The Great Debate - Is Drifting motorsport?

[ae86James]

First of all, Apologies for bringing a thread back where the last reply was in May! But there are some interesting points of view from lots of people on here. So I felt like I wanted to add to it all!

I partially agree with the above from NaBUru38. Drifting can never been seen as "racing" as it obviously isn't. But I think it should definitely be known as a motorsport. It's a very competitive sport involving cars! There are some fantastic championships running in the UK at the moment run by some great people who really want to help Drifting develop over here.

I've always been a fan of motorsports and during my short 22 year life I have struggled to find a motorsport that I felt I could "get into". I first got into Drifting a relatively short time ago in about 2007 when I realised it wasn't anything like the fast & the furious Tokyo drift film at all and it was actually quite cool! Watching a mate of mine taking it to the big power Nissan’s in a Toyota from the 80's was the coolest thing I’d seen since watching videos of Bob Burnquist skateboarding when I was 12! I found out that it wasn't hard to get involved and get out there enjoying the cars & sport. So here I am now a few years on enjoying my 86 with all my mates! :]

I have major respect for all the drivers of BDC, JDM all-stars, EDC etc. As they all drive seriously hard for no real reward other than enjoying their cars & to help push drifting to new levels. The past year or so the quality of the cars has also improved vastly and some are now professional builds with some serious work going into them, Such as Phil Morrison’s Driftworks S15.

I'm a avid fan of Drifting here in the UK and will be for a long time to come. Well organised practice days for the guys who just want to have fun & very well organised events catering for different driver abilities. It's a form of motorsport that can't be ruled out because it isn't a "race".

[RF_Racer]

I thinking drifting is entertainment or a performance than a sport, much in the way people go to a circus to see various tricks. As someone mentioned its up to judges to decide at the end of the run. Some are very skilled at what they do you have to respect that.

At the end of the day each to their own, but drifting is not something that really excites me. Seeing similar Japanese and tuned up cars doing the 1/4 mile is a lot more interesting.. You can easily say that is a sport as there is a out right winner.

[luke g28]

The mental gymnastics in this thread is quite entertaining.

I get the impression that many of the people claiming drifting is not a motorsport are the ones that have never gone to an event with those that have experience of it more aiming for the "they have lots of skill and its great to watch but its not for me" line rather than "its the same as figure skating"

Originally Posted by RF_Racer

thinking drifting is entertainment or a performance than a sport

One of the biggest themes in F1 at the moment is improving the spectacle for the fans, making it more exciting. F1 is often referred to as being a "show". Ultimately if the sport / race is not entertaining then few people will pay to watch it.

Drifting is almost completely crowd orientated, its all about the spectacle. I often explain it to people as; the part of a track where the crowd gathers because it sees the most action, but instead of being a gravel trap and a wall away from the track you are 3-6 feet away.

Originally Posted by RF_Racer

You can easily say that is a sport as there is a out right winner.

There is an out right winner.

Believe it or not you win the event by having the quickest car with the most grip and being able to push to the limit consistently.

Doesn't sound hugely different to any other form of motorsport really does it?

What you may not realise is that to win the event drivers participate in twin drifting, i.e. 2 cars go out at once with the looser being knocked out of the competition. The winner of each round is the one that is the quickest across the course. If the leader is caught by the following car then clearly the following car is the quickest and progresses, if the leader pulls away from the following car then they progress.

These aren't shonky cars doing rolling burnouts on budget tyres at 100psi. We are talking about heavily sponsored full competition cars with huge sticky tyres (including cut slicks where allowed) going sideways at more than 100mph over 100 yards before the corner and rubbing the nose of the car on a cone positioned at the apex or the rear quarter along a wall just enough to leave a paint transfer.

The biggest reason to promote drifting though is because it is a great grass roots entrance into motorsport. I see a huge amount of similarity between drifting today and the photos of motorsport back in the 60s - 80s. People tinkering away in their sheds and spare time coming up with all kinds of different innovations and then pushing their creations to the limit on the weekend surrounded by like minded individuals.

Traditional motorsport could learn a huge amount from drifting currently. Motorsport today has become very conservative, very elitist (god I never thought id use that word) and very, very expensive. I would love to get into circuit racing but ultimately I stand little chance of getting to a high level because I wasn't karting before I was walking and that is what is wrong with most motorsport today.

[Matt]

Yeah but it's still judged.

[luke g28]

Originally Posted by Matt

Yeah but it's still judged.

Ive never heard of any race results being changed by marshals. Or anybody being penalised for driving "unfairly." Every motor sport has its specific rules and the competitors have to work within these.

[Matt]

Yeah but those are for driving like an idiot or having illegal parts on the car.

If one judge has a personal beef with a driver, then that's going to carry over into his scores.

[luke g28]

Originally Posted by Matt

Yeah but those are for driving like an idiot or having illegal parts on the car.

If one judge has a personal beef with a driver, then that's going to carry over into his scores.

If one Marshall has personal beef with a driver or team then that's going to carry to the race results. Ferrari international assistance?

Driving like an idiot? I havent seen anybody pulled in for tailgating? Again it is a personal judgement made by a professional team of people. A good example would be Hamilton being penalised for making multiple moves when defending but no action being taken for Vettel making much more aggressive moves off of the start.

Im not trying to debate the validity of the above examples but you can at least appreciate that there is a judgement call to be made by somebody with professional responsibility to apply the rules fairly to all parties?

Besides I cannot imagine that a bent judge would be able to maintain his position for very long as its very obvious which driver was the winner.

Originally Posted by me

The biggest reason to promote drifting though is because it is a great grass roots entrance into motorsport. I see a huge amount of similarity between drifting today and the photos of motorsport back in the 60s - 80s. People tinkering away in their sheds and spare time coming up with all kinds of different innovations and then pushing their creations to the limit on the weekend surrounded by like minded individuals.

Traditional motorsport could learn a huge amount from drifting currently. Motorsport today has become very conservative, very elitist (god I never thought id use that word) and very, very expensive. I would love to get into circuit racing but ultimately I stand little chance of getting to a high level because I wasn't karting before I was walking and that is what is wrong with most motorsport today.

What about this half of my post?

[amidst tundra]

Originally Posted by Matt

Yeah but it's still judged.

Most sports are adjudicated if not judged, referees, umpires, judges etc. How many times have footballers with a reputation been sent off for infractions that would have earned other players a yellow card? Even sanctioned motor races are judged and marshaled. Subjectivity is part and parcel of most sports or competitions.

I can't stand drifting per se, but that is largely due to the attached stigma, but I have the utmost respect for those who take part professionally, I only wish the kids who tried to replicate the pro's had a modicum of sense and took themselves to a track so they could be trained.

[Beetle]

I haven't read any of the responses but I firmly say "NO."

[nuffboost22]

Been reading through this thread and cant help but laugh, so many *****es!
I race an ex BTCC focus in the tin tops and I love the competitive nature of it. I also run a 680bhp 2jz powered 200sx that I love to drift, and when your 'twining' with a driver of a similar standard there is nothing more intense than being locked over on full chat 6 inches from your competitor.
I'd say that they are both forms of motorsport just in their own right they both share the common goal of producing a winner whether by points, knockout stages or by an outright win.
I'm also pretty sure that most on here have never been in a drift car or to a competition so are definitely lacking the credentials to put it down.
I love them both and if I'm honest they actually compliment each other, who is the better driver? the man with one skill or two?

[Matt]

WHY IS THIS THREAD STILL GOING ON.