Drift race

Western Adoption and classic drifting

One of the earliest recorded drift events outside Japan was in 1996, held at Willow Springs Raceway in Willow Springs, California hosted by the Japanese drifting magazine and organization Option. Inada, founder of the D1 Grand Prix in Japan, the NHRA Funny Car drag racer Kenji Okazaki and Keiichi Tsuchiya, who also gave demonstrations in a Nissan 180SX that the magazine brought over from Japan, judged the event with Rhys Millen and Bryan Norris being two of the entrants. Drifting has since exploded into a massively popular form of motorsport in North America, Australasia, and Europe. One of the first drifting competitions in Europe was hosted in 2002 by the OPT drift club at Turweston, run by a tuning business called Option Motorsport. The club held a championship called D1UK, then later became the Autoglym Drift Championship. For legal reasons, the business was forced to drop the Option and D1 name. The club has since been absorbed into the D1 Grand Prix franchise as a national series.

·       Present Day

Drifting has evolved into a competitive sport where drivers compete mostly in rear wheel drive cars, and occasionally all wheel drive cars, to earn points from judges based on various factors. At the top levels of competition, the D1 Grand Prix from Japan and now with a full series in the US have pioneered the sport. Others in Malaysia, Australia, Pro-drift in Europe, BDC in the United Kingdom,URC (United Racers Club) in Bangladesh, SUPERDRIFT in Italy, Formula D in the United States, King of Europe Drift Series in Europe, Drift Mania in Canada, and the NZ Drift Series in New Zealand have also come along to further expand the sport into a legitimate motor sport worldwide. The drivers within these series were originally influenced by the pioneers from D1 Japan and are able to keep their cars sliding for extended periods of time, often linking several turns. Drifting with decades of race history and its relatively recent fame in the United States (the first official drift points race of D1 Grand Prix was held in the summer of 2003) has become its own authority yet Formula D remains as the largest and most prestigious championship in North America with an international field of professionally supported drivers.

Drifting in Australia began to take shape as a national event over the last decade, and now a dedicated event, namely the OzDriftGP, facilitates the sport on a national scale, between several key locations around the country. Local events are also run, such as the SPG Drift Series

Amateur "Tafheet" or "Hjwalah" drifting on public roads is a significant problem in Saudi Arabia.

The existence of drift racing

Time has changed the sense of Sport in people’s minds these days. Bored from Formula 1 and other grand Prix events, people are slowly shifting their interest and focus towards X-games and sports like Drifting Competitions which are action packed as well as more entertaining. The basic essence of drift starts from adolescence when everyone wants to drift his/her car like the actor in Tokyo Drift. No one can curb his emotions after seeing that movie.

When it comes to the real business part, things become tricky and not so easy. Seeing a drifting car in action is a feast to one’s eyes but experiencing a drift is an entirely different illusion.

Many enthusiasts across the globe want to buy the best drift cars to fulfill their ambitions of an ultimate drift journey. Many of you would take suggestions or search for forums where you can gain the drift experience hand-on. Choosing a drift car is an issue based on experience and brand. Many multinational brands across the world make cars which they portray as family cars. Hardly 1% of you might know that some of the most elegant cars are the ones which are the wildest drifters on the road.

Important details like cost, power to weight ratio, upgrade possibilities in the basic model, customization flexibility, power parts availability and fuel efficiency are some of the basic ingredients that make or break your decision in choosing adrift car. Let us have a look at the strongest drift cars present on the road.

Starting with Nissan, the Silvia RPS13 or the 180SX, 200SX or the 240SX is a devil on the road. People say that a drift competition looks incomplete without the presence of a Nissan Silvia. It is an old warhorse which is still a tough competitor. Its age on road makes it easy for us to find parts and even cars at a good affordable price. This car has seen engine uplifts from 175 CC to 210 CC and even changes in its body to support better road grip while drifting. It might be used a speed/sports coupe’ in many parts of the world but when it comes to drifts; this car changes the entire philosophy.

Nissan PS13 is quite similar to RPS13 but due to overlapping release schedules, it is hard to find an unmodified version of both the cars these days. The Silvia S13 and 180SX faced some problems during drift tests. Many a times these cars crashed due to a balancing problem between the front and the rear-ends.

Nissan decided to end the misery of S13 in 1993 when a complete improvised version was launched in the form of Silvia S14. With improved variable weight flexibility and handling, turbo changes and engine re-configurations; this car made good progress as a drift-happy car on roads. A 400 bhp engine and weightbalancing meant that no further modifications were required for this car.

