Mad Mike Whiddett emerged victorious in Red Bull’s Rural Rumble, a unique three-discipline event featuring Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson and NASCAR racer Shane van Gisbergen. The New Zealand trio competed on a remote farm in a ProLite truck time trial, drift target test, and lawnmower race. Lawson excelled in the drift segment but finished last overall.
Red Bull’s Rural Rumble brought together Liam Lawson, Shane van Gisbergen, and Formula Drift star Mad Mike Whiddett for a points-based competition on a remote New Zealand farm. The event combined a ProLite stadium truck time trial, a drift target test, and a four-lap lawnmower race, testing the drivers' adaptability beyond their usual racing disciplines.
In the opening ProLite time trial, Whiddett set the initial pace in his 400-horsepower truck. Lawson recorded the quicker lap time but incurred a five-second penalty for missing the jump target. Van Gisbergen delivered the cleanest run, stopping the clock at 59.06 seconds while hitting the target to earn the maximum 75 points and place first after the first round, leaving Lawson in third.
The drift segment shifted momentum toward Lawson. Whiddett hit five of six hanging targets, applying pressure on his rivals. Van Gisbergen struggled, failing to hit any targets after stopping a spin early. Going last, Lawson struck all six targets to win the session and close the gap in the overall standings.
The finale, a four-lap lawnmower race, decided the winner. Van Gisbergen initially held track position, but Whiddett and Lawson used the joker lane early to overtake him. Van Gisbergen responded with his own joker, briefly lunging ahead, but a mistake allowed Whiddett to reclaim the lead and secure the overall victory. Lawson, struggling to stay on the lawnmower, finished last.
Lawson, known for his precision in open-wheel racing, returns to his 2026 Formula 1 campaign with Racing Bulls. Van Gisbergen continues his NASCAR Cup Series program with Trackhouse Racing.
