be_ixf;ym_202305 d_30; ct_50

MENU

CLOSE

CLOSE
Type to SearchType to Search
CLEAR SEARCHCLEAR SEARCH
SEARCH
A-Z NEW-OLD
CLOSE
Saturday and Sunday images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016
NEWS

The ultimate track day: Gatebil Rudskogen 2016

Jul 112016

We’re pretty confident in saying that Gatebil Rudskogen is easily a contender for the world’s best track day event. Between the insane amount of seat time, and the off-the-charts builds; if you haven’t made the automotive pilgrimage to the simply epic Rudskogen Motorsenter in Norway in early July, then you are missing out.

Known simply as Gatebil (Norwegian for hot rod or streetcar), what started out with a few friends pooling their cash and renting the circuit to enjoy a weekend of tyre-slaying, BBQs and sunshine, has grown into a tyre smoke filled weekender that pulls in 35,000 people from all over the globe.

Fans can rub shoulders with drivers and teams from drift, rallycross, grip and time attack. What’s more, the no limits ethos means boosted pro-spec Japanese metal shares the blacktop with hulking and winged V8s, as well as 1000bhp home build sleepers; forming snaking drift trains unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

When the sun goes down, the action doesn’t lean off either. While the cars are parked and the tools cleared away, the speakers are cranked up on the awesome AfterTrack stage.

Saturday and Sunday images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016
To add to the action this season, we hosted an awesome lineup of global athletes to the pit compound, including Steven Baggsy Biagioni , Dmitriy Illyuk, Jason Webb, Luke Woodham, Liam Doran, Fail Crew’s Max Tvardovsky and fresh signing Rick Van Goethem.

Not to mention double 2016 World RX winner  Andreas Bakkerud, who was in the paddock for part of the weekend getting to grips with his temporary new ride – a NTCC class Mustang Touring Car.

 

--
This year we also introduced a new format of competition to the event – The team based Super Three playoff – and brought the noise at the Monster Energy After Track festival-style stage. Don’t just take our word for it though, check out the epic photos from the weekend, and read what athletes themselves had to say…
Friday images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016
Andreas Bakkerud: “Rudskogen is like the national Formula One track for Norwegians – similar to Silverstone in the UK. It’s the oldest and one of the best in Norway. I’ve never been able to have the chance to drive fast around it properly before, but always wanted to – so it was great to head out there and properly experience the amazing circuit. My main aim was to get more kilometers behind the steering wheel – I did 85 laps over the weekend – which is more than I would get to drive in half a season of World RX! It was fantastic to try a new style of racing. I had old tyres on in the main race and by the finish I was only one second behind the fastest driver. I’m driving three events in the NTCC championship – starting with a city race in Copenhagen on the 30/31 July. It’s always fantastic to see everyone at Gatebil too, the event attracts so many different fans and types of cars, it’s one to check out if you have never been.”
Saturday and Sunday images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016
Baggsy: “It’s been a great weekend, even though I haven’t been driving! Earlier in the year I had the opportunity to head out to South Africa again to an event called Drift City in Johannesburg. Since then we have been talking to Jason Webb coming over to Europe, and Gatebil seemed like the perfect opportunity for him. He’s got a lot of laps in this weekend, had a lot of fun, and impressed a lot of people. The funny thing about Jason being a good driver and using my car here, is that quite a few people have been coming up to me saying I’m driving well (thinking it was me)! He’s looked after the car well and fitted into the team, which is fantastic. This is my third Gatebil now and it gets more interesting every year. I would have loved to be driving, but all the same it’s been a super fun time and even off track it’s all part of the attraction that is Gatebil.”
Saturday and Sunday atmosphere images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016
Buttsy Butler: “It’s been an incredible three days at Gatebil – as it always is. I cant think of any other festival that has this level of cars as well as the time on track, and the great atmosphere in the paddock. I was gutted to not be driving this year, it was great tocheck out all the other athletes ripping it up on track. I was lucky enough to be on stage during the AfterTrack party too – seeing 35,000 people having a good time was just fantastic, Gatebil Rudskogen is a definite highlight of the year for me!”
Saturday and Sunday images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016
Dmitriy Illyuk: “My team and I had a super fun weekend at Gatebil. It was great to hang out with all the Monster crew and catch up with people I haven’t seen in a long time. We have a new car being built in the workshop at home, so I was driving Danny Neville’s car at the weekend as he couldn’t make it to Norway. I took part in the new Super Three competition – drifting with Rick and Max. It was a great show and I’m already looking forward to coming back next year!”
Saturday and Sunday images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016
Jason Webb: “It’s been crazy to be honest, the track is mad, the fans are cool – I’ve really enjoyed it. The speed you can get on this track is pretty epic. We don’t get tracks or events like this in South Africa so its pretty amazing to get to come over here and do this. Then when you get out onto the circuit, you can pick anyone and jam with them. Some corners are right at the top fifth or sixth gear; then you hit the e-brake and throw it sideways at huge speed; it’s phenomenal. I definitely want to come back and hit this event again in the future for sure.”
Saturday and Sunday atmosphere images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016

