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What is Drifting? "Drifting is a high-skill, high-powered motorsport that calls for drivers to control a 450hp car while it slides sideways at high speed through a marked course. It is similar to rally racing, but is done on a closed course and judged on execution and style rather than who finishes the course fastest." "Drifting takes all the thrilling moments of traditional motorsports and packs it together into non-stop competition. Drifting pros finesse their cars into spectacular powerslides around a series of corners of a set course as powerful engines roar and the tires bellow smoke. The driver controls engine power, shifts gears and feathers the brake pedal, while at the same time spinning the steering wheel in a precise fashion from left to right linking corners with pinpoint accuracy. The driver is controlling and maneuvering the car beyond the limits of the tires' traction." Source: Yokohama Tire D1 media packet Additional Explanations of Drifting "Basically, drifting is getting your car sideways down a road. It doesn't sound very hard does it? Sounds a lot like power sliding huh? Well it isn't. It's much more complex. Instead of a drifter causing a drift and then countering to straighten out, he will instead over-counter so his car goes into another drift. That is the reason many drifters do it in the mountains, because there are many sharp turns strung together. So in essence a good drifter has the ability to take five or six opposing turns without having traction at any point in time." By Ryan Stevens of Velocity Racing Team Japan What Is Drifting? "Drifting is the art of controlling a car while it's going sideways. I say "sideways" because during a drift, the car slips perpendicular to the forward direction of the tires. I say "art" because cars are engineered not to go sideways, and, as any pro driver will tell you, sideways driving tends to be a bit hard on the tires - not to mention the suspension and frame - and is certainly not the fastest or safest way around a curve." By Charles Graeber - Wired Magazine Go, Skid Racer, Go! "For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, drifting calls for a high-powered car with enough rear-wheel power to slide sideways through corners at high speeds. Some compare it to rally racing, but in drifting the winner isn't the first to cross the finish line; rather, judges determine who wins based on execution and style. All drifting competitions take place on closed courses where racers maneuver their cars into spectacular power slides around corners. To successfully execute this type of racing, a driver must figure out the balance of the car's engine power, gears, brakes and steering to go beyond the normal limits of the suspension and tire traction." Discovery Channel: Monster Garage: Jesse James Episode 50: Honey Bee Drift Car "Drifting refers to the difference in slip angle between the front and rear tires of a car. When the rear wheels are slipping at a greater angle than the front wheels, the car is drifting, or oversteering. Intentional use of this technique is sometimes refered to as opposite lock. The rear end of the car appears to chase the front end around a turn, the driver utilizes both front tires and the rear tires to control the actual direction of the car. More throttle induces more rear wheel slip angle and the rear of the car wants to overtake the front. The goal is for the driver to achieve steering lock and use the throttle to fine tune the car's angle and direction." From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Drifting (motorsport)