Shifting our focus towards the much awaited Nissan Skyline; we find that it is one of the most flexible cars when it comes to rough drifts on road. Among the many releases of this car, the one with the 2.0L engine is the best in this business. The compatibility of an RB and SR engine swap makes it the top choice. Nissan realized that the first release was getting older and hence they decided to launch 2 new versions ofNissan Skyline in the form of Skyline R33 GT-T and R34 GT-T. While R33 excelled in handling, crude weight and engine upgrades; R34 gained in more speed and agility. Slowly people started believing that it is a car meant for races and not sideway stunts.

Nissan Skyline RWD versions are the best for drifting. At an astonishing 280 bhp engine output and an impeccable handling; this car is surely the flag bearer of Nissan.

Nissan 350Z is a dream car for drift enthusiasts. The 3.5L V6 engine is a monster within itself. It is tough to handle a car drift at such a high speed but this car manages to do it perfectly.

Toyota cars have been in this business for quite a long time as well. The legendary Toyota Corolla AE86 is one of the finest ever cars that drifted beautifully. The last version of these cars in the form of RWD models are still liked by many till today. On a track for drift competitions, one can still spot this old wagon showing off its true colors in great style. Japanese even designed a drift game based on these cars. A powerful 135 BHP engine was worth a deal during the ‘90s.

Altezza is truly a luxury sedan but a powerful drift car at the same time. It was designed to compete with BMW-3 series cars as well as the Mercedes C-Class. Though it failed in that segment; but it proved its worth on drift tracks. A massive 220 bhp engine and with automatic transmission helps a driver keep his focus entirely on the drift timings. Its compatibility with the Supra 2JZ engines makes it a more valuable asset for Toyota.

The Cressida is one of the best candidates from Toyota on road today. With a great chassis, headlights, tail-lights and body, it is a sensational car. When people think of customizing modifying the features of their cars, they always prefer a Cressida configuration on a Cresta base. The most popular cars from the Cressida family are JZX90 and the JZX100. The cars suffered some drawbacks and loopholes when it first hit the drift tracks. Hence, Toyota launched the new Tourer-V model to comprehend the issues. With a much rigid body and an upgraded suspension, this car was very close to perfection.

Many sub-versions for the same car were launched which makes it difficult to tune it up with varied configurations. The JZX series marked the end of its era with the launch of the best models from its kitty in the form of JZX 90 Mark-II and JZX100 Chaser. Not only these models mesmerized everyone with their looks, but they were a real beast on road after proper tune up.

Supra is yet another dream car which is very popular across the globe. Supra was the ultimate model launched by Toyota to counteract the sales ofNissan Skyline GTR. Since this car also belongs to the RWD , we have many versions available in the form of Mark-I, Mark-II, Mark-III and Mark-IV. It is evident from its History that this car is not cheap. But the compensation it delivers because of its on-road performance is beyond imagination. A small investment can uplift the car’s capability to a large extent.

Soarer is yet another expensive car from Toyota which is not seen often. People with an extreme taste for speed and style go for this car.

MR2 is a very common drift car which is manufactured by Toyota. It is the best economic combo of speed, handling, on road performance and suspension. Enthusiasts with a fixed budget usually go for this option which is quite acceptable.

Honda is yet another champion of the roads in drift segment. The Honda S2000 single handedly outclasses many cars with its terrific configuration. Though it is expensive, yet one can tune it up in a limited budget. It is one of the few cars in the world with the distinction of 50:50 weight balance. As a security concern, it has a super strong chassis. Also, the EPS steering system makes it impossible for drift enthusiasts to use it well but a replacement with the hydraulic steering system will solve this minor problem. By adding a new carbon body kit, the car becomes much heavier which helps in attaining better road grip. This would also need the backup of a 350 bhp engine to make it perfect for road drifts.

NSX is only the second car from Honda’s kitty which is suitable for drifts. Backed by a 6 cylinder 270 bhp engine, it is very much suitable for extreme racing. A little tune up would be enough to make it a drift champ. Undoubtedly, it is expensive; hence buying it for the sole purpose of drift is a bad idea. A person with a mixed taste of racing and drifts can surely go for Honda NSX.

Mazda is a hot favorite contender for the best drift cars on the roads. RX-7 is probably the best ever car it has launched till date. FC3S and FD3S are the two famous models of this series which are often seen in drift competitions. The engine has an awesome sound which makes the drift experience more pleasant. Due to its popularity in South Asian countries, the parts for Mazda RX-7 are easily available and it is no surprising news that many parts are used for tune ups in other cars.

RX-8 is yet another popular drift car with minor upgrades. It lacks a turbo-charger which makes its predecessor more popular that RX-8.

