Drifting... sport or no sport?
 

i equate drifting to the male version of ice skating. There's no clear cut winner, and by that i mean, if someone who didnt know jack about the sport walked up and could easily say "Yep, thats the winner" then its a sport. if it takes a "trained eye" and subjectivity, its not a sport. Example, Hockey... the final score is 3-2... clear winner. On the flip side, ice skating... no clear winners, just a group of people in the judges box making subjective opinions about someones performance in a vein attempt to make it look objective by putting a "Objective" number to it.

Sure it may look pretty, but its all masturbation in my book. I'm all for horsepower and powerful cars... but to me it just seems like a waste of good tires and good talent.

Drifting in my books is similar to the triple jet powered trucks you see at exhibitions... its all for show, no real practical application.

Just my opinion.

Well put.

Paint numbers on Turtles, get sponsors and TV time, and its a sport. I say it is a sport, VERY reluctantly, because as I stated before in a previous thread, I accidentally watched drifting for 5 minutes one time and was zipping throught the channels at 2:00 am and saw it again for 15 seconds. Funny thing though, it looked exactly the same.

Turtles racing would have been more interesting.But if it came down to Poker or drifting on ESPN, drifting wins but just barely.

It's sport in my book

sport? yes.

Talented? Most of the time its peopele who are just not good enough to do any "real" racing. But I am sure alot of the "pro" drifters could beat me around a road course. or maybe not who knows.

I am not sure it is a sport, but it sure looks like fun. I am not sure I could go to the track to watch a day of drifting, but I would jump at the chance to spend 30 minutes behind the wheel of one of the cars. I have only watched short videos of drifting, but I know from my limited exposure there are some talented drivers out there doing it. A controlled 180 slide or sliding thru the esses at 60 or 80 miles an hour in a tight environment without hitting any cones is certainly not childs play.

I voted no. It looks silly. No real meaning to it.

That judged argument isn't getting any events pulled from the Olympics or the ESPN X-Games so you might reconsider your "final score" opinion about sports unless you can keep up with a pro drifter which is what their judging is based on. What's next, denying the skills of a world class gymnast, skateboarder, or freestyle MXer because they don't have to make touchdowns? Ever seen the X-Games? It's one of the biggest draws on ESPN and the vast majority of it is judged. Those guys jumping 150 feet on motorcycles used to race them until they saw how much $$$ the freestylers were making and it's still a sport and they're still athletes.
Who here hasn't had a smile plastered on his or her face from perfectly negotiating a corner by only using the throttle and some skill?? Would you say no if someone offered to pay you for it? I doubt it. If you still want to argue the merits of whether it's a sport or not, try to go out and keep up with them. They have major skill and brass clankers to slide a car around a corner at 80+ completely sideways close enough to the next car to look the driver in the eye. A lot of the top pros in drifting were pro rally drivers which is undeniably a sport but isn't too big in this country so if they want to get paid to drive, they go drifting where the money and sponsors are and if they can make a living sliding a car around a course, good for them! It's a car guy's dream.
Even if it's not a "true sport" in the sense of judging instead of timing, Can anyone here say they wouldn't love to go out there on someone else's dime or watch an event without admitting major skill and enjoying yourself?
The Formula D schedule just added an event in my area this August and I can't wait to see them! Check it before you dismiss it!

I did see this abomination on ESPN once, my wife asked me to turn it, and I did. I could not turn the channel fast enough, but I have also seen bathtub racing and World Series of Poker, The Fishin' Hole, and yes Dodgeball, so I don't consider ESPN the greatest sports channel in the world. I mean really, they have events for how many hot dogs you can eat. Give me a break. I also think the XGames are a joke, and I'm sorry but I no longer watch the Olympics. Too many worthless events, and I can't stomach watching sports that have no place in what used to be a great event as the Olympics was. It's all about sponsors, and what they will pay for and want to see. I'm sorry to say but sponsors will sponsor anything that they think dumb people will watch. If they thought people would watch underwater basket weaving they would have billboards for underwater tampons and douche ads. Just because someone sponsors something doesn't make that something a sport. Sorry just my judgmental opinion. I'm going to write to ESPN to see if they can get behind a "real sport". Beer chugging. I mean we can't get enough sexy beer ads in my book. Don't let my opinion think this is a cut on you JayR, it's not. :)

Haha, no worries Maz, but I think all tampons work underwater.....
I dig X-Games and drifting because it's not the same old overpaid, spoiled brat, stick and ball players and it's a show of unique skills. If you do something well, why not capitalize on it, no matter what you do or who you are? If people line up to see you do it, all the better!

yes.
rick kirkindall :)

Yes it may take some talent, but if this is considered a sport, then the next nomination of the next sport will be porno..

this may sound a little outrageous, but hey it's new years eve and I having a couple of mixed drinks right now. The real talent or (sport) is all you guys out there taking our talents to craft a basket heap into a performance work of art... Now PT I would consider a sport first before considering drifting a sport...

