Drive profiles: Team Jenkins Motorsport

Driver Profiles

Name: Troy & Ben Jenkins | Team Jenkins Motorsport
Age: 33 and 29
Location: Auckland
Chosen race discipline: Professional Drifting
Favourite engine: 2JZ! 

Identical spec builds: 

Vehicle: Toyota GT86 (ZN6)

Engine: 2JZ-GTE, 3000cc six-cylinder

Block: Forged CP Pistons, Eagle Rods, ARP Hardware, modified HRB 2JZ Oil Pump, ATI crank pulley, Tomei Baffle Kit

Head: Kelford Cams, Springs, and Titanium Retainers, HRB-ported cylinder dead

Turbocharger: BorgWarner EFR8474, Sinco Custom Steampipe Manifold

Wastegate: 60mm Turbosmart GenV ProGate

Driveline: TTi XHD five-Speed Sequential, Tilton twin-plate clutch, Winters quick-change differential, Driveshaft Shop 1200HP axles

Engine Management: Haltech Elite 2500, iC7 dash, custom switch panel, JT Performance wiring harness

Cooling: Rear-mounted 60mm twin-pass Fenix Radiators radiator setup, electric water pump, Fenix Radiators 100mm intercooler, Fenix Radiators oil cooler

Interior: Six-point roll cage, OMP HTE-R seats, OMP harnesses, ASD hydraulic handbrake, flocked dash, Radium Engineering six-gallon fuel cell with FCST

Exterior: Rocket Bunny V3 body kit, TJ Motorsport rear fibreglass ‘over clips’

Wheels/Tyres: Work Wheels T5Rs/ GT Radial Champiro SX2 

Suspension/Brakes: Shockworks two-way custom coilovers, Wilwood brake kit

Power: 634kW at the wheels

Fuel Type: E85

Team Jenkins Motorsport — brothers in arms

Pioneering what are a couple of the tidiest and most reliable drift cars in the grid, TJM (Team Jenkins Motorsport) are two brothers out there showcasing one of New Zealand’s highest tier drift campaigns

Some drifters out there aren’t doing top tier drift motorsport justice, with a, shall we say, “howzitgoin’ approach on and off-season maintenance programs. There are two individuals that are flying the top-tier flag though in the hope that their chosen motorsport discipline receives the recognition it deserves — those brothers are D1NZ drivers Troy and Ben Jenkins. 

With the hope of running competitive back to back seasons, the TJM brothers decided to switch things up a few years ago, and bin their Nissan engines. Ben’s SR20 and Troy’s RB engine were sold on as were the platforms they were sitting in. In their favour, the brother’s decided to run identical chassis, engines, and all accessories to ensure the spares bin was as streamlined as possible. 

Switching over to Toyota’s GT86 (ZN6) platform would ensure that body panel spares for both vehicles would be available for use, should they be required. The obvious choice for power and reliability in this chassis was Toyota’s 2JZ-GTE engine, so two were purchased and built to handle competition use. Prior to the 2021 D1NZ season, we were introduced to the Jenkins brothers through a mutual friend and, after seeing first-hand the abuse that is given to their engines in competition, we were excited to partner up. 

Now, both engines have been built in house by us at HRB, and each season undergoes a complete teardown and freshen up where required. This off-season maintenance precaution involves a visual inspection, compression and leak-down check, and bearing replacements. Upon teardown, both engines have their measurements and findings documented thoroughly. 

Both running Borgwarner EFR8474s, they’re good for 634kW at the wheels and have been forged using CP pistons, Eagle rods, and ARP hardware throughout. The heads have been ported for the target power levels and run Kelford cams, springs, and titanium retainers to ensure they’re happy sitting high up on the rev-limiter. Tuning is taken care of with James of JT Performance. 

Year on year the brothers show just how important it is to have a top-tier maintenance and spares program in drifting competition here in New Zealand. Hands down, they’re the most reliable cars out on track. Not only are the two GT86s reliable, they’ve been built in a way they’re incredibly easy to work on and maintain and have the power to deliver podiums. Who said reliability wasn’t fun?