someone teach me to drift
 

I own a t2. Haven't owned it for long. My first rwd car. I want to learn but every website I've been to isn't clear on exactly what to do.

help me out

go to an empty parking lot, set up a few cones, try to slide around em. another option is to sign up for some type of local auto-x or gymkhana. you can easily practice drifting in a relatively safe environment provided that the location is prime....

I used to have a webpage with like step by step ...
um ... try drifting dot com forum faq. and watch teh drift bible to you have every movement meorized. But before that learn your car I can't stress that enough. It'll save you headaches down the road. Oh and get ready to pay a bunch to fix your car your going to need it. If you wanna drift I think you should get a POS 240sx ( becuase who cares if you blow it or wreck it ... you can sell it rolling chassis to the guys at zilvia ) and learn some stuff first while your learning how to drive your t2.

Yes, do get the Drift Bible. Good video.

http://www.drifting.com/Drift_Bible.php

Start there. For sure.

DRIVE IN THE RAIN.

You will learn a LOT of car control in the rain.
If you dont have rain.. try snow.
If no snow.. and youre in.. like the desert or something.. Find hard packed ground with dusty sand..

Basically practice having the car sideways. And keep pushing it further sideways. (Where there is nothing to hit)
When you can hit the steering lock.. and keep the car there for extended periods of time.. you are getting close.
Then do a drift at the lock to one side.. then transition to the other without spinning... Etc.

Just keep practicing.. you will learn a ton doing it first hand. The video is a great start.. but practice is the only way to master it.

hey does anyone know where i could download driftbible vids?

invest in bodywork.

once somebody told me the basic thing you do is if you have a lower howpower class, or just a regular car u keep it in a low gear, like 2nd at high rpm(5-7k) should be doing below 40 then just give ur ebrake a quick yank(make sure u push in the clutch first then rev the engine to 7k or "your redline") then once u loose traction u want to depress the clutch and let your engine keep the tires spinning, but your really just gonna go out and try it somewere.
i first practiced on a wide abandoned dirt road, but i was mor of rallying then drifting, never theless, u get pretty sideways, good luck!

DRIVE IN THE RAIN. You will learn a LOT of car control in the rain.

Learn car control. Pushing a car from traction to "drifting" and back to traction is a fine art. I started learning a few days after getting my drivers license as my first car was an '84 Corolla AE86 :). Every fresh rain we would go to open parking lots and just practice power slides, 360's hanging the tail out, and car control.

Find an open space with no traffic to practice... or you will either get arrested and/or crash your car and endanger others. The more power... the easier it is on dry pavement.

Save up for tires... you will need them.

Good luck,

Mark

I understand the sliding concept, it is using the clutch and which gear the car should be in during the turn that I don't know.

last time i tried i did a turn in 3rd gear, nothing but grip. tried again in 2nd gear, nothing but grip. its kinda funny, cause my tires are shittttttttttttttty and it still grips. don't know what i'm doing wrong.

Okay get some shitty tires and make sure you have four spares! Pref full sized. Assuming your car is in perfect mechanical condition and thinking you know how to drive your car. Try doing 180s in a parking lot first after your confortable then try the stuff on http://www.driftsession.com my personal favorite drift is the clutch kick http://www.driftsession.com/drift_te...clutchkick.htm If you stay out at the local track you usually can get some used tires by teh dumpster that are still in usable shape ... and there is no ONE way to drift! The stuff on dirft session are just the basic ones ... the foundation.

But seriously before you even start I can not stress this enough learn the car!

drifting
 

make sure that if your tuboII is your daily driver try to practice where there is allot of open space . and also like everyone says start playing around in the rain but try to find a HUGE empty parking lot so if you do loose control you wont damage your car or hit someone elses car . i started in the rain then got pretty good so i started drifting in the dry pavement but thats when it started taking a toll on my car. i first lost my LSD, then lost a beautiful set of rare hayashi rims to a curb,and last but not least since i lived in the redline while drifting my engine said POP. that was my old stock 85 gsl-se which was my daily driver . whenever it rained on my way to work or back home i was sideways all the way to work. AND since i am a little on the NUTS side ,have any of you guys in miami ever seen a Fedex truck sideways . that would have been me.
also practice at night where you know hardly anyone goes . do it in the dirt too just do doughnuts , thats how you will learn how your car behaves. and whenever it rains jump out get in your car and start drifting .
good luck and be safe

Just go out there and do it. No one can teach you. They can only give you basic concepts. Driving in the rain is great for saving your tires, but if thats the only time you go out, your asking for a meeting with the curb when you realize all the understeer our cars have the first time dry. Drift Bible is fun to watch and you can pick up some good concepts, just dont be trying to shift lock on day 2 and be out a car for a few months. Just have fun with it, and keep the maintainance up.

