Car Drifting Explained

Car drifting began in Japan as a competition between car enthusiasts through the rolling hills and twisty terrain outside of the major metropolitan areas of Tokyo and Osaka. Its popularity has grown in the United States in the last 10 years and has even been the subject of blockbuster movies, such as "The Fast and The Furious," "Tokyo Drift" and has even been made into popular video games.

Getting Sideways

Getting your car sideways while maintaining your momentum is the goal and it requires a high level of skill and a lot of practice. You need to learn to shift the weight of the vehicle so that the back tires can lose traction and spin, bringing your car sideways. As you get more comfortable with the physics of the sport, you will develop your own style. There are a wide variety of techniques that you can apply; some basics include brake drifting and clutch drifting.

Brake drifting commonly is done when entering the corner and pulling the E-brake to lock the back wheels and then steering into the turn, while the back end of the car breaks free and kicks out sideways. This technique can also be applied on long straightaways with a high rate of speed, pulling the E-brake and traveling sideways into the turn.

Clutch drifting uses a technique common in road racing, the heal-toe-downshift. This is when you press the clutch with your left foot while applying the break with the toes of your right foot and revving the RPMs with your heal while downshifting. Done in the corner, this will avoid a jerky downshift and shift the weight of the vehicle allowing it to get sideways. This technique is more advanced and takes plenty of practice.

Precautions

All of the practice that you will need to perfect your drifting technique should be done in an open area, free of other vehicles. Proper safety precautions should be made to secure both your own safety and other people and vehicles in the area. Various racing and driving schools across the country can provide advanced instruction while providing a safe environment.

Competition

Drifting competitions have gained popularity in the United States in the last five years. Events take place on a closed course and unlike traditional racing, winners are chosen not on who finishes first but based on a combination of time and style. Rounds can be held with solo runs or with multiple cars, judged on their choreography and execution. Formula Drift is the most successful sanctioning body for drift competitions. Not only have they staged competitions, they have expanded the sport through exhibitions that combine popular drifters and mainstream racers.

References

• Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving
• Formula DRIFT

Resources

• Racers Web
• Drift Connection