MX-5 is a powerful sports car which is often used for drift purpose. With an awesome neutral balance, 50:50 weight ratio, light weight and 150 bhp engine makes it an awesome road car. It is often said one can try this car to this most extreme level; yet one can never have the maximum from it.

Some people have the taste of luxurious drift cars. BMW 3-series, 7 series and convertible M-series cars are perfect for extreme road drifts. All one has to do is to add up more weight for better road stability and change the entire suspension. Moreover, one needs a better temperature regulator to backup the gear shifts and keep the engine temperature at a respectable level.

Z3 and Z4 are other BMW vehicles which are very well suited for the purpose of drifts.

Other carmakers are not so famous in the segment of drift cars but some of their cars are worth appreciating.

Some of the examples include the Mercedes 190E, Porsche RWD models, Suzuki Cappuchino, Volvo 340, Volvo 360, Volvo 740 and many more. Opel’s Omega, Manta, Kadett and Ascona are good road drifters as well. Dodge Viper, Charger and Pontiac Holden Monaro are some of the rare drift cars.

Last but not the least we have the drift cars from Ford. Ford Mustang is a powerful car which has mesmerized the world with its on road performance. It was Mustang that made its appearance as the Hollywood’s first drift car. The roaring V8 sound can make anyone go crazy. Though it is expensive, but it is a perfect blend of speed, acceleration and power.

Ford Escort is an outdated car on road these days. Somehow, it has managed to win the hearts of drift enthusiasts. The FWD MK3 versions have fulfilled the void of an economical powerful car which can handle the pressure of drift as well as normal driving. Though it can deliver a power of just 100 bhp, yet it can very well deliver the requirements of a drift car.

We have discussed a lot about the different drift cars present in the market these days. People always prefer to tune up the drift cars as per their requirements rather than going for a particular brand as a whole. Drift cars have always fascinated adventure seekers from all age groups. It is an era where people have shifted their interest towards drifts rather than simple races.

How to make drift car 

 

The adventurous sport of Drifting has taken the world by surprise. Be it the super stores or sport accessories shop, heavy mechanical stores or car accessories store, drift accessories have made their presence felt everywhere. Drifting is the need of this hour. Gone are those days when people used to enjoy good for nothing slow races. Now people need more action, more drama and risky challenges. Be it Hollywood or Sports channels, an action movie remains incomplete without a drift sequence and so does a cop drama episode. Though people enjoy this feast, but drifting is surely no child’s play. It requires months of practice to master a single move. Generating the smoke and the screech from the tyres isn’t that easy as it seems. Let us start our lesson on drifting.

First of all we will discuss the prerequisites for drifting. Obviously, the very first thing you need is a car. It should not be any ordinary car but a car that can serve the purpose of drifting quite well. It must have a well serviced engine and good transmission. It should be well equipped with safety kits like roll cage and special racing straps. It should be a rear four wheel drive car. If you are a beginner, then you should use the second hand tyres in the rear end. Though a limited slip differential is optional but it surely helps to learn better. You need a coach or mentor to watch your moves and help you improvise on them. You have to make sure that your car runs on manual transmission. It is practically impossible to learn using automatic transmission.

Our main focus is to teach you drifting and not the different techniques. As a piece of advice for beginners, always practice a lot before hitting the circuit roads. Practicing donuts or circles in one spot is a wonderful way of learning to control the car at various speeds and transmission levels. Practicing donuts towards the right and circles towards the left is a good challenge. Doing both hand in hand helps you achieve a total control of your vehicle at all times. After the expertise in donuts has been achieved, your next big challenge comes in the form of achieving 180 degree complete spins using a handbrake. Practicing these gives you an upper hand during actual drifts. You gain a better control of your vehicle by realizing the best combination of speed, acceleration and brake effort for your vehicle.

These beginner techniques of setting up targets will help in the long run. These drift induction beginner methods also come with a lot of warnings which are more important than the techniques.

First and the foremost warning is that many countries have already banned drifting on local civilian roads. It is an illegal act by putting other lives into danger. You might end up in a jail even if no pedestrian is around. Hence you always have to take care of this fact. Drift is an action packed and adrenaline channelized sport. Sometimes greater speeds can put you in danger. Hence approaching the expertise levels slowly is a good practice. You should never drive at speeds beyond your capability. Drifting puts a lot of load and stress on almost every car part. Hence you should make sure that safety equipments are in place, tyres are good enough to support the pressure of drifts and engine coolants are working. Heavy vehicles like SUVs can easily flip up if you do not control the speed and spin. Drifting a rear wheel drive car is easier as well as safer. Though people nowadays are trying to achieve the same feat using front wheel driven cars, it is very risky and dangerous. Drifting a car in parking stands is the worst option you could choose for yourself. Not only you’ll damage your own vehicle but also spoil someone else’s property.