Drift Bible is a great compilation of teachings for basic understanding, but remember every car drifts a little differently especially when you can or cant afford to put 2g's into your suspension......It seems no one in here pointed out the cheapest and most important thing you need to break traction.......its the piece you need to change in order to not have so much grip in your turns.......its the "toe eliminator bushings"...
You can find them all over ebay or get them from mazdatrix.com or racingbeat.com....
Heres a link to them on mazda trix...http://mazdatrix.com/h6_86-92.htm

Also the clutch kick is one of the easiets ways to start, go into a turn in 1st gear, top end, and as you enter pop it into 2nd gear and play the throttle...I have taught a lot of guys ut here how to start drifting like that.....It is low speed so you have enough time to react.
Don't be tense when drifting, keep the adreanaline low, just relax and enjoy it.....

Get the bushings and grab a copy of the DRift Bible and just start doing it, but keep it safe.......When you are learning to drift the curb is not a friendly thing......

OK. I just got back from Hyperfest, where I was doing HPDE classes, I've been doing them for 4 years now. There were also several NASA races, and a drift competition, with its finals held on turns 4-9 on the Summit Point main track. From watching the drifters, I will tell you this:

To drive the car "wrong" you first better be damned good at driving it the right way. I would suggest doing HPDE events for a couple of seasons and become a good driver before you try drifting, because to do it well is not easy. You'll learn more about car control and the mechanical aspects of cars then you ever could attending autocrosses and dodging abandoned shopping carts after hours.

Edit: if you take that T2 to track events, try to have arrangements for a tow if needed. I blew up my own T2 twice at track events. :eek:

it's pretty hard to power-over in an rx-7, unless you're modded well...imo

i drive an FC N/A, an s4, lightly modded. that could be the reason i can't power over.

if i ever want to get sideways i tend to use the clutch kick method
most drifts are done in 2nd gear, btw.

usually when i wanna do one, i'll downshift to second, get in the powerband 4500+rpm, keep it in gear, turn hard, while depressing the clutch, rev it up a little bit and dump the clutch to break the rear tires.

once they break you will start to get real sideways, real fast.

it's at that point you've gotta countersteer and feather the throttle to control where you want to go...

it takes practice, don't practice on streets, or in lots with poles or anything, or curbs.

be careful about it, good luck

sorry about the shitty punctuation and whatnot, i'm lazy right now, plus it's drifting... =x

Followint this thread I see nobody has taken the time to point out that you need to re adjust your alignment settings to be able to break traction easier since the cars are made to handle exceptionally well in stock form.
With rear steer eliminator bushings and cut springs on an 88 GXL I started learning how to drift a few years back. I will post some videos of some street action sometime if anyone wants to see. I used to pull long sideways slides using clutch kick for right turns and feint drifts for left turns. I used those methods since I was driving on the streets. There is obviously more room to turn left when you have to cross so many lanes you know.

Sure. Let's see them.

Uhhh.........so why is this in th RACING section? OK - I've heard all the propaganda about drifting attracting young people to motorsports, and how drifting is an example of good car control, and how it takes practice and skill to develop and I agree with those things in part, but I still don't get it! When I was a kid I went to see the Joie Chitwood Auto Thrill Show down at the local circle track and it was so freakin' cool that I could hardly stand it. They slid the cars around and jumped 'em and drove on two wheels - it was awesome. But even in my short-attention-span-adolescent-mind I knew it was ENTERTAINMENT. Drifting is ENTERTAINMENT. When it is judged, it is judged subjectively, much like Ballroom Dancing, which is ALSO not a sport as far as I am concerned. If the proponents of "drifting" want to organize and schedule appropriate venues to safely practice and exhibit their "activity" to their sideways hat wearing, attention starved peers then I am all for it. Heck, I've raced enough to know that sliding ain't the quick way around a racetrack - but it sure can be fun sometimes! The problem with it is that kids ( yep - I said the "K" word ) want to practice it in parking lots or worse yet on public roads! When was the last time you saw Wal-mart encouraging the local punks to stop by and practice burning up tires in the parking lot? Local merchants can't even stomache skateboarders damaging their property and incurring insane amounts of insurance liability. You think they are going to welcome Johnny Learnerspermit and his Overagressive Underskilled Uninvited Thrill Show to parking lots nationwide? Consider this: Anything that is paved, someone paid for who probably doesn't really want you to tear it up and legally endanger it with your underskilled thrashing about. As an alternative, try spending a tiny bit less on pants that don't fit and neighbor-annoying, thumping, ghetto obscenity broadcasting car stereos and invest that time and money in a couple of local performance driving schools. Gain some ACTUAL car control skills, then consider entering some local autocrosses and continue to improve. I know - drifters don't want to sell out to the establishment, but bite the bullet and try some of the mainstream ways to get the knowledge you need to reach your goals. If drifting is still around when you have made some progress, then there is plenty of time to join in. Unless it turns out to be just another counter culture, "look-at-me" youth rebellion fad, in which case you will still have developed some great skills that may keep you alive when you really need them. You're welcome.

