Drift 101
 

It isnt just for imports!

Here are some pics from last weekend's event:

http://www.milesspeed.com/trackdays/TH12.06.htm

Look like fun? Here is more info about upcoming dates, next one being Dec 30-31


http://www.milesspeed.com/trackdays/drift101.htm :willy:

nice ! it reminds of the fun i had on go-karts as a kid.

I dont think I will ever understand drifting as a "sport". I just dont get it.

Same here, but I do see the benefit of learning another aspect of car control if you're into racing. :thumbsup:

You do have a point there, it is all about control so I can understand that it would be good for learning how to always be in control of your vehicle even when you look out of control...but not a sport.

Can someone explain what exactly "Drifting" is? I never really paid attention to it.
Is it the same as pedaling the car into a countersteer condition at speed and riding it out? Or do you do tricks or something?

As far as I understand it, thats about it. They try to keep the tires spinning and slide the car around the corners in the a controlled "burnout" so to speak.

Drifting is nothing new, professional racers have known how to "drift" since day one. It is the same thing as managing a controlled slide in an high-powered oversteering racecar. Until recently it was a condition that you wanted to avoid as much as possible in order to get around the track in the fastest time possible. Only lately it has been introduced into the States from Japan as a sort of "automotive artform" but it has nothing to do with racing. Other than the fact that some of the cars would make pretty good race cars if tuned a little more toward that end.

It does take skill to maintain controlled powerslides around a track--I'll give them that. And it does make for a pretty good show with all the smoke-inducing tire melting that goes on. Other than entertainment value it is useless, but that's all it claims to be--entertainment. The media sometimes blurs the lines between drifting events and racing due to ignorance though.

When you see a really good drifter, it can change you mind. I think the idea is to never have the rear tires followong the front tires, LOL!

I watched a drifting demo at SEMA in '05. It was really cool at first, but by the 3rd car, I was ready to move on.

You need a cushion to have real driftng. :unibrow: