Drift - What is it?

Drift

Drift

Drift (drifting) means a specific driving style in which the rear end of the vehicle is controlled "drifting" when driving. Another definition that can describe this specific sport is the attractive lateral sliding of the complete vehicle and its rear, initiated by the driver, which accurately crosses a certain road configuration and track length.

Drift

Drift

Drift can be practiced in different forms and locations. In addition to official competitions and trails specifically designed for this sport, it is often the case that riders have fun and ride in so-called "free style" when driving on winding roads with lots of ascents and effective curves. Often, there are illegal rides where most of the drivers are involved.

What gives a special attractiveness and sense of maximum control of the vehicle on the track is the fact that the vehicle slides from one to the other in series, and the attachment of all passing through curves is like a "graceful dance" of the vehicle.

Drift

Drift history

Like everything else, drift history and roots have been transmitted to the public in various forms for a long time. To say exactly where it all began is analogous to looking for a needle in a haystack, especially when one considers the "drifting technique" itself that dates back to the mid-1950s.

What we know about its origins is that the Japanese have played a very important role in popularizing this technique, so much so that drift has become one of the most popular routes in the automotive competitions of today. Unlike other forms of drift racing, it doesn't matter too much who will reach the finish first, how important is whose gume that the dime is highest, who will be more precise, faster in the curve, etc.

Drift

The most important things in the competition are the line of motion, angle of movement, speed of movement, as well as the "show factor". For the uninitiated, the "line of movement" is pre-determined by the referees before the competition and based on that, the number of points is determined depending on whether the drifter has taken the proper position. "Angle of movement" is the angle of the car at which it is positioned during drift. "Speed ​​of movement" is the speed at which the car turns, at which it passes through the turn, and the speed at which it ends. Needless to say, as with any competition with powerful cars, the faster the car gets curved, the "show factor" is greater, and the judges and the audience are more impressed. This factor is essentially the most important part of drifting. This is influenced, among other things, by the amount of tire smoke burned, how the car moves along the track in the most risky ways, and how the audience responds to the driver's performance.

Drift

From its humble beginnings in the land of the rising sun to the world phenomenon it is today, drift has become a popular sport, followed by millions of fans who are very pleased to watch the skilled drivers as well as their specially prepared vehicles blossom.

As a sport, drift pulls its roots from Japan, along with one driver who was credited with propagating and popularizing this specific driving technique. His name is Kunimitsu Takahashi, a famous Japanese motorcycle rider and rider who has also gained popularity for his drift techniques. In his time, he competed in the All Japan Touring Car Championship. Takahashi was known for his exceptional skill in drifting all the way through the complete angle of the track (inner curves), keeping his speed constant until he exited. This skill has earned him several championships, but also a large number of fans who have paid a lot of attention to the whole spectacle, due in large part to his attractiveness and smoky tires to bursting.

Drift

Takahashi's drift technique attracted the attention of Keiichi Tsuchiye, who would later gain fame as the "Drift King." Seeing how Takahashi handles vehicle and all drift techniques very well, Tsuchiya decides to work on his refinement to become one of the most famous drifters on the planet. Tsuchiya began practicing his drifting techniques on Japan's mountain roads, and quickly gained a reputation throughout the racing milieu.

In 1987, several car magazines and a tuning garage agreed to make a video of Tsuchiy's drift techniques. The video known as "Pluspy" has become a hit and has inspired many of today's professional drift drivers. He also drifted through every bend of the Tsukuba Circuit in Japan.

With the spread of the new auto drift "love affair" among the Japanese people, and with the growing growth of amateur drift racing, Tsuchuiya, with the help of Dajido Inad, founder of the Tokyo Auto Salon, organized the D1 Grand Prix, the first major automobile drift series held in Japan in 2001.

While drift quickly became a popular sport in Japan, to the extent that several solo drift competitions were organized throughout Japan, the sport also found its way to the western shores, especially in California, where the first drift competition was held outside Japan in 1996. .

Drift

The race took place at Willow Springs Raceway in Willow Springs, California, where Dajido Inada, one of the founders of the D1 Grand Prix, hosted the competition. Two future drift stars Rhys Millen and Bryan Norris also participated in this competition. From that moment on, the drift swept the West Coast into one of the most popular forms of car racing. The moment Inada and Tsuchiya started the D1 Grand Prix, it also blossomed into many other world-class competitions held around the world, including Formula D in America, NZ Drift Series in New Zealand, Nordic Drifting Series in Europe, Red Bull Drifting Championship , KOE and many others.

Although drift does not have the grandeur of Formula One, or a spectacle like NASCAR, its popularity has encouraged a new generation of young boys (and girls) drifters to master this skill in every part of the world. It is hard to believe that the first officially organized drift competition took place ten years ago, with the sport now attracting not only spectators but also a huge number of young drivers, which is a true proof that drifting is a sport that has not yet shown its full potential. He will grow in popularity year by year.

The rules of drift

The rules for scoring in drift competitions vary from event to event, but the basic elements are largely the same. As an example, in our case we will take the Serbian Drift Championship, a competition that takes place in our country.

According to the rules that were in force last season (2013), the following points are scored:

- Angle
- The speed of passing a curve
- Precision
- General impression (Smoke, waving, flashing)
- Ideal route (drift break)
- Start of drift

Angle: Maximum 10 points per lap for the highest possible angle of vehicle.

Speed: Maximum 10 points per round. It is scored according to the characteristics of the car.

Precision: Maximum of 10 points per cone to be scored. 10 points for up to 30cm proximity to a cone. One point is deducted for each additional 10 cm. For example, 50cm of cone is 8 points for that cone. 3 points are deducted for each mowed cone.

Overall impression: A maximum of 5 points per round. The judge judges the amount of drift and the visual effect according to the characteristics of the car.

Ideal path: Maximum 10 points per round. Points are deducted for each drift break. For the whole lap without breaking the drift 10 points.

Start of drift: In the event that the driver does not start the drift at the intended place before the first curve, he will be deducted 5 points.

Drift

Za Twin drift (drift with two drivers on the track), special rules apply, which you can see in the rulebook. At such events, a safety factor is very important, and there is a specific code of conduct and rules applicable to all drivers to reduce the risk of adverse events. All cars participating in the competition must comply with certain technical regulations that have been defined. In addition to the obligations placed on riders, a great burden falls on the back of the organizers of such an event in our country, as it often boils down to the factor of volunteerism and organization for the love of the sport, which unfortunately, as well as most of those used wheels in our country is marginalized and no attention is paid to it.

We hope that drift events will take place in our country and surroundings so that we are not deprived of another source of positive driving energy and companionship with four-wheelers in the right style.

PHOTO: TDB Archive, revivalsportscars.com, driftmission.com, wall4all.me, hdwallpaperview.com
Written by: Milan Stankovic
Retrieved from: www.triodriver.com


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