The Great Debate - Is Drifting motorsport?

[Dutton]

Originally Posted by alfacors

Whether you like it or not, whether you consider it a motorsport or not, it's here and here to stay.

I agree, and I, for one, think it is great that it so!

[BigDaddy]

Originally Posted by alfacors

Drifting is motorsport. It involves cars, it involves racetracks, and it involves a winner. Therefore it is motorsport. What is NOT, is motor RACING.

and FWIW, I am heavily involved in the Drift scene in NSW, with ties to Initial Drift Australia (the first CAMS affiliated Drift Club in the country) as well as the Drift Australia (National) Series. I am a circuit racer at heart though (albeit not a very good one!) and that is where my allegiances lie, but Drift is an emerging sport and is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. I've seen it grow from a demo at a Procar event in 2004 through to a National Championship the following year, to this year's Championships with double the fields of 2005 (and with a wait list for entries!).

Whether you like it or not, whether you consider it a motorsport or not, it's here and here to stay.

You don't have anything to do with the running of the DA events do you? Wayne??

[nickyf1]

Originally Posted by Slippy Diff

That's drifting.

is it posible to have that as an avatar?

[Dutton]

Well, I just gave it a go...but it would only show a still of the first frame in avatar form.

[alfacors]

Originally Posted by BigDaddy

You don't have anything to do with the running of the DA events do you? Wayne??

LOL, I'm not Wayne, but you will see me at Eastern Creek this weekend shooting the DA Series

[Alan Cherry]

Not a sport, but that is not mean't to say it has any less value - I wish I could drift like some of the demo's iv'e seen on TV. However IMHO a sport is the quickest/longest/highest and the words subjective and objective appear in the argument somewhere.
However half the sports in the Olympics don't fall within my Criteria of sport- so what do I know ?
It has a valid place in entertainment, and for those taking part- no reason why it shouldn't be mixed with more 'traditional' motorsport though !

[Phil Morrison]

What an interesting read!! . I haven't got an hour to sit and read every post, but from scanning through, I've got to say that I'm refreshed to see that there are finally some positive comments coming from people involved in other forms of motorsports.
It's nice to see that we are starting to get comments from people who have actually seen drifting. Instead of just the usual 'I don't know anything about it, so it must just be about kids wearing hoodies pulling the handbrake in carparks' attitude that is all to common.

I am the current number one in the D1GB which is Europes premiere drift championship, and I'd just like to offer my services here if anyone has any questions on drifting ..
I've got a few replys for some of the people have commented on this thread, who have obviously not been to a drift even.
I'm still ammused by people thinking that we don't go fast.. Just to let you know, the original layout we used at Rockingham for round one, involved an initiation on corner four at around 130mph. yes that is forcing the car to go to the lock stops at around 130mph.. We enter Silverstones Brooklands and 110mph sideways with a couple of feet between us.. Drifting is fast, and it's not for the faint hearted.

We've got drivers from all other forms of motorsports coming over to drifting, and the attitude is often that they think they will jump in a full works car, and kick our arses, as driftings easy.. isn't it?????
The latest driver to do this was Tiff Needel, who hopped into one of the most competitive cars this season for 2 rounds. This is one of the most famous people for going sideways in this country. He's a great bloke, and really seemed to enjoy himself, but didn't once qualify for the top 16 (and don't believe everything that you see on television )..In reality it's not as simple as that. Yes there is an element of car setup involved in being at the top, but it's nothing like alot of other forms of motorsport where development time, equipment, and lets face it money have a very large sway on finishing position. Driver skill prevails.

For the record, even at the top level, we don't take drifting too seriously. It is entertainment, but then so is any other motorsport, and yes drifting is a motorsport.
Build yourself a car, get yourself a license, and come and feel the atmosphere on the startline, witness the commeradery if anyone has a car problem etc. But most importantly I defy anyone to not get out of the car grinning after their first succesfull run .

[touringlegend]

Hi Phil nice post.


I was at Knockhill the day after the Drift event there and was impressed by how well prepared the cars looked in the awning (and the track action!) - not sure if you stayed on for that - I think the lightning nearly killed us all that day!

[nickyf1]

I will see if I can get to the D1GB Next year.

[Phil Morrison]

Originally Posted by touringlegend

Hi Phil nice post.


I was at Knockhill the day after the Drift event there and was impressed by how well prepared the cars looked in the awning (and the track action!) - not sure if you stayed on for that - I think the lightning nearly killed us all that day!

Hi I was just there the day before for the D1GB round 3, we decided to go back, as we had the whole trade stand set up, and nobody in Scotland buys anything .
It's a shame you didn't get to see the Saturday, as the Sunday only had a couple of the professionals stay on as far as I know, and the battle drift on the Sunday was some of the best we have done..
Knockhill was an absolutely awesome track, it required some serious faith initiating the drift at around 110mph with the completely blind falling right hander

[touringlegend]

I sort of know what you mean. It seems daunting enough at 45mph in an Ibiza Cupra. Pointing ahead!