Above all, one should always limit the speed of drift. It is recommended that you always analyze the turn and make your decision 100 meters prior as to select the perfect combination of speed, acceleration and brake effort for a safe drift.

Hence drifting a car comes with simple techniques and some assertive warnings as well.

Drifting Techniques

There are many different ways to drift a car, including: (NOTE: ABS and TCS should be turned off before attempting to drift.)

• Braking drift - This drift is performed by trail braking into a corner so that the rear wheels lose traction, then controlling the drift with proper steering and gas inputs, it is probably the most typical drifting technique for RWD cars.

• Power Over Drift - This drift performed when entering a corner at full throttle to produce heavy oversteer through the turn, it is the most typical drifting technique for AWD cars.

• Inertia (Feint) Drift - This is done by rocking the car towards the outside of a turn and then using the inertia of the car to swing it back to the desired drifting line, using this technique, you can chain up many drifts into one long continuous drift where traction is never fully regained at any point, this is ideally done at the mountain passes where the continuous corners facilitates this type of drifting.

• Handbrake Drift - This technique is pretty straight forward, pull the handbrake to induce rear traction loss and balance drift through steering and throttle play. Some people debate the fact that if using the handbrake creates an actual drift, or just a power slide.

• Dirt Drop Drift - This is done by dropping the rear tires off the road into the dirt to maintain or gain drift angle without losing power or speed and to set up for the next turn, only permissible on roads without barriers and lined with dirt or other materials which to lose traction. This is commonly done in WRC rallying.

• Jump Drift - A dangerous maneuver to accomplish and only permissible on certain race tracks, this technique requires the rear tire on the inside of a turn or apex to be bounced over a curb to l

DANGERS OF DRIFTING

We're now in full swing of the long awaited fall run for the highly sought after striped bass. Both Moriches and Shinnecock Inlets are crowded with boats day and night looking to hook up with a large linesiders and with this excitement comes a great deal of responsibility, danger but hopefully fun times. How you prepare your boat and utilize your practical seamanship skills will affect yourself and others.

Having been a Striper fisherman my entire life growing up on the beaches and rocky coast of Rhode Island, I've witnessed numerous joyous occasions of fisherman enjoying the thrill of landing a large striper. While serving in the Coast Guard for over 25 years I have witnessed too many occasions where these joyous trips have quickly turned into frightening nightmares.

Over the past 18 months while assigned to Station Shinnecock, I have been directly involved with the dangers of the South Shore inlets, especially Moriches.  Moriches Inlet is very unstable and hard to read. These quiet waters change dramatically as you work your way through the Ebb or Flood tides and require even the most experienced boaters to pay attention. I have witnessed so many near mishaps while fishing in my own boat during these times, that I have stopped taking my younger children with me while fishing the Inlet.

Now to clarify this a little there is a great number of what I consider professional boaters in the inlet. I see them paying attention to what they're doing and to what’s going on around them and these boaters have saved numerous people from the rocks and waves of Moriches Inlet. Unfortunately there are those few people that refuse to pay attention or are just not aware of the dangers associated with drifting or anchoring amongst a crowd of boats. These boaters quickly become a safety concern to themselves, the boats around them and for the people who are called to assist them. Whether it be a Good Sam, a Towing Co., the Marine Patrol or the Coast Guard, boaters are putting someone else’s life at risk because they may not have been as prepared as they thought, or haven’t taken that extra safety precaution before leaving the dock.

Over the past two weeks the Coast Guard, Suffolk County Marine and Sea Tow have responded to numerous incidents that were very dangerous and nearly cost someone their life and their boat. Most of these cases are usually from boaters drifting out the inlet on a full Ebb tide and not being able to start their engines before entering the large waves or surf zone.

I have listed some safety precautions that are in addition to having the federally required safety equipment.

    1. Before you arrive to the inlet make sure you are completely ready for that first drift. Some people are drifting and paying attention to getting rods ready and rigging lines with their heads down while drifting. Make all these preparations before you begin the drift.

     2. If you secure your engines during the drift, make sure you have an anchor and line rigged and ready for when that old Johnson won’t start. Searching for your anchor and line while entering the surf is too late.

3.     I know some folks think wearing life jackets just isn’t cool. If you refuse to wear them, have them close by so when you have to enter the water you can bring it with you. It will save your life and is required to be immediately accessible.

