How to Drift on a Go-Kart

Drifting is an advanced driving technique racers use to travel around tight turns without losing speed. Although there are entire racing circuits devoted to the art of drifting, you can accomplish the maneuver in most cars, including go-karts. Since go-karts are light and tend to stick to the track, drifting in them can be hard. Follow these tips to cruise around corners in your diminutive racer.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Enter corner carrying a decent amount of speed. You need to be comfortable with the speed in order to control the drift, so avoid approaching the turn at full throttle.

2. Turn your wheels away from the corner as you come into the turn.

3. Crank the wheel back toward the turn so your wheels over-correct and point at the inside of the track.

4. Punch the accelerator to open up the throttle, then tap your brakes to increase the speed of your drift.

5. Press the brake pedal just a bit before punching the accelerator to have more control over the speed of your drift.

6. Give the throttle full acceleration and turn your wheels in the direction you want to travel as you hit the apex of the turn.

7. Straighten out your tires to exit the turn and continue on down the track.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice sliding your go kart on a dirt or gravel track to get the feel for drifting before trying it on the tarmac.

Resources

• Check out this video of some short go-kart drifts.