--
Luke Woodham: “I’ve not been able to drive this weekend, and to be honest it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in a way. Especially coming to Gatebil of all places where I get to see the guys out on track tearing it up, and I don’t get to join in. I could pretty much cry myself to sleep about not being in the car haha! We had to be sensible though, I had a little bit of a slide and bump at Goodwood, and there was too much damage to bring it here, and risk doing all the high speed stuff that goes on at Rudskogen. I’d be hitting over 120mph down the back straight if not faster, and at that speed – if you get it wrong, like one of the drivers did yesterday – I don’t know if my car would be able to handle it. At the same time, it’s been great to hang out with the other athletes and take in all the fun off track too.”
Friday images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016
Max Tvardovsky (Fail Crew): “This is my fourth Gatebil – I’ve been coming here with my team since 2012, and we really love this place. It’s one of my main dates in the middle of the summer. I know the whole team looks forward to coming over to Norway to hang out and have fun. The season has been pretty hectic – we’ve been on the road a lot so far; Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Germany, so we can use the stop in Gatebil as a small break from competition even though we are still running the car. I brought over my 600bhp competition car (a Nissan S14 with a rocket bunny Charger kit). We’ve made quite a few upgrades – electrical system, engine management, suspension, and parts to the LS7 engine, there’s a lot of money under the hood. Rudskogen is the perfect place to run the car – I can’t describe how fun it is!”
Friday images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016
Rick Van Goethem: “This has been one crazy weekend, and one crazy week! We had the Road to Gatebil trip before. So it was like a warm up before even getting to the main event. I had heard about Gatebil for quite a few years, and wanted to go, so I was super excited to be out here, bring my car, represent with the other athletes. The people here are super nice and good to hang out with, and the “Monster Energy After Track” especially was a lot of fun. Of course for me I loved being out on track the most. I have my R33 Skyline here – with a new engine. We are running about 500bhp now. I know compared to some of the cars here it’s not the highest, but for me it’s fast and I can definitely still hang with everyone. I was the lead car with Dmitriy and Max following me. I did the powerslide competition too – and came top 20 out of about 100 cars, so that was pretty good too. Hopefully we can come back next year and do it all again.”
Saturday and Sunday atmosphere images from Gatebil Rudskogen 2016

THIS ARTICLE FEATURES:

Shots from Gymkhana Grid 2019 in Warsaw, Poland Steve Biagioni

GO TO PROFILE

Images from saturday morning at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2016 Buttsy Butler

GO TO PROFILE

Images from round six of the 2016 Drift Allstars Championship in Germany Dmitriy Illyuk

GO TO PROFILE

Jason Webb wins SupaDrift 03 at Carnival City Johannesburg. Jason Webb

GO TO PROFILE

Liam Doran Liam Doran

GO TO PROFILE

Saturday’s images of Gymkhana GRiD final in Greece Luke Woodham

GO TO PROFILE

SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

RECOMMENDED

FOR YOU