(Yes - I'm an opinionated old jackass. But I am still occassionally right.)

I for one can appreciate some of the comments and points made by Boswoj.
It is true, I have seen many clips here on the video forum, of dumb kids doing dangerous things in parking lots or intersecctions late at night and calling it drifting. Most of it is not. There are venues to practice drifting at though, such as Drift Day, held by the Drift association. They work closely with D1 Grand prix. Yes sliding a turn is not the fastest way around a turn but it has its advantages when you look at where it became a sport. Drifting originated in the early 80's in the Touges of Japan. When you're racing through a mountainside road its not very practical to try and make your tire stick thruogh a downhill hair pin turn. You risk loosing control at the wrong moment, instead drifting it put you in controlled chaos if you will. on a flat road course there is no need for drifting it is just for fun.
I do not believe it can be dismissed as a look at me fad only because it has been around for so many years already. D1 has been around holding professional events since the early 90's now. In Japan where most of the D1 events are held tickets cost around $90, out here they are only around $30. But no matter where you go, you will never attend a D1 event that is not sold out. And look at how deeply invested so many companies are into their sponsored teams, sponsorships rival those of any other division of motorsport.
As far as the scoring in a drift event it is rather technical. You may already know the points of scoring but I will list them anyway.
First there is entry speed which is also scored next to angle of entry and point of drift, and "agressiveness of attack" start. Those are the points scored on the first 3rd of the drift turn.
Then the clipping angle and control of car and scored in the middle of the turn. Finally exiting speed, angle of exit, and overall legnth of drift get scored on the ending.
From past conversations with people unclear on the point of drifting I have realized that you can either appreciate the technical aspect that is put into each turn or you can just wave it off as bening a pointless waste of time at a race track. At any rate a sport is just about anything that fans want to see now a days. And when you look at the fact that hacky sack competitions and dungeons and dragons tournaments are going on every week in this world its then that I for one can look at drifitng and appreciate it for everything that goes into it and everything it draws from a crowd. (cuz hacky sacka nd D&D is a waste of time to me)
P.s. I do not mean to offend any die hard hacky sack or D&D lose...uuhh... I mean players..... :o)

I'm ganna hit you up with some good locations to start drifting and where to start in with drifting events. The website should be finished soon, it'll give you all the area's in your region that involve drifting and like events. Don't practice in the streets, even parkign lots can get you in trouble.

Also, learn decelration drifts first, much safer I feel than going all out pushing your car through the entire corner. First thing is first, e-brake.

Don't get me wrong - I am all for having fun in cars, and it's not eally for me to judge what is right and what is wrong as long as others practice their fun in a safe and responsible fashion. That is one of the main disagreements that I have with recognizing drifting. Yes, there are safe venues to learn and compete - but they are a tiny minority of the "drifting" that occur in the US. Safe, closed circuit drifting events and practices are a tiny speck on the motorsports map - and the impressionable young suckers - uhh - I meant "highly suceptible to marketing" young fad followers that want to do it so badly have no intention of participating in anything like "licencing", "certification", or "regulation". Pretending they are wild rulebreaking daredevils to their peers is most of the fun. The main reason they aren't in more legitimate forms of motorsport is because it's populated by rule-enforcing, safety concious, sponteneity killing a-holes like me. Taking the time to properly and safely prep a car for competition, donning the REQUIRED safety gear, and demonstrate some level of driving talent and experience insults the drift generation who want to be immediately recognized for their MADD SKILLZ without further scrutiny.

As for the justification of "drifting" around hairpin corners, no one does it any more often or any better than World Rally drivers, and it is accomplished with hard braking, a flick of the parking brake to rotate the car, then smooth acceleration out. It isn't a contest to slide the fastest and the farthest because sliding a car is really primarily useful for rotating a car that wants to push, or burning off speed.

If sideways car control is what it is all about then why doesn't everyone buy a Chevette, put high pressure space saver spares on all four, and drift non-stop at about 15 MPH?

