Drifting

Drifting is unique from other motor sports in that competition is judged rather than timed. While speed is an important component of drifting competitions, the primary judging criteria is how well drivers control their vehicles on short, curvy courses. Though the motion picture The Fast and the Furious and its sequels showcased drifting during illegal street racing, drifting is a major motor sport with national and international professional circuits.

Drifting involves coordinated use of the brake, accelerator and steering wheel while taking a turn at high speed. A vehicle that is drifting will lose traction with the rear wheels as the rear tires continue to spin at high speed. The driver oversteers the vehicle in order to control the rear end of the vehicle and maneuver through the turn. Utilizing drifting allows a driver to exit a turn at a greater speed since the rear wheels are still turning at high speed when they regain traction on the road surface. Drifters usually drive modified, high-performance vehicles that sacrifice the pure power and acceleration of traditional muscle cars for better handling and control.

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Originating in Japan, drifting was first seen as a driving technique used in professional Japanese street racing competitions. Drifting was utilized to make high speed turns without losing control of a vehicle. Squealing and smoking tires were a consequence of this driving technique that added excitement to races, and drifting became popular with both legal and illegal street racers. The popularity of drifting led to amateur drifting competitions held in Japan and later in the United States and Europe. These amateur events eventually evolved into professional drifting circuits.

The D1 Grand Prix (D1GP) hosts events throughout the world and is considered the most prestigious professional drifting circuit. Formula Drift is the primary US-based professional drifting circuit. Specific rules vary between the two circuits, but both run competitions in a similar manner. Qualifying rounds are run individually. Drivers receiving the highest scores move on to the tandem rounds where competitors are pitted against each other in paired runs. Winners of tandem rounds advance while losers are eliminated from competition. Drivers are judged on several criteria that assess a driver’s ability to control their vehicle as well as the flair and excitement of their performance.

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