What Is Drifting

What Is Drifting? Drifting is a driving style where the driver basically gets the car sideways through a corner, tyres smoking and engine screaming! There is a lot more to it then simply flooring the Gas (throttle) pedal & steering into the drift! Read on…..

The driver has to balance the throttle, brakes, clutch, gear shifting and steering input to keep the car drifting while manoeuvring from turn to turn.

 

Before the driver does all that they have to initiate the Drift! There are a number of techniques to get a car to drift. Below is a list of some Basic drift techniques. There are also many more advanced techniques to Initiate a drift.

  • Hand Brake (E Brake) – Pulling the hand brake to lock the rear wheels whilst turning into the bend and releasing, getting on the power as the back of the car starts sliding.
  • Braking Drift – Braking hard to shift the cars weight forward, making the back end go light and getting on the throttle to get the rear wheels to break traction.
  • Clutch KickDriver pushes clutch in whilst keeping engine revving and quickly releases clutch pedal to get the rear wheels to break traction (helpful for low powered cars, basic technique)
  • Power Over DriftUsually requires a lot of horse power or skillful drifter, driver accelerates into and through the turn to make the back end swing out as the power breaks the rear wheels traction.
  • Scandinavian Flick (Feint Drift)Driver quickly turns to the outside of the bend on approach and quickly turns into the bend shifting the cars weight breaking the traction of the rear wheels.
  • Dirt Drop Drift – Driver drops rear wheel of the race track (Kerb) which shocks the rear suspension initiating the drift and or increase the drift angle.

Drifters use there driving Skills to control a car by counter steering (Opposite lock) and modulating the throttle and brakes to balance the car back and forth when drifting through the turns.

Highly Recommended dvd for all wannabe drifters is `The Drift Bible by Keiichi Tsuchiya` known as the Drift King. This dvd shows the Drift King giving you insight into his drifting techniques. You can buy it Here
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Another highly Recommended dvd id `Initial D`
the movie, from  the Japanese Anime series. This dvd features Takumi, a school boy who learns to drift while delivering tofu for his father on Mt. Akina Touge. This is a film every drifter or drift fan should own or at least watch it! You can also buy it Here
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Learn How To Drift