For me, ski jumping was ruined when it became a subjectively scored sport. It used to be that whoever flew the furthest and finished standing up won. No questions about "style points" or "beauty in the air". Go race, and everybody knows who won. Go drift and tell everybody how cool you are - probably more so if you have a car that looks like a stomped cockroach from all the ditches, roadsigns, and cherished family pets you've hit. Drifting means telling everyone how good you are without ever having to produce clear results. This non-competitive, no discipline, hardship and challenge free society we are trying to produce for our youth is crap and will only dump them into an EXTREMELY competitve world completely unprepared. Ha - now you know what is REALLY bugging me. Good luck all, I'm off my soapbox.

Boswoj: I think you may be my missing twin....;)

:rlaugh: Get in your car (in the rain of course) and floor it into every turn you can find. Aim for a tree. If you feel like spending your time a little more wisely you could volunteer at a track day or go to an autocross.

First, your post count is low - learn how to search, both on here and a web search.

Second, how old are you???
You sound like a 17-year old punk.

Third, learn how to drive properly first.
Then you drift...
A lot of kids get this notion they can just jump into drifting without learning how to grip first.
Bad mistake.
All the fundamentals in grip racing apply to drifting.
An apex is an apex.
Oversteer and understeer still mean the same thing.
Weight transfer works both ways.
Early apex and late apex all mean the same.
If I've lost you, you need to do more research and get some experience under your belt.
Else, you're going to end up piling the car almost all the time.



-Ted

Yeah, learn to drive first. In addition to sounding horrible and wasting tires, purposefully putting your car into severe angles of oversteer and gracefully regaining traction is not an easy task.

There is a link to a very good driving techniques website in this thread:
https://www.rx7club.com/race-techniques-134/turnfast-com-down%3B-similar-sites-372849/


-s-

AHAHAHAhaahAHaHahaahAHHahahhhaha :rlaugh:

This thread is a perfect example of why I've always preferred drifting to the mainstream racing scene. I've never been much of a fan of this site, though I like to check out the topics now and then. I had to register just to respond to this.

Many of the autocrossers and drag racers are, to put it simply, too serious about something that most of the time equates to an incredibly expensive hobby. Many of them care only about winning, and only help out the people that don't have a chance of beating them, and that's if their prospective students come into the sport with enough humility to please their egos.

I started out as a drifter back before things hit the magazines and started popping up in forums, and I learned my driving skills with drifting in mind. I had nobody to learn from and no money to run on tracks or in autocross events, so I practiced on back roads and read every book on racing that I could get a hold of and applied what I learned.

In all actuality, many more deaths and injuries arise from street racing than drifting. I'm sure you all have never, ever, gone stoplight racing or driven recklessly on a street.

Yes, I know what early and late apexes are, and using them to extend your straights. I'm quite capable of controlling my oversteer and understeer, and I know how to use weight shift. I'm not trying to be cocky, just pointing out the fact that I'm not as much of a stupid amatuer as people like to generalize the drift crowd as being.

Also, racing skills don't equal drifting skills. I've seen racers come into the drift scene thinking that what they already know would make the transition easy, and they were very wrong, becoming, at best, mediocre drifters. Also, when it comes to drifting, the ideal line isn't always the best.

This guy, kid, or whatever he is, came on here looking for a good place to start. In typical autocross/drag fashion, you gave him a place to start, but not without ripping on him and showing off how much you know. A common theme I've heard around many autocross events is this: the guys who've got the most suggestions for you and your car, are often the ones you should pay the least attention to.

Yes, drifters trash cars and go through tires like mad, it's part of the sport. At the first D1 in the US, only one of the professional drivers avoided crashing their car. When you're constantly balancing on the very edge of control, it's pretty unavoidable, no matter who you are.

Nobody's making fun of you for enjoying what you enjoy, try to show some of this maturity you like to talk about and have the same courtesy for others.

OK - nice of you to throw your body in front of the kid so we can rip on you for a while instead........

You just made a beautiful example of what the gross majority of posters here were trying to say! You clearly DON'T know anything about racing, autocrossing, or even <shudder> drag racing and are flipping out your uninformed perceptions of them to justify your uneducated view. You think racers only help those who don't have a chance to beat them? I'll bet every single racer that posts here will back me when I say that the huge majority of their competitors would helpthem any way they could to make a race. Sure, there are good guys and bad guys in any activity, but even a hard to like peice of work like me can say there a a whole lot more good ones than bad ones. Heck, even the guys that don't really like me would give me a part out of their trailer to make sure they get a chance to beat me fair and square out on the track.

No - lets get down to your REAL problem. Let's unpack the "conforming non-conformist" translator and process your little manifesto.

