Josh Robinson

Josh Robinson is a multi-disciplined race car driver from Australia.

In 2017 Josh became the first Australian driver to be granted a Formula Drift license. Known internally as “003″, his team built the next evolution of his highly successful Holden Ute, featuring a bespoke carbon fibre body and supercharged 1,000 horsepower LS3 engine capable of an ear piercing 8,500rpm. On its debut at Hoonigan’s headquarters at Long Beach in California, it was said to be the craziest car they ever had.

His interest in cars started before he could walk and the same year he attained a car licence he started competing in local grass roots autocross / autokhana competition.

In 2008 he progressed to tarmac rallying where he won champion rookie in the Dutton Rally National Series in a 360awhp Mitsubishi Evolution 9 and backed it up the following year with a 2nd place finish in the Australian Tarmac Championship in a 380awhp Mitsubishi Evolution 6.5 Coupe.

Josh discovered Time Attack as a great way to keep his seat time and skills up between rally events before getting hooked on the high speed and technological aspect of this Motorsport and in the process went on to win more than a dozen events in the following years driving his Evo 9 rally car before progressing to the 650awhp Blue Demon Evo.

In December 2012 while working in China, Josh was invited to try drifting in Japan. He made the short flight from Shanghai to Tokyo and from there he went to Ebisu Circuit. Like many people before him, he discovered driving out of the side windows isn’t as easy as it looks, but it was the most fun he ever had in a car. It was there he was fortunate enough to meet Nobushige Kumakubo-san, be taken for passenger laps and taught to drift by Andy Gray and Naoto Suenaga-san (Team Orange), before being extended an invitation to be a team guest at the Odaiba D1GP season finale.

In 2013 Josh competed in the Japanese G1GP drift series while building the HSV Maloo with Horsepower Factory he started campaigning in Australia in 2014. He completed his first season with a best finish of 2nd in Drift Challenge Australia, losing only to American Formula Drift driver Chelsea DeNofa.

In the 2015 off-season Josh broke both legs in a boating accident leaving him in a wheelchair then on crutches for 4 months during rehabilitation. Undeterred and with his eyes firmly on the goal of earning a U.S. Formula Drift license, he installed soft rubber on the drivers floor of his race car to reduce the pain to a level he could practice and compete before he could fully walk again. The strategy paid off as he finished in 2nd place in the 2016 Japanese G1GP championship.

Today Josh and his team are building a 1,000 horsepower, carbon kevlar bodied, BMW E92 HGK Eurofighter to campaign in the 2020/21 Formula Drift championship. It will be nearly 800 pounds lighter than his previous vehicle, feature a full suite of data logging and for the first time he will be making the switch from right hand drive to left hand drive in a pro level drift car.