[s-crutineer]

I've been involved in driftracing this year as an official.
Before my first event My only impression was from seeing a demo but TBH it really dosn't show it at its best .
I can honestly say that IMHO it's a motorport that should have a huge future! Certainly some of the closest and most exciting i've ever seen.... and as a scrut.. i see many events. Dont judge it from a demo or even worse from the idea of a "chav" handbraking a car round a carpark - the reality is very different!
what does sadden me is all the bickering like in here ..... surely we should all be united with a love of motorsport against numpties that would want to stop it rather than bickering about a definition of whats motorsport / racing etc?

Oh well .... where did I put my probans? I feel a flaming approaching and on my first post as well

[turbodrift]

Myself and my team have worked very hard to establish the sport of drifting in the UK. I have worked with instructors from silverstone and other venues to help them understand the ins and outs of this crazy sport. With entry of the D1 who use the race circuits it has shown that it can put back the excitment and fun of motor sport. No one can deny that motor sport has lost popularity in some sectors over the last few years.

Drifting will put back this wow factor and compliment some other types of motor sport. More race tracks are willing to work with us as we have proved we are a profesional organisation with Health & safety a priority however you can still have fun and excitment within the rules.

The €urodrift series acts as a feeder for new talent to go into D1 we tend to use more technical tracks like Teeside Autodrome and other Go-Kart circuits plus airfields around the UK.

I believe it is here to stay as a different form of motor sport entertainment.

www.eurodrift.com
www.driftuk.co.uk
www.driftskool.co.uk

[Al Weyman]

I was reading somewhere that drifters fully lock thier diffs, is this true and if so do they still use them on the road?

[turbodrift]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

I was reading somewhere that drifters fully lock thier diffs, is this true and if so do they still use them on the road?

Some drifters do fully lock their diffs some do use them on the roads

[dazbaz_99]

Drifting IMO is motorsport yes, its driver and machine against other competitors therefore I think it should be counted.

[Al Weyman]

Originally Posted by turbodrift

Some drifters do fully lock their diffs some do use them on the roads

That must be fun chirping the rears on the road at every corner Isnt a full locked diff on a road car illegal in some parts.

[turbodrift]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

That must be fun chirping the rears on the road at every corner Isnt a full locked diff on a road car illegal in some parts.

they are not illegal however i personnally dont think they shoud use them on the road as at high speed i have seen them blow.

[Al Weyman]

If you weld the spiders up thats what will happen, much safer to fit a spool, you won't break one of them!

[Slippy Diff]

Originally Posted by Phil Morrison

What an interesting read!! . I haven't got an hour to sit and read every post, but from scanning through, I've got to say that I'm refreshed to see that there are finally some positive comments coming from people involved in other forms of motorsports.
It's nice to see that we are starting to get comments from people who have actually seen drifting. Instead of just the usual 'I don't know anything about it, so it must just be about kids wearing hoodies pulling the handbrake in carparks' attitude that is all to common.

I am the current number one in the D1GB which is Europes premiere drift championship, and I'd just like to offer my services here if anyone has any questions on drifting ..
I've got a few replys for some of the people have commented on this thread, who have obviously not been to a drift even.
I'm still ammused by people thinking that we don't go fast.. Just to let you know, the original layout we used at Rockingham for round one, involved an initiation on corner four at around 130mph. yes that is forcing the car to go to the lock stops at around 130mph.. We enter Silverstones Brooklands and 110mph sideways with a couple of feet between us.. Drifting is fast, and it's not for the faint hearted.

We've got drivers from all other forms of motorsports coming over to drifting, and the attitude is often that they think they will jump in a full works car, and kick our arses, as driftings easy.. isn't it?????
The latest driver to do this was Tiff Needel, who hopped into one of the most competitive cars this season for 2 rounds. This is one of the most famous people for going sideways in this country. He's a great bloke, and really seemed to enjoy himself, but didn't once qualify for the top 16 (and don't believe everything that you see on television )..In reality it's not as simple as that. Yes there is an element of car setup involved in being at the top, but it's nothing like alot of other forms of motorsport where development time, equipment, and lets face it money have a very large sway on finishing position. Driver skill prevails.

For the record, even at the top level, we don't take drifting too seriously. It is entertainment, but then so is any other motorsport, and yes drifting is a motorsport.
Build yourself a car, get yourself a license, and come and feel the atmosphere on the startline, witness the commeradery if anyone has a car problem etc. But most importantly I defy anyone to not get out of the car grinning after their first succesfull run .

Nicely put. I don't doubt that there is a great deal of speed and talent involved, for the whole issue is that it's a judged 'sport'. One judge thinks you did a great job, another thinks you didn't who's right?

[alfacors]

There is no "right" in a judged sport. Look at the top level judges they use for the Olympics etc, and look at the wildly varying scores they give out. It's human nature.

[Slippy Diff]

Originally Posted by alfacors

There is no "right" in a judged sport.

I was asking rhetorically.

[alfacors]

A lot of people don't think of it in a rhetorical sense though. It's weird that guys who compete in a subjectively judged competition still don't understand the nature of subjective judging.......

[Dutton]

If drifting gets popular enough, TC might be introduced for safety reasons.

[Captain VXR]

I doubt it - the roll cages in EDC cars are very well built and thick and also race car spec safety devices are used eg emergency engine cut off so the driver has nearly as much protection as a BTCC car