1) "I started out as a drifter back before things hit the magazines and started popping up in forums, and I learned my driving skills with drifting in mind. I had nobody to learn from and no money to run on tracks or in autocross events, so I practiced on back roads and read every book on racing that I could get a hold of and applied what I learned. "

Translates as: I'm not a blind, mindless trend folower - I'm a radical trend setter - look how cool I am. I'm poor and underpriveledged and took nothing and turned it into, well, nothing but I'm demanding that everybody recognize my great achievement even though I don't care about your approval. (look at me, look at me!) The fact that it pisses you all off that I'm practicing my idiocy on public roads only makes my tiny privates tingle more!

2) "In all actuality, many more deaths and injuries arise from street racing than drifting. I'm sure you all have never, ever, gone stoplight racing or driven recklessly on a street."

Translates as: I don't know anything at all about statistics, but when I state things in an authoritative tone my peers tend to believe me. That way I can present my statements as "facts" rather than "opinions". Since I don't REALLY have any idea what those numbers might be it's best if I make a statement like "rape is way better than murder because in rape nobody dies." That way hopefully everybody will overlook the basic fact that regardless of which is worse, neither is right!

( If you think that this forum hacks on drifters, maybe you should get some of these posters' thoughts about street racing! If you haven't figured it out yet - the people here are talking about real, responsible, sanctioned racing - so your barbs about street racing really don't apply to most of us here! And yes - REAL statistics show that roadracers and autocrossers tend to have lower accident rates than the general driving population.)

3) "Yes, I know what early and late apexes are, and using them to extend your straights. I'm quite capable of controlling my oversteer and understeer, and I know how to use weight shift. I'm not trying to be cocky, just pointing out the fact that I'm not as much of a stupid amatuer as people like to generalize the drift crowd as being."

Translates as: Oh yes, I am awesomely good - much better than all of you as a matter of fact. Especially when there is no way that I will ever have to prove it. I'm not being cocky, just pointing out that I have the mythical "MADD SKILLZ" and I command that you recognize my superiority with no further scrutiny!

4) "Also, racing skills don't equal drifting skills. I've seen racers come into the drift scene thinking that what they already know would make the transition easy, and they were very wrong, becoming, at best, mediocre drifters. Also, when it comes to drifting, the ideal line isn't always the best."

Translates as: Even though I have already admitted that I don't have the required attitude, respect, and patience that it takes to learn about racing and car control, and certainly haven't participated in actual racing, I know exactly what is involved and how it's done. I can safely say without any fear of nayone penetrating the inky blackness of my ignorance that "drifting" is not only completely different to racing but also completely superior. Drifters wouldn't demean themselves enough to race, but all of you racers who are dying to join the chosen cool ones and drift will never be good enough. Like me. Did I mention how cool I am?

5) "Yes, drifters trash cars and go through tires like mad, it's part of the sport. At the first D1 in the US, only one of the professional drivers avoided crashing their car. When you're constantly balancing on the very edge of control, it's pretty unavoidable, no matter who you are."

Translates as: Yes, the more you establishment monkeys hate it the better I like it. You don't like sensless waste, foolish destruction, and things that don't end up with clear cut winners? Hmmmm .... what kind of crap can we think up that combines that in to one big stupid marketing attempt to separate easily influenced young consumers from their parents money? I know - lets call it drifting! If I can turn the stereo up another notch and get old man Smithers to shake his fist at me I might just pop a chubbie!

(Translator off - I can't take much more!)

It's an "activity". It's entertainment, not sport. Start a drift forum and go discuss the proper angle for your hat there and I will never visit, nor bother you. My issue is that I refuse to legitimize idiotic and dangerous street driving by having it in the "racing" forum. I have NEVER criticized organized and sanctioned track drifting events, although I consider them a SHOW and not COMPETITION. Go - enjoy with my blessings. Unless you call the paved driveway on your grand estate "backroads" then you have been endangering others on PUBLIC roads which just makes you another punk-ass street racer.

Ah shit I could feel my brain cells die as I read that bit. Do you know how slip angles and grip work? You think a tire operating within its happy place is more likely to lose control at the wrong moment than one that is sliding?

There was drifting going on at hyperfest, I watched the finals. I'll allow that it can be fun to watch, but the people it attracts... ugh.

