What is drifting?Drifting is a skillful driving technique that intentionally disrupts the vehicle's balance while cornering by exaggerating oversteer. This causes the rear tires to lose traction, allowing the rear end of the vehicle to swing out toward the outside of the curve at a greater angle than the front wheels. The driver controls the sideways sliding motion throughout the duration of the corner (or corners) with an emphasis on accuracy, technique, and style. Simply put, you haul ass into a corner, kick out the rear end, power slide your ride through the turn roasting the tires the whole time, and repeat!
Is drifting a race to the finish line?Not at all. In fact, drifting is one of only a handful of motorsports that is not. In pro drifting competitions, drifters are judged in 4 specific areas: following the correct race line (as determined beforehand by the judges), the car's angle throughout the drift (more angle wins more points), speed through the curves, style. Smooth transitions from turn to turn, billowing clouds of smoke from spinning tires, and drifting as close to the wall as possible without touching all score big at drifting events.
What is oversteer?Oversteer describes the condition while negotiating a turn where the rear tires lose traction while the front tires stay in contact with the road. If uncorrected, the back of the car slides towards the outside of the turn and spins out (usually resulting in a crash). Oversteer can be produced in several ways, including tapping the brake, abruptly letting off the throttle, or by executing a sharp downshift that disrupts tire/road contact. Drifting is basically a controlled form of oversteer.
How did drifting get started?Oversteering has been a common practice in motorsports for many, many years. It has been most commonly used in oval dirt track racing, touring car racing, and rally racing. NASCAR drivers drift sometimes, except they call it being "loose in the turns." Drifting as its own area of motorsports began over 30 years ago in Japan, where the All-Japan Touring Car Championship races first began popularizing drifting as a racing skill. During the last 10 years or so, its popularity has spread worldwide. Professional Japanese drivers are now so popular that they are recognized celebrities!
My ride is front wheel drive. Can I drift?Technically, yes...although all pro drifters drive rear wheel drive cars. Drifting a FWD car usually means a brief jerk of the e-brake handle to get things in motion. This technique, commonly known as "ass dragging," is not used by many RWD drifters, but it's the only consistent way to make a FWD car drift. When approaching a turn, simply pull the e-brake to cause traction loss. Oh yeah...don't forget to hold in the release button, or things will get very ugly, very fast!
What are the most popular cars used for drifting?The most popular and best suited drift cars have several things in common:
-A front engine - rear wheel drive configuration
-Decent power production
-Well-balanced weight distribution from the factory
-Light weight and high agility
-A manual transmission
Keep those things in mind and you can't go wrong. Here's a brief list of some of the more popular drift rides:
-Nissan 240SX, 350Z, cefiro and Sylvia
-Toyota Corolla (GTS, AE86) and Supra ,cressida
-Honda S2000
-Mazda RX-7 and RX-8
-Lexus IS300
-Ford Mustang
-pontiac GTO
-Chevrolet Corvette
-and last but not least...Daihatsu Charmant also can mAAa~hehe
What are the basic mods I need to get started drifting?A solid ride is a great start for sure, so be sure everything is tuned-up and in good shape first. You can play a bit with what you've got to get the feel, but not much. You'll quickly reach the limit of a stock ride's performance, which usually includes being embarrassed to some degree. Some good beginner mods include suspension upgrades, intake and exhaust, bucket seat and 5-point harness, LSD (that's a limited slip differential to our generation), and some extra tires to destroy. Also, don't forget to check with your local track for what's required to race (helmet, clothing, etc.). Check out the Drift Shop Buyer's Guide for lots more info on what's required to turn your car into a drift machine.
Will drifting damage my ride?Well, the answer to that question really depends on a few things. Keeping from sliding into objects like walls, tire barriers, and other cars is a good habit to get into. As far as normal wear and tear goes, your tires will suffer most. Expect to spend some cash there if you're planning on hitting the track often. Inspect your ride after each session and make note of potential issues while on the track and try to catch them before they become expensive.
Do I need an aftermarket limited slip differential (LSD) to drift?That's affirmative. An LSD allows the power to be used by both of the rear wheels evenly by locking them together. An open differential, or non-LSD, allows the drive wheels to rotate independently depending on the load placed on them. In other words, if you're cornering and the majority of the vehicle's weight is on the right rear tire, the left rear tire spins freely. A slide cannot be sustained in these conditions. Some cars will be equipped from the factory with an LSD, but not many.
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