4.     Anchoring is a big issue. Anchoring in a navigable channel is not permitted under federal law. Many boats anchor because they don’t want to deal with drifting and restarting their engines. You must anchor out of the way of the main channel, along the outside of the channel near the jetty is acceptable. If anchoring at night you must have an anchor light (all around white light) displayed and not be displaying your navigational running lights (red/green side and white stern lights). If you’re drifting you need your navigational running lights displayed at all times Other boaters looking at you should immediately know what your doing, they do this by identifying your lights.

5.     Common courtesy. When the boat next to you is fighting a fish stay out of his way even if this means ending your drift early.

6.     If your not sure on how to safely fish in this environment, hire a local charter. There are numerous charter boats available along the South Shore that have highly experienced people operating them. They can take you fishing and educate you on the local waters and customs so you’re more comfortable taking your own boat out safely.

It’s the responsibility of each and every boater to make sure they are doing everything possible to keep themselves and others safe. Take a few extra minutes during this time of year when the water is turning cold and the waves are a little bit higher, to make sure you’re as safe as possible and you’ll live to fish another day. 

Hand brake drift

The hand brake is a lever that stops the rear wheels, upsetting their grip and causing them to skid. Using the hand brake is one of the fastest, easiest, and most dangerous methods of drifting. It can also damage the car's axles, stall the engine, ruin the rubber on the tires, etc. Three examples of this technique are:

1:

• Approach the corner at race speed.
• Let go of the gas, hold the clutch and pull the handbrake just enough to upset the rear end, turn towards the corner.
• Gas and let go of the clutch at the same time.
• Control the drift all the way, by counter-steering (turning the steering wheel in the direction you want the car to go).

2:

• Approach the corner at race speed.
• Let go of the gas and pull the hand brake until the car reaches the optimum angle. Then let go.
• Control the drift all the way.

3:

• Approach the corner at 5-20 mph slower than race speed (and if mastered, in a higher gear.)
• Hold the clutch and gas it just on the redline or about 6000-8300 rpm (on dial says 6-8.3 or 60-83) and hold the handbrake to the optimum angle. Then let go.
• Let go of the clutch and gas it until controllable.
• Control the drift all the way.

Power oversteer or powerslide

This can be achieved at a corner exit by stepping on the gas hard to slide sideways out of the corner. It is most commonly employed by beginners because it teaches steering and throttle control without the danger of an actual entry-oriented drift.

In low-power cars power-oversteer can be achieved by applying excessive amount of throttle at the end of a shift. As you are releasing the clutch during a shift, or immediately before that while the clutch is still depressed, press the accelerator all the way to send more power to the rear wheels than is necessary for a smooth upshift. If done during a turn, the car will begin to slide. This technique can be used to initiate a drift at very low speeds in an underpowered car (e.g., when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear), and to enter in a higher gear while accelerating all the way up to the turn (e.g., accelerate in 2nd on the straight and shift into 3rd as you enter the turn).

The sequence of actions is as follows:

• Easily feather the gas in the straight line leading to the turn.
• Turn the steering wheel to begin the turn.
• Floor the accelerator.
• Wait for the car to go sideways, then countersteer and control the slide and proceed to exit the corner.

Depending on how much power the car is making it is possible to keep the gas pedal floored from the shift throughout the entire drift; in a low-power car this is often necessary

  Shift lock (compression slide)

Initiated by downshifting (usually from third to second or fourth to third, and using a very fast shift) instead of braking, without rev-matching, causing the drive wheels to lock momentarily. Helpful for very tight corners, allowing the driver to approach the corner at a slower speed and lower revs, while allowing quick acceleration when exiting the corner. This technique can be very damaging to the engine if misused as the ECU is unable to rev limit when the engine is over-revved by the rear wheels. Premature downshifters are called "Rod Stretchers"

Clutch Kick

This is done by "kicking" the clutch (pushing in, then out, usually more than one time in a drift for adjustment in a very fast manner) to send a shock through the powertrain, upsetting the car's balance. This causes the rear wheels to slip. The foot should be at an angle (Heel-and-toe) so the brake and gas may be pressed as well, this being needed to control speed and stop from spinning out in the drift.

Clutch kick can also be used during a drift to gain angle at the expense of speed. If the car is about to straighten itself out, kicking the clutch will cause it to rotate more. However since power delivery is interrupted while the clutch is depressed the car will lose some speed during the process and damage the gears and crank shaft. The steps to clutch kick:

• Start driving into a corner but slower, and/or in a higher gear.
• Turn into the corner.
• Push the accelerator and a split second later, tap the clutch. Keep tapping the clutch to make the wheels spin and lose traction so that they slide, but don't let go of the gas when clutching.
• Control the spin with the handbrake, brake, or gas.