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." HL Mencken

After Participating in SCCA and Drag events, I have found that the many of the people attracted to such events are not very helpful. MOST of them (not all) are there to win. The only helpful racers that I have met have been those that are not in my class or those that were not young drivers (meaning at least in their 40s) Many of them are very serous about winning. Not about being there to have fun. I don’t blame them one bit, but after all this is a hobby. Aren’t hobbies supposed to be fun? None of them are getting paid to race. Hence why it is Amateur racing. I have notice the Drifters are much more fun crowd. I have participated in many “Drift Day” events and the only thing that the drifters are worried about is safety. The main mind set there is to have fun and Fine Tune your driving skills. Drifting in the public eye has turned into a show, I don’t argue that, but the true root of it comes down to having fun, just like a day out surfing. Many people don’t understand that. I do not condone racing or drifting on the street, not to say that it doesn’t happen. I would hope everyone would go to a track no matter drift or racing. AS far as “skills” that keep being brought up, It is like comparing Bicycle racing to BMX biking, a bike racer doesn’t drop right into a half pipe without learning how to do so first, and the BMX rider can’t race bikes until he trains. Same deal with drifting, and racing, two totally different skills. I hate to have them compared. I’ve seen Awesome Auto crossers try and drift and they can’t. But I have also seen drifters that can’t pull good times racing. The main thing I found that I like about drifting is that you can ether do it, or you cannot. No Middle ground, no room to Bullshit. But if you are willing to learn the “drift” community is a lot more open into helping beginners get started. All of the legitimate “drifters” have been trying to fight this Stereo Types that you put us in with the street racing idiots. I haven’t met a good drifter yet, that won’t say, “Go to a controlled area and practice and learn safely.”

I’m currently disgusted with how ”SOME PEOPLE” seem to be attacking others in order to try and proved a point, by bashing their creditability. And not Discussing Real points. But I can’t say that it doesn’t sound like the same type of attitude I got at the Autocross Events.

It's unfortunate that some of you have had to deal with auto-x snobs, but I can tell you that my experiences at the track and auto-x have been completely the opposite...for the most part. That said, I don't go to SCCA auto-x (I go to a local club).

The problem with "drifting" to many of us "racers" is the type of crowd it attracts -- which is mainly the ricer/import "lifestyle". That may not be fair to you serious and safe drifters but who said life was fair? I'm aware that true and "professional" drifting takes serious driving skills but all of that is swamped under by the less than savory elements of drifting....

To address the post a few posts above....this is the RACE SECTION -- for auto-x and road racing. Drifting is not racing, it's a show-off competition. It is subjectively judged. That's not an insult, just the facts.

This thread is showing, yet again, the ridiculous attitudes and egos of many drivers. I have been driving solo 2 off and on for the last 6 years. I have gotten into drifting and found the drivers, while they may be young, are just as passionate if not more so then many SCCA "racers", who by the way can be increadibly arrogant. Yes there are kids who give the sport a bad name, by tearing up city streets and acting stupid. However, there are even more who generally respect the rules of the road and are only looking for a ligitimate venue to practice. 98% of the drifters I know, have no desire to drift on the streets, but are given few other options due to the ignorance of most sanctioning bodies. If there were areas in the US, such as Drift Land in Japan, people would be happy to take their cars there. However us locally have had made numerous attempts with the local SCCA to support some sort of local drift scene, only to be denied. Most drifters are into other forms of motorsports as well and appretiate the skill it takes for Solo II. Most people are passing judgement knowing little to nothing of what the sport entails. We know its not racing. Noone ever said it was. But no matter how much the whiny little miata drivers hate it, it IS a motorsport. We are all in it for the same reason and thats for our love of cars. The way we show it may be different, but its the truth. People need to calm down and learn that there are more ways to do things then their own. Relax and learn what gets other people excited. If people continue on so closed minded, from either side, they are only missing out on something they could trully enjoy.

I would Agree That it is not racing; in fact, i love the fact that it is not. Many times the tandem "battles" people think that it is important to pass the other car; it’s not the point. I would urge any of the auto cross drivers to go try driving in a event once, regardless if you like it or not, it will help you hone some skills, but it would really give you a chance to meet the real Drifters. Most events run about $100 to enter. Which is not too, bad, but you get a lot of track time.
I do have to thank you both for behaving like Adults. And I Value your opinions, because I don't get slander, coming from your keyboards about the people posting. And I’m sure that many more people appreciate that too. THANK YOU!

You might want to talk to NASA. They're a more fun group than the SCCA, I think, and they have been supporting drifting at Hyperfest, and probably other events I don't know about.

Bump

I never claimed to be able to drive better than anyone else here, and never made any personal attacks on anyone else's driving skills. And lumping me in with the 'mad skillz' ricer crowd seems a little odd when I'm placing a V-8 in my RX-7.

What I was trying to say, that Boswoj decided to twist, was that drifting and racing are different, and require different techniques. I couldn't hop on a race track and instantly be a good racer, any more than a racer could start drifting and expect instant success. I think s2_rx7 explained this quite nicely.

