played the Red Bull points system to his advantage and finished with two silver medals and gold in the lawnmower event. Just sitting back and putting up solid numbers on the board got him the win he wanted. Would I like it if these guys stage a rematch where each driver brings their own race car to the party? Absolute. How would SVG do in an F1 car? How would Mad Mike handle a NASCAR Cup road course event? Can Liam even drift? Red Bull – please let’s organize a rematch.
#loudest #Kiwi #racers #drive #lawnmowers #Jalopnik