(If necessary, keep popping the clutch to keep the wheels sliding. This technique can be later learned at speed to add an additional amount of rear wheel slip resulting in more drift angle. During drift it is common to half or part depress the clutch pedal in a sudden manner to adjust the drift angle and wheel speed)

Weight transition techniques

These techniques employ a further concept of weight transition. When a vehicle has the load towards the front, the back wheels have less grip than the front, causing an oversteer condition that can initiate a drift. Weight transition in a side to side manner will also upset the grip level of the car and if done appropriately will result in over steer, Experienced drivers will often incorporate other drift techniques with this method depending on their desired result.

Braking drift

This drift is performed by braking into a corner so that the car transfers weight to the front. This is immediately followed by throttle, which in a RWD car causes the rear wheels to lose traction. FWD cars can also use this technique as it does not depend on the rear wheels being driven.In FWD cars the front wheels are not allowed to lock due to the continuous power, the rear wheels lock easily due to weight transfer and due to the general front heavy design of FWDs. Good performance brake pads will help this technique.

Inertia (Feint) drift or Scandinavian flick

This is done by transferring the weight of the car towards the outside of a turn by first turning away from the turn and then quickly turning back using the inertia of the rear of the car to swing into the desired drifting line. Sometimes the hand-brake will be applied while transferring the weight of the car towards the outside to lock the rear wheels and help the rear swing outwards. This type of drifting causes the car to accelerate faster afterwards, because of momentum built up while drifting. The flick is an application generally used when starting drift on a straight section of track allowing the car to be sideways before it has reached the targeted corner.

Note that the actual scandinavian flick maneuver in rally driving is more complex than feint drifting. In scandinavian flick the tires are intentionally locked by braking hard right after turning a little away from the corner. While the wheels are locked, the driver applies steering input into the corner, adds throttle while still braking and then rapidly releases the brake pedal. This causes the car to slingshot itself through the corner.

Kansei, Lift off, or Taking In

By letting off the accelerator while cornering at very high speeds, cars with relatively neutral handling will begin to slide, simply from the weight transfer resulting from engine braking. The drift is controlled afterwards by steering inputs from the driver and light pedal work, similar to the Braking drift.

 Dirt drop

This is done by dropping the rear tires off the sealed road onto dirt, or any such lower grip surface that borders the road, to maintain or gain drift angle. Also colloquially called "Dirt Turbo"

Choku-Dori/Manji (pendulum)

Otherwise known as over-sway, this technique is done by swaying the car's weight back and forth on straightaways, using countersteer and throttle to maintain a large angle. The cars center of gravity essentially travels down a straight in a wave like fashion alternating between drifting with one side facing the forward direction to the other. This is a show maneuver which displays drivers skill that usually involves many cars following the same line. This technique can also be used to connect two corners through a large straight thereby making a drift continuous and unbroken.

Advanced drifting technique

Good tires that have grip and are able to drift are necessary for this technique. Performing these techniques requires sufficient horsepower and torque.

Kanji type 1

• Come up to a corner at race speed.
• Push the brakes 50 meters away from the racing line at about 50% of full braking capability.
• Feint as little as possible.
• Power-over and clutch-kick all the way.
• Use handbrake and clutch-kick to increase angle.

Kanji type 2

• Come up to a corner at race speed.
• Push the brakes 50 meters away from the racing line at about 50% of full braking capability.
• Hold the clutch and rev up to 5000-6500 RPM.
• Pop the clutch and control.
• Use handbrake and clutch-kick to increase angle.

Kanji type 3

• Come up to a corner at race speed.
• Change down two gears and hold the clutch.
• Upon commencing the drift, pop the clutch and initiate turn.
• Control using 90 degrees right foot on brakes and gas.
• To exit corner, rev up to 5000+ RPM, pop clutch and straight up wheels

To transition to a different direction, hold the clutch and turn in more and clutch kick. Or come off the gas, turn in, power oversteer and control.

Drift tuning

• ·        Drive train

A proper mechanical limited slip differential (LSD) is almost considered essential for drifting. Attempting to drift with an open or viscous differential in a sustained slide generally yields relatively less impressive results. All other modifications are secondary to the LSD. Two popular LSD brands amongst drifters are OS Giken & Cusco.