Also, I never placed anyone in danger with my practicing, other than myself, my car, and maybe some deer or opossums that could've been in the area. My deepest apologies to the families of those animals for my wanton irresponsibility, I was young and foolish. I condone responsible driving in areas where people aren't endangered.

What I don't understand, is how drifting can be considered senseless waste and foolish destruction any more than any other motorsport? None of them are necessary, nothing requires us to drive these vehicles. I don't see anyone complaining when a driver performs celebratory doughnuts after winning a race.

How is professional drifting any more about marketing than professional racing? The old maxim 'Win on Sunday, sell on Monday' applies to both.

It's done for enjoyment, pure and simple. I don't try to cheapen what you enjoy; it'd be nice to receive the same courtesy.

The problem is clear from the perspective of responsible drivers and responsible racers. To be fair to those who have legitimately developed high levels of car control, and choose to use them in safe, sanctioned drifiting "exhibitions", I will try to remember to refer to the rest of the core drift following as "amatuer drifters"!

At the risk of "twisting" your point, how can you POSSIBLY explain the following statements:

1) Apexdrive - "Also, I never placed anyone in danger with my practicing, other than myself, my car, and maybe some deer or opossums that could've been in the area. My deepest apologies to the families of those animals for my wanton irresponsibility, I was young and foolish. I condone responsible driving in areas where people aren't endangered."

2) rhscare - "98% of the drifters I know, have no desire to drift on the streets, but are given few other options due to the ignorance of most sanctioning bodies."

If you are EVER practicing drifting on public roads, you are breaking the law and endangering lives. No excuses. No whining about "the man" not building you "drift parks" with other peoples money. There is ALWAYS a choice - you can choose to try to find a safe and legitimate venue to hold clinics that will improve your car control skills OR SIMPLY REFUSE TO DRIVE IN THIS FASHION! Oh! - Wait! - what was I thinking! Existing motorsports facilities and parking lots all over the nation offer all manner of advanced driver training, and some of them FOR NEXT TO NOTHING! In my neck of the woods alone IRDC, Cascade, SCCBC, Team Continental, BMWCCA, PCA, Alfa Club, Mustang Club, Corvette Club, and Proformance all offer some level of driving events and instruction so you can LEGITIMATELY develop car control skills. I personally volunteer several days a year and instruct at these schools so I can give back to the sport that I enjoy so much. I instruct people with ALL kinds of cars, of ALL ages, and we always start with ME checking MY ego at the door, then the student doing the same. That clears the way for BOTH of us to have a great time while HUGE progress is made in car control. Your problem is not drifitng, or money, or your age - IT'S YOUR ATTITUDE! Am I asking you not to enjoy motorsports however you choose? Hell no! I'm asking you to set aside your angry, young, authority-hating ego and actually LEARN something before you kill yourself, or worse yet, someone else! Defending yourself by saying that you can't afford to follow an established path to developing some skill doesn't cut it either. I always laugh when young people say stupid things like "I can afford the car, just not the insurance." Uh - wake up, I think you might have taken repeated blows to the head! If you can't afford the insurance YOU CAN'T AFFORD THE CAR. It also follows that if you can afford to drift, YOU CAN AFFORD TO LEARN PROPER CAR CONTROL AND SAFETY! No one is MAKING you drift. Face it - cars are a luxury, you are not required to have one. Drifting is expensive, because it tears up equipment that it costs money to replace. For the cost of a couple of DJ Grunting Obscenities new CD's you could be lapping an actual racetrack and building some credible skills to back up that big talk. To responsible adults, choosing to drift on public roads says more about your lack of maturity and character than about your status as a spokesman for your responsibility-challenged peer group. You have been raised into an "immediate gratification" generation. Just becasue you want something, doesn't mean you should get it. Just because something makes you feel good, that doesn't make it right. If it is true that the "pro drifters" are trying to legitimize their activity by distancing themselves from the typical "stereo-punk" fan, then you should listen to them. Ten years from now, you will be realizing that almost anything worth having takes hard work and sacrifice, and that makes it TWICE as good when you actually EARN IT.

I thought you went a bit too far on your first post Boswoj but this post is right on. In my opinion there isn't really a better section for this thread to be placed in so it is fineto be talking about drifting here because it is a form of motorsports competition, however you are quite right, if you are practicing drifting on public roads what you are doing is immature and illegal no matter how safe, how cautious, and how few cars may be around. There are sanctioned events out there, you just have to find them. They might be a lot of travel time away, but hey I travel over 20,000 miles a year just to race in parking lots for 10 minutes or less of actual driving time each weekend 20 times a year.