God bless and look forward to some great new PT rides for 2006.

Looks like I will be redoing my chevelle after owning it now for almost 19 years... Will post some picture in a couple of months... :thumbsup:

No, not in my book.

I do not feel it is a sport, but I do think it looks cool and requires a lot of skill. I can usually watch about 2 minutes of it prior to changing the channel. :D

Well, I never studied much in high school...sort of "drifted" :lol: Is that a sport?

I'd say no.

It is a sport any time the Factory get in the middle of it because they will not spend yes: time or money if it not veiw by babyboomer and the youth as a set. :yes:

No matter how many conversations and arguements people have about drifting, there will never be a clear agreement made over it.

If nothing else, the drift cars are basically PT cars engineered to go sideways but make no mistake, there is a ton of engineering in the top level cars that we can admire and learn and borrow from. Imagine Rhys Millen's GTO with a little smaller rear sway bar to get that rearend in check out on a road course. That car would fly!
And if this thread started from the articles in Hot Rod this month, it beats the heck out of reading about another Street Car Shootout aka "Worlds Slowest Pro Mods"
And for the entry level dude looking to beat his car on a Saturday, it's alot funner than bracket racing and can teach some skills you can apply to a road course or auto-x

Not really a "sport" in my opinion, but it looks like fun... and I practice doing it myself every time we get a little snow :D

Racing is the ONLY sport.
Everything else is just a game :lol:

its definetly fun but i don't think it should be a sport its an art, but just like alot of sports now if enough people want to see it it'll be a sport :eek:

Ok, I wanted to type more last time, but I was on my way out the door. As a magazine Editor I see drifting as a great SPECTATOR sport. It isn't a winner vs loser sport and does come across as weird to alot of motorsport people due to the judging aspect, but it's traditionally Japanese and they do things differently to the US and other countries. Following the recent D1 event at Irwindale though, where the Japan vs USA battle was won by USA in an American car (the Falken Tires Mustang) I think that more and more interest will seen the the sport over here. The fact that there Vipers, Mustangs, a GTO, Charger and an ol school Camaro racing in the US series is great! Not to mention Chris Forsberg pulling the 3.5L V6 out og his 350Z and dropping a Titan truck 5.6L V8 into it!

Anyone who genuinely posts in here saying things like "drifting is gay" should probably go for a ride in a top level drift car. Nobody I know in the car industry would say that seeing a car take a corner sideways at 120 on the limiter with smoke pouring off the back tyres is gay.

As a sport in general, there's regular events in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Europe, the USA and a whole stack of other countries.

My opinion here is that ANY form of motorspot is awesome and is great for the industry both in parts, sponsorship, media and getting more people involved who may have been concidering taking up golf or fishing instead.

Give the sport a look in if you're not convinced by other peoples opinions. Don't let other people decide what you think.

If you like smoke and noise.... you'll like drifting

Just on that point quickly too. Ice skating including Ice Hockey? If so I do too. You could compare being chased down the ice as you struggle to get the puck to the other end to being chased round a corner by another car around a corner sideways at 120 no more than a few feet away from each other. Vehicular violence! (apart from at the end of it, they don't pull their helmets off and beat the **** out of each other) :thumbsup:

Alot of the Japanese D1 drivers are also top level JGTC and time attack drivers.

Just give us time! We will get some Ambrose v. Murphey action before you know it!

Me and my buddies used to take our cars into large well maintained grassed areas, and "play"..... does this qualify as a sport too? Lawn events we used to call it... a little safer then playing in the snow....

If you have the approval of a governing body and spectators. Actually..... I believe I've seen the SPORT of ride-on mower racing on TV.

Infact, I know someone who hurt themself competeing in an event :rofl:

LOL I played ice hockey for years... so yes, i know what its like LOL

I meant "figure skating"... not just plain skating ;)

Well put, Boxer!

I just don't see any lasting appeal to it unless you are about 8-9 years old. I think it could be called a sport in the same way that monster truck racing could be called a sport. "Big, stupid fun" is more like it, and there's nothing wrong with big stupid fun.

I think if this sport/activity really had any legs to it, in terms of being taken seriously as a motorsport, then there wouldn't be a bunch of people (and car people, at that) debating wether or not it has any merit.