The most preferred form of LSD for drifting is the clutch type, in "2-way" form, for its consistent and aggressive lockup behavior under all conditions (acceleration and deceleration). Some drift cars use a spool "differential", which actually has no differential action at all - the wheels are locked to each other. Budget-minded drifters may use a welded differential, where the side gears are welded to give the same effect as a spool. This makes it easier to break rear traction because it reduces maximum traction in all situations except traveling in a straight line. Welded differentials have an inherent risk involved, due to the tremendous amounts of internal stress the welds may fail and the differential completely locks up leaving the rear wheels immobilized. Helical torque sensing types such as the Torsen or Quaife (available on cars in certain stock trims such as S15, FD3S, MX-5, JZA8x, UZZ3x) differentials are also adequate.

The clutches on drift cars tend to be very tough ceramic brass button or multiple-plate varieties, for durability, as well as to allow rapid "clutch kick" techniques to upset the balance of the car. Gearbox and engine mounts are often replaced with urethane or aluminum mounts, and dampers added to control the violent motion of the engine/gearbox under these conditions.

Gearsets may be replaced with closer ratios to keep the engine in the power band. These may be coarser dog engagement straight cut gears instead of synchronised helical gears, for durability and faster shifting at the expense of noise and refinement. Wealthier drifters may use sequential gearboxes to make gear selection easier/faster, while sequential shift lever adapters can be used to make shifts easier without increasing shift time.

• ·        Suspension

The suspension in a drift car tends to have very high spring and damper rates. Sway bars are upgraded, particularly on the rear. Caster is often increased to improve the car's controllability during a slide. Most cars use an integrated coilover/shock (MacPherson strut) combination. This type of suspension allows the ride height to be adjusted independently of the suspension travel. There is no perfect height setting or spring/shock combo for any car, but each driver will have their own personal preference. Many suspension manufacturers offer suspension tuned specifically for drifting, allowing many people to enter the sport competitively.

Bushings can be upgraded with urethane parts. Most Nissan vehicles have a floating rear subframe which is usually fixed in position with billet aluminum or urethane "drift pineapples", to prevent the frame moving during drift.

Positive camber is never desired. There is such a thing as too much negative camber. By making the wheel/tire go into static negative camber on a vehicle with a MacPherson strut front suspension, you are going to be counteracting the positive camber change. However, there is a level at which you over-counteract and thus the tire is always in a negative-camber situation. This is not wanted because it will both wear the tires prematurely and decrease contact patch and thus decreasing overall grip. In the rear, less negative camber (if any) is often used and, if it is used, it is usually to tweak the balance of the car. The old-school Japanese drifters used to run oni-kyan ("demon camber") so they could get their tires to spin easily even though they had very little power. It has thus fallen out of favor as a serious performance-minded suspension setup. However, many cars built for show (such as those driven by bōsōzoku) still use this style of suspension setup for its aggressive look. A few degrees of toe-out on the rear wheels (leading edges angled outward) can reduce rear stability, and make setting up a drift a little easier.

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•                    Cockpit

Because of the large centripetal force encountered during drifting, drivers find it preferable to be retained firmly by a bucket seat, and harness. This allows the hands to merely turn the wheel, as opposed to bracing oneself against the wheel. The steering wheel should be relatively small, dished, and perfectly round, so that it can be released and allowed to spin through the hands as the caster returns the front wheels to center. The locking knob on the hand brake is usually replaced with a spin turn knob, this stops the hand brake locking on when pulled. Some drivers move the hand brake location or add an extra hydraulic hand brake actuator for greater braking force. Many drivers make use of additional gauges to monitor such things as boost levels, oil, intake and coolant temperatures.

S13 Silvia bay with modifications for drifting.

Engine power does not need to be high, and in fact if a car has too much power, it can be very hard to handle during a drift. Each driver has their own preference, and drift cars can be found with anything from 100 bhp (74 kW) to 1000 bhp (745 kW). Typically, engine tuning is oriented towards achieving linear response rather than maximum power output. Engines also must be equipped with upgraded cooling systems. Not only are the engines pushed very hard, creating lots of heat, but being driven at an angle reduces the airflow through the radiator. For turbocharged engines, intercooler efficiency is similarly reduced. Oil coolers are almost essential. V-mounting the intercooler and radiator improves flow through these components, and keeps the expensive intercooler out of harm's way in the case of a minor accident.

• Steering

With increased steering angle it is possible to achieve greater angle with the vehicle, also aiding in spin recovery. This is often done with spacers on the steering rack, custom steering racks, custom tierod ends, or machining the spindles. In extreme cases increasing the steering angle may come to a point where the tire or wheel comes into contact with other suspension pieces or the inner/outer fenders; in which case additional modifications are required if such contacts are to be avoided.

