Patrick Barlee takes out top gong at Gold Coast 500 weekend

A Territory born and bred driver with racing in his blood triumphed on the national stage at the weekend. Read what he did here.

Patrick Barlee and Saxon on top the podium at the Boost Mobile Pro Drift Slam. Picture: Patrick Barlee Drift Facebook.

Patrick Barlee could do no wrong as he schooled the field at the Gold Coast 500 Pro Drift Slam.

Behind the wheel of his monster 900hp C6 Corvette, Barlee and his partner in crime Saxon wowed the crowd as they raced away to the overall points total champions (Round 1 – 1st, Round 2 – 2nd, Round 3 – 1st, Round 4 – 1st).

“We ran a team drift competition meaning that we run as a pair and the team who scores the highest wins,” Barlee said.

“The wow factor of the drifting and proximity of the cars is key to the competition.

“My teammate Saxon (circuit racing for 10 years – drifting for three) and I have competed against each other twice in the traditional elimination format but shared a friendship off the track for the last few years participating in national competitions.

“As a pair, Saxon and I share similar styles and car control so this made us an ideal match up. “We have a healthy amount of aggressiveness to drive the cars hard but with the combination of car control we can perform some wild manoeuvres.”

Patrick Barlee (front) and Saxon drifting around a corner at the Gold Coast 500 Boost Mobile Pro Drift Slam, 2024. Picture: James Forester.

Originally from McMinns Lagoon but now residing in Victoria, the 24-year-old has two decades of experience behind the wheel, with 10-years in drifting.

On top of this, racing is in the Barlee bloodline with his father Allan (Australian sprint car champion) alongside him every step of the way.

“Having my dad travelling with me racing means the world,” Barlee said.

“Growing up we would travel the nation watching him race and for him to not only pass on his knowledge from 35 years of motor racing but to do this as a family has kept us close over the years.

“Dad is the master behind the mechanical element of the car, after racing in many different forms of motorsports he has a unique understanding of how to get the car to perform leading to assisting with our success over the years.”

Now with a taste for the big-time, Barlee is hopeful he can extend his career into the Americas and Europe.

“The future of drifting is evolving and the team drift style competition is still very new but seems to provide quite the spectacle,” he said.

“The goal for now is to attend future Supercars rounds with the boost mobile drift slam competition and continue to develop this platform.

“If we find success we hope to travel to America and Europe in the future.”