Austin Phipps uses Bluestuff pads and GD Sport Rotos on his V8-powered saloon
Arizona-based Austin Phipps of the Mulletsport race team is a professional drifter, currently using a modified 2012 Audi S4 with manual transmission and rear-wheel drive conversion in various drift series across the USA.
We previously caught up with Phipps and the team as they undertook a successful FuelFest event at the back end of 2025 – upgrading to a new engine and EBC’s Bluestuff brake pads in preparation. Alongside the capable pads, Phipps continues to opt for EBC’s GD Sport Rotors, too.
We’ve since caught up with the Mulletsport outfit off the back of their attendance at Round 1 of the Southern Californian HOTPIT Autofest show – a weekend that threw up many challenges and proved to be a big learning curve for the team.
Read how it panned out in Austin’s own words below…
“We thought we caught a lucky break when Flavor Express announced an open drift night at the same venue as Round 1. We left a day early to get some much-needed shakedown laps on the new Icon Pistons motor. Good thing we did…
“After the first lap, we started chasing a crank sensor issue, and the entire night only produced three good laps before we snapped an axle on the gnarly transition off the bank.
“Friday was setup day. We replaced the axle, passed tech, and finished our series photos. Before calling it good, we decided to pull the valve covers and inspect the new aluminum rocker arms. Again, glad we did: four of them had stripped out, sending the rollers somewhere into the motor.
“Thankfully, Brad from German Elite Tuning hadn’t left Arizona for the weekend yet. Even better, we still had our old stainless steel rockers in the engine room. The problem now was finding the missing parts.
“So, we went fishing with a magnet. Starting in the heads and eventually working our way down to the oil pan, we managed to find three solid rollers and the shrapnel from the fourth. We slapped every magnet we could find onto the oil pan and crossed our fingers.
“Brad left at 2AM Saturday morning to make it to Orange Speedway by 7AM. I was in my suit for the driver’s meeting at 8AM while Rich, Andy, Jettlee, and Brad immediately got to work. They replaced the rocker arms, adjusted everything, and filled the motor with fresh Liqui Moly oil.
“We lost about 30 minutes of the first practice hour and only managed one run in Session 1.”
“The first run was conservative. The second… not so much. An overly aggressive entry led to a rough introduction with the wall on the bank.
“Luckily, we had an hour break before the next two-hour practice session. The team tore apart the damaged rear end and zip-tied the car back together just to get me back out there.
“After watching the other drivers run, I made some changes: lower tire pressure, dumped the shocks, and cranked up the boost. Next lap, I felt comfortable in the car. Practice turned into a learning session—timing, references, and figuring out the line. I struggled to put together a clean lap, but I still felt confident going into qualifying with a conservative approach.
“Fresh tires warmed up. Time to go. Starting in second gear proved to be the fastest run-up to the bank during practice. I launched the car, rolled into full throttle, shifted into third—POP. Already committed to the entry, I grabbed a quick handbrake to angle the car into OZ1. That sucked the car straight into the wall. Hit one.
“With zero boost, I stood on the throttle expecting the car to drive away from the wall. Instead, it floated hard back into it—breaking a wheel and rear knuckle. What I didn’t realize at the time—and live on YouTube—I attempted to salvage the run.
“Embarrassed and frustrated, I parked the car in the pits, assuming our weekend was over. That thought apparently never crossed my team’s minds. They ripped off the damaged ECS Tuning wheel and disassembled the right rear suspension down to the subframe. Turns out a bushing took the brunt of the impact and simply ejected itself. Amazingly, the EBC brakes were one of the only things completely undamaged.
“With some Liqui Moly high-strength thread locker, a lot of hammering, clamps, and zip ties… We had a car again.
“Qualifying wrapped up with several cars not making the show. Unfortunately, we ended up 31st qualifier in a 31-car field.
“My mindset completely reset during the autograph session. The fans were beyond excited to meet the drivers of these crazy cars. They didn’t care about the qualifying order—they were just pumped to be there.”
“I carried that energy straight into Top 32. Facing the #3 qualifier, I knew it was time to step up. Fresh tires, my normal warm-up routine, and I pulled to the line.
“Immediately, something felt off. The tires unloaded and I watched the lead driver pull away. Calm and collected, I stayed behind him, knowing I could close the gap on the bank.
“I eased into the entry, set the car, and rolled into the throttle to catch up. Then the car snapped around like I’d hit a banana in Mario Kart. The weight of the entire weekend hitting me all at once, I failed.
“My wife and spotter Hailz came over the radio: “Just focus on this lap. You got this. Just drive.” That’s when it clicked. The temperature had dropped massively and the tires simply weren’t warm enough. At this level of competition, everything matters. With a turbo V8 powerplant, fixing that was easy. I stood on the throttle and did a rolling burnout back to the line.
“Pulling to the line in the lead run, everything went quiet. Just another lap. A light flick into OZ1, let the car settle, then hammer down. This time, the car hooked up perfectly and I was along for the ride. Flat-footed, the car followed every input and I laid down our best run of the weekend.
“When I pulled off track, it hit me: this was Round 1 of many to come. I gave everyone on the team a big hug and thanked them individually and as a group. We learned a ton!
“I may have years of drifting experience and a few seasons in FD, but this was the first professional-level competition event for everyone on my team. They won the weekend.
“I’m incredibly excited for Round 2. No major changes planned—just repairs, prep, and getting ready for the next competition. We have slush coming up next weekend and a few local events to get my driving polished up and ready for a strong showing at round 2.”
Bluestuff NDX Pads
The Bluestuff-grade pad from EBC Brakes is a truly high-end premium pad: beds in fast for street use on premium cars with ZERO noise, squeal or vibration. Also EBC’s recommended pad for driving to/from AND performing on track days.
GD Sport Rotors
All EBC rotors including USR Slotted Rotors are British made and are precision machined in the UK. Rotors are made from high quality grey iron to exacting standards and undergo extensive testing and rigorous quality control.