• Body

Chassis preparation is similar to a road racing car. Roll cages are sometimes employed for safety, and to improve the torsional rigidity of the car's frame, but are compulsory in events that involves the 2+ cars' tsuiso runs in the event of a side collision. Front and rear strut tower braces, B-pillar braces, lower arm braces, and master cylinder braces are all used to stiffen the chassis. The interior is stripped of extraneous seating, trim, carpet, sound deadening; anything that is not essential is removed to reduce weight.

Body kits are often attached with cable ties. When the body kit meets the wall or curb, the cable ties snap, releasing the part, as opposed to breaking it. Aero also helps for cooling while the car is sideways.

As drift cars are pushed faster, aerodynamic tuning becomes more important as well. Rear spoilers and wings usually are useful only in large, open tracks where the cars develop enough speed to create a need for more downforce. Wheel arches are often rolled or flared to allow the fitment of larger tires. Airflow to the engine is critical, so the hood is often vented.

Due to the nature of the hobby, drift cars are typically involved in many minor accidents. Thus, those involved with the sport tend to avoid expensive or easily damaged body kits and custom paintwork.

• Tires

S13 Silvia - tire stretched over a wide rim, increasing sidewall rigidity. The rim has a low offset to increase track.

The cars quite often have different tires on the front and back, and the owner may have quite a few sets. This is because a single afternoon of drifting can destroy several new sets of tires. As a rule, good tires go on the front for good steering. On the back, hard-compound tires are used, quite often second-hand ones tend to end up in a cloud of smoke. 15" wheels are common on the rear, as 15" tires are cheap. As a driver gets better, they will most likely want to upgrade the tires used in the rear for a higher grip compound. Although cheap/hard tires are fun purely for their slipperiness and ease of drifting, they quickly become a hazard for high-speed drifts. More advanced drivers require the most grip possible from all 4 tires, so as to retain control adequately during high speed drifts. Competitive drifters often run DOT-approved tires closer to racing tires, which is permitted, with the exception of some major championships including D1GP which only permits commercially available tires that are approved by them. The grip is required for control, speed, and a fast snap on the initial entry. Generally drifting consumes tires rapidly and multiple sets may be necessary for a single professional event.

Some companies, such as Kumho Tires, created tires with special effects for drifting. These tires produce colored smoke instead of regular grey smoke when drifted. Lavender-scented tires have also been developed. They are not permitted in many competitions, as they are seen as giving an unfair advantage to teams with the funding to use them.

        ·       Stabilizer

Stabilizer bars are part of a car’s suspension system. They are sometimes also called anti-sway bars or anti-roll bars. Their purpose in life is to try to keep the car’s body from “rolling” in a sharp turn.
Think about what happens to a car in a sharp turn. If you are inside the car, you know that your body gets pulled toward the outside of the turn. The same thing is happening to all the parts of the car. So the part of the car on the outside of the turn gets pushed down toward the road and the part of the car on the inside of the turn rises up. In other words, the body of the car “rolls” 10 or 20 or 30 degrees toward the outside of the turn. If you take a turn fast enough, the tires on the inside of the turn actually rise off the road and the car flips over.
Roll is bad. It tends to put more weight on the outside tires and less weigh on the inside tires, reducing traction. It also messes up steering. What you would like is for the body of the car to remain flat through a turn so that the weight stays distributed evenly on all four tires.

Car Suspension Image Gallery

A stabilizer bar tries to keep the car’s body flat by moving force from one side of the body to another. To picture how a stabilizer bar works, imagine a metal rod that is an inch or two (2 to 5 cm) in diameter. If your front tires are 5 feet (1.6 meters) apart, make the rod about 4 feet long. Attach the rod to the frame of the car in front of the front tires, but attach it with bushings in such a way that it can rotate. Now attach arms from the rod to the front suspension member on both sides.
When you go into a turn now, the front suspension member of the outside of the turn gets pushed upward. The arm of the sway bar gets pushed upward, and this applies torsion to the rod. The torsion them moves the arm at the other end of the rod, and this causes the suspension on the other side of the car to compress as well. The car’s body tends to stay flat in the turn.
If you don’t have a stabilizer bar, you tend to have a lot of trouble with body roll in a turn. If you have too much stabilizer bar, you tend to lose independence between the suspension members on both sides of the car. When one wheel hits a bump, the stabilizer bar transmits the bump to the other side of the car as well, which is not what you want. The ideal is to find a setting that reduces body roll but does not hurt the independence of the tires.