I beleive drifting has helped me in my driving skills. Im still far from great, but it has helped me learn limits to my car to some extent. As for praticing on public roads. i do it...but i go out at 12, and have a couple set corners that i can see clearly if any track would be approaching. And i mean i have complete view for a good distance. And i try to pick a spot that has no poles, curbes etc to help protect my car. So thats the only time i would see it well enough to even try it on public roads. Parking lots are great, just be wary...people will get upset and call the cops unless you are in a very secluded place. The best as people would say are sactioned events...but of course it u live in bumf**k, north dokota, it might be tough. Just be smart and have some COMMON SENSE.

As for people that bash drifting. Its a fun sport, its just fun. i hate all these "whats the point" and "stupid ricers" It is just enjoyable to burn away some tires. Cause i know all of you when you were younger loved doing doughnuts, or toasting a nice set of tires.

This guy was completely safe on public roads too

I can't get over just how dumb this really is. Everyone who drives "crazy" on public roads insists they know the road, it's safe, there's nobody coming etc. It's all complete crap. That's why we call them "accidents", because you didn't mean to do it. Your blessed when it's only your car, your property or your body that gets screwed up.

That's why I started doing HPDE instead of Auto-x... the seat time to wasted time ratio is much higher, and the seat time per dollar actually ends up cheaper.

he must have been going way to fast, i never do anything above 30. I try to work more on transition, so i keep everything slower on the "roads i know" I will never attempt anything over 40 unless its a parking lot or track

The point is that there is no SAFE way to drift on public roads! What about the next guy along who finds your car upside down in the middle of the road? What about the cop who has to risk his own safety to try to get your unconscious and stupid ass out of your burning car? What about the poor EMT who gets called out to try and keep you alive until you get to the hospital, or worse yet gets to shovel your dead body into a bag for a trip to the morgue? Nobody cares if you are hurt or die? You got parents who look forward to waiting for you to awake from your coma in the hospital? You have a girlfriend who thinks it would be neat to be the one who identifies your body for the police? Quit being an idiot and trying to justify your selfish and immature behavior! It's too bad that you aren't closer to the area where I live, because you could be out learning the RIGHT skills, at a much faster pace than you will ever aquire them yourself, and doing so in a way that minimizes any danger to you, and eliminates the danger to the innocent drivers in your area!

funny thing is....i do attend sactioned meets, and attend autox, and road race events. All perfectly safe and legal. And i do learn there, but with the little time i can get at those events that is not enough for myself. Drifting is dangerous, i never said it wasnt. Most of the top drifters, didnt grow up having a track close by or the area to pratice, they did what they could to accel to where they are now. I dont like getting into arguing like 18yr old babies. Drifting is dangerous on public roads, i know it, but i will proceed to pratice on my own turf. I will never tell anyone to pratice on roads as i do

i also find, for older people who have steady decent paying jobs, and access to tracks or local groups its easy for them to say "stupid kids, they are gonna kill themselves or someone else" and how immature they are. Most people like myself a 22yr old military/college student . Have a hard enough time keeping up with our cars, and school, and whatever part time job we may have. We do they best we can with what we have. Im just lucky enough to be in the military and have been activted which has helped pay college and modifications.

I don't think the point is to not tell anyone else to practice on roads. The point is to not do it on the street period. Think about it when, god forbid, you get too loose and slide right into the sedan coming out of the blind corner carrying a family of 4.

Whatever, Turd-o23. I've got a feeling you aren't going to do too well in college, because you lack the ability to understand and create logical arguments! It is better to be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt! The more you say, the stupider you sound - but that might be what you are shooting for! Regardless, I've wasted enough time and effort on you. When you do us all a favor by wiping yourself out of the gene pool - try not to take any innocent bystanders with you. I'm done with this thread, and good riddance to bad garbage.

i go to my high school lot its like a block away and is the size of 2 football fields (even though there are a few islands which i think today when i drove by they were taking out to make the lot bigger) but only on saturdays since teachers and cleaning people stay late everyday of the week...but i only go when it rains because of no lsd and i dont wanna waste my tires or leave marks incase cops show up...because its happened but get this..my mom was in the car...hahahaha and she told him since it was a new car to me and since it didnt have any features like anti lock brakes that she wanted to teach me in the rain what it felt like to spin out of control and have locked brakes while in a controlled place...i was like SWEET.....haha

so i suppose that ALL professionals learned everything on the track and NEVER drive fast on roads? Drifting or not, any fast driving on roads is dangerous. And i can bet on it that all of you have speed on roads and sometimes pushed your cars. It is no different, you can lose control just as easily.