Will it stand the test of time? IMHO....Nope. I give it about another year.

I did enjoy watching the guy drift that Charger around the traffic circle in the Dukes of Hazzard movie tho. That was enough drifting entertainment to last me ~5 yrs.

Big stupid fun is great! Hence the word FUN :) you wouldn't have to ask me twice if I wanted to drive a Monster Truck. I've been trying to line that up as a story for my magazine for a while. :thumbsup:

ps: The guy driving the Charger in the Dukes movie was Rhys Millen, US D1 driver (and son if Rod Millen... Who just happens to be drifting now too). I didn't see them getting Dale Earnhart Junior to do the driving for that one... Maybe he was just too busy filming Jeans commercials :unibrow:

Yep Boxer I watched the DVD extras...thanks I couldn't remember the guy's name. Sounds like we are in total agreement.

I actually like drifting. It seems like a good challenge to keep the car sliding and not hit the wall. The closer you get, the better. The more sideways, the better. Now doing it in the rain, well, that's another story altogether. :yes:

Exactly... Seems like a lot of hard cores think they're drifters before even having a go at it, then when they hit the track... they hit the wall. Great for entertainment value. :willy:

http://www.shift-lock.net/oilcover/D1usvsjp.wmv

Hear is a little vid for those of you who may have never seen drifting. I think that this a great sport and for those who said it doesn't take skill I would like to see you take your car around the big oval at Irwindale speedway sideways at 100+mph staying within inchs of the competitor infront of you. If any of you are in the western washington area and I will let you know the next time we will be having a local drift event or practice and I will invite you out to see what you think of the "SPORT". :D

Don't mean to ruffle any feathers but don't knock something until you try it....
And if you try drifting I am sure you will love it.

IMO the most fun you can have in a car hands down
bow down to the drift :hail:

I voted yes, and I am a big fan of drifting. In fact I started a website dedicated to it: www.driftlive.com

I was first exposed to drifting while I worked at Hotrods to Hell and we were comissioned to build a 1969 camaro to drift on the Formula D circuit. My view from the outside was that drifting mirrored the import honda sceane with nothing but posers. Soon I found that this could not be further from the truth. In fact I am putting together a 1990 5.0 mustang to go out and give some local drift events a stab.

For those who have not given it a second glance I recommend you give it a second look.

As I type this it reminds me of when I told all my friends to by AAPL stock. They all though I was crazy. That was back in october of 2003.

If you are involved at all with the performance aftermarket, especially mustangs, I would pay attention to what is happening with the drift sceane as it is growing rapidly and the hottest growth platform right now is the Ford mustang.

Well that is my $.02

Good stuff man. The Camaro is a great car and Ryan is a really cool guy. Looking forward to heading out to AZ to see him.

still in limbo
 

its one of those things where both sides can make a good point and arguments or opinions to back them up. i my self have seen one or two parts of those races but my A.D.D. kicks in and i change the channel. from what i have seen it takes alot of hand and eye cordination to get the car to swing for that long. i would think of it as more of a sport if the end result was determined by who crossed the line first more times than everybody else and not by judged points .and thats what i have to say about that.

Ah, drifting. While certainly not the fastest way around the track it's probably the most cool-looking way to go around it and a very good way to burn off a set of tires. :P

It definately takes skill and IMO is *way* more fun to do yourself than to watch someone else do it. A friend of mine has a very large open flat pasture on his 320 acre ranch and we have several "beater" mini-trucks (RWD w/stick of course) which we have fun with out there. It may redneck drifting (cow-pies and all) but it's drifting nonetheless. :rofl:

I've also been known to make quickie stops in the vacant and wide-open fairground parking lot on the way home from work for similar antics, especially if it's been raining.

I haven't made up my mind if I would consider it a "sport" or not. It's damn good fun (no doubt about that!) and many of the participants are quite talented and I'm sure are having a blast with it.

I'm sure it isn't easy (but then neither is figure skating), I'm sure it's fun (but so is a perfect golf shot) but it, like golf and figure skating is not a sport.

Geoff, aren't your buddies in the latest issue of Hot Rod magazine? Sure looks like them. Also, I think it's the only '69 Camaro in Formula D. Well, that's what the article made it seem like.

I can't help but like drifting. I made the mistake of doing it in downtown San Francisco after getting pissed off at a cab for cutting me off. Between the tire rub on the fenderwell, and the fact that the car looked like a drag car at the time, it was really fun. And now I have to hold back from e-brake turning into every damn parking spot...... :fluffy: