This blog started 3 months ago and it's still growing. I have a lot more to teach about drifting and I only covered as much as I could in the short of months that I been blogging. Rest assured that you will find more useful skills and techniques that I will teach you and I'm very grateful that I can help you learn how to drift.
If you're new to drifting, I suggest you check my older posts for more information about learning how to drift and I hope you find this useful and every way. Like I mentioned many times is that practice is crucial to get better at drifting; with practice comes experience so keep drifting and keep learning. Here in this blog I will provide you with the essential knowledge of drifting. So do your part and start ripping some of those rubbers.
Here are my older posts to check out if your new to Drifting:
- How to Choose a Car For Drifting
- A Pre requisite Before Attempting to Drift
- See How Easily You Can Learn How to Drift
I will post a lot more in the coming year and some of the things you will learn are a bit more technical. Like setting up your car, choosing the right tires, suspension, and many more. So buckle down and get ready for more learning because I will do a massive brain dump and you can profit from it by just reading this blog.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tracks in California
If you're from California, then you should have a good I idea of places where you can drift. If not then I will list the 2 tracks that I go to all the time to practice drifting. One of the tracks that I know of is in Sonoma, this place is close to the golden gate bridge. Yes, this place is in San Francisco, and the name of the race track is Infineon raceway.
The other race track that I go to as well is in Rosamond, which is close to Mojave desert. The race track is close by the desert and the track is called Willows Spring. These two race tracks are the tracks I go to, to practice drifting. I will give you an overview of how amazing these tracks are and why I recommend them to you.
Let start of with the Willows Spring Circuit, this place is just the places we need when you're trying to practice drifting. There are a lot of run off areas in which you can use just in case you make a mistake. The long straight is about half a mile, which leads to castrol corner where your entry speed will very high. This is essential to gauge your skill by controlling a drift in a fast and precise action. Turn two is the rabbits ear and it's a hairpin, a very long right hander hair pin that is challenging. This corner will test you on how long you can hold the drift. I suggest going in as deep as possible and start your drift mid way through the corner to completely clear the corner.
Turn 3 is a left hander that connects to turn 4 with a right hander, These to corners are a left and a right which makes it a S bend. This corner can test your control of the drift by switching left to right. Turn 5 is a another left hander and then to the morade ridge which is turn 6. From turn 6 all the way to 7 is a slightly bent straight. Try to do some freestyle drifting in the straights so you can see how well you can manage to do it. Then a fast sweeper in turn 8, try going fast before the turn then before the corner; initiate the drift to clear the corner. Turn 9 is another fast corner which lead to the main straight, this is it try your best drift to clear the corner to ensure some praise from the people watching, yay...not.
Overall this place is fantastic and you'll meet a lot of drifters and car enthusiast, some are expert and some who are beginners just like you. This a perfect place to hone your skills and get social with other people who has the same hobby as you.
Finally the Infineon race track is another place where you can hone and perfect your skills in drifting. If you're from the northern California, you should check it out and see for yourself that this place is an amazing race track. This track consist of a lot of challenging corners and a lot of elevation. This circuit is longer and bigger than the Willows Spring so expect to see a lot of people as well. I won't go in much detail in describing this track because experiencing it is much better.
I will try and give you more updates on the race track that I go to so you can try it out yourselves. But these two circuits are the ones, especially the Willows Spring where you'll see a lot of drifters such as yourself. Have fun and good luck to your drifting endeavor.
The other race track that I go to as well is in Rosamond, which is close to Mojave desert. The race track is close by the desert and the track is called Willows Spring. These two race tracks are the tracks I go to, to practice drifting. I will give you an overview of how amazing these tracks are and why I recommend them to you.
Let start of with the Willows Spring Circuit, this place is just the places we need when you're trying to practice drifting. There are a lot of run off areas in which you can use just in case you make a mistake. The long straight is about half a mile, which leads to castrol corner where your entry speed will very high. This is essential to gauge your skill by controlling a drift in a fast and precise action. Turn two is the rabbits ear and it's a hairpin, a very long right hander hair pin that is challenging. This corner will test you on how long you can hold the drift. I suggest going in as deep as possible and start your drift mid way through the corner to completely clear the corner.
Turn 3 is a left hander that connects to turn 4 with a right hander, These to corners are a left and a right which makes it a S bend. This corner can test your control of the drift by switching left to right. Turn 5 is a another left hander and then to the morade ridge which is turn 6. From turn 6 all the way to 7 is a slightly bent straight. Try to do some freestyle drifting in the straights so you can see how well you can manage to do it. Then a fast sweeper in turn 8, try going fast before the turn then before the corner; initiate the drift to clear the corner. Turn 9 is another fast corner which lead to the main straight, this is it try your best drift to clear the corner to ensure some praise from the people watching, yay...not.
Overall this place is fantastic and you'll meet a lot of drifters and car enthusiast, some are expert and some who are beginners just like you. This a perfect place to hone your skills and get social with other people who has the same hobby as you.
Finally the Infineon race track is another place where you can hone and perfect your skills in drifting. If you're from the northern California, you should check it out and see for yourself that this place is an amazing race track. This track consist of a lot of challenging corners and a lot of elevation. This circuit is longer and bigger than the Willows Spring so expect to see a lot of people as well. I won't go in much detail in describing this track because experiencing it is much better.
I will try and give you more updates on the race track that I go to so you can try it out yourselves. But these two circuits are the ones, especially the Willows Spring where you'll see a lot of drifters such as yourself. Have fun and good luck to your drifting endeavor.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Understeer & Oversteer
The top portion is showing understeer. Check the red Ford Focus going off, that's what you call understeer. While on the other hand, the bottom picture shows you oversteer. Look at the red car again on the bottom pic. and you'll see that the back end of it is sliding out, and that my friend is oversteer.
So whats the difference? It's very simple and straightforward... when you encounter understeer. Your car is trying to go outward instead of the inside line. This means that if you are turning left on fast left hander corner, when you're turning suddenly your cars direction starts to move outward. You were aiming at the inside line of the left hand corner, but your car's front end starts to move towards the gravel. To sum it all up, you turn your car, but won't turn to where you want it to turn.
Oversteer is when the back end of your car starts to slide off first causing a powerslide if you can hold it. This is much better than the understeer because you have a chance to correct the error, and sometimes it can lead to a faster time. The overteer is desirable when you're trying to drift because if you want to drift; you start off with the oversteer and then hold the slide for a while and it will be a stupendous drift if you can hold the oversteer for a long time.
Front wheel drive cars tend to understeer alot while rear wheel drive cars tend to oversteer. This will only happen when you push the cars to the limit.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Street Knowledge of Uphill and Downhill
When racing uphill, turbo cars are the best and mostly suited for the job; however when it comes to downhill. The race will be decided on who has the most guts and skill to cope with the danger of driving downhill. Because driving downhill is dangerous and even though you have plenty of power in your car. You won't be able to use it all when it comes to downhill.
So why is it that the car with a turbo will do a much better job than natural aspirated car. Because when driving uphill, the more torque in your car, the better. Also the more power you have, the better because your exit after the corner will be much faster. Naturally if you bring a car with no turbo againts the which has turbo. Then the turbo car will be thrashing the naturally aspirated car. Not unless the NA car has more power than turbo car and it has a perfect balance in that car.
With Downhill you need a light and agile car to quickly go through the corner. You don't need a lot of power because you got the gravity to push you down. Or should I say the inertia of the car when going downhill will provide adequate speed. Going downhill is a much tougher race when compairing with the uphill race because you are now going much faster and you'll feel more pressure because you're going downhill. There is a possibility of you falling off the mountain and god knows what will happen to you. It takes a lot to master going downhill because yo will need a lot of courage and skills to master going downhill.
Obviously if you want to trash your opponent in both session of uphill and downhill battle. You'll need a car that is light with plenty of power, good suspension set up, brakes, and a perfectly balance car. You see when you have a perfecly balance car, you have a bit of everything that I mentioned above. Naturally you'll have your uses for more power when going uphill and the lightness of your car will help immensely because you have more control of your car. Heavier cars are hard to control at the limit.
Once you have a perfectly balance car, you now possess a car which can go fast in either uphill and downhill. A perfecly balance car will do even better when going downhill because of the light weight and agility of the car. With the surge of power here in there, you have a car that is very competitive and you can challenge a lot of people who has a much faster car.
So why is it that the car with a turbo will do a much better job than natural aspirated car. Because when driving uphill, the more torque in your car, the better. Also the more power you have, the better because your exit after the corner will be much faster. Naturally if you bring a car with no turbo againts the which has turbo. Then the turbo car will be thrashing the naturally aspirated car. Not unless the NA car has more power than turbo car and it has a perfect balance in that car.
With Downhill you need a light and agile car to quickly go through the corner. You don't need a lot of power because you got the gravity to push you down. Or should I say the inertia of the car when going downhill will provide adequate speed. Going downhill is a much tougher race when compairing with the uphill race because you are now going much faster and you'll feel more pressure because you're going downhill. There is a possibility of you falling off the mountain and god knows what will happen to you. It takes a lot to master going downhill because yo will need a lot of courage and skills to master going downhill.
Obviously if you want to trash your opponent in both session of uphill and downhill battle. You'll need a car that is light with plenty of power, good suspension set up, brakes, and a perfectly balance car. You see when you have a perfecly balance car, you have a bit of everything that I mentioned above. Naturally you'll have your uses for more power when going uphill and the lightness of your car will help immensely because you have more control of your car. Heavier cars are hard to control at the limit.
Once you have a perfectly balance car, you now possess a car which can go fast in either uphill and downhill. A perfecly balance car will do even better when going downhill because of the light weight and agility of the car. With the surge of power here in there, you have a car that is very competitive and you can challenge a lot of people who has a much faster car.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Mountain Racing - Uphill & Downhill Battle
Ever seen the anime called Initial D? If you've seen it, then you'll know that those cars in Initial D races in the mountains. Basically drifting really started out in the mountains where many of the street racers (hashiriya) raced their cars uphill and downhill.
When the racers line up their car to each other; one car would lead the other would follow. The one who's following will have to stick to the leading car to win, if the car that is chasing is left behind, then he loses. Same goes to the lead car, if he can't shake off his chaser, then he loses.
The First run would be a uphill battle and the two cars have to reach the peak in able to reach the goal. Then comes the downhill where bravery kicks in and no holds bar. These mountain racing takes place in a remote mountains where there is no cops that will come around and apprehend the street racers. It's one of the most dangerous street racing that there was because you have plenty of chances of falling off all the way down the ravine. There's a lot of mountains where there's no guardrail and chances are higher of you falling off.
Still there is people who would risk their lives to live the moment of adrenalin rush in mountain racing. People who are aspiring racers but could not afford to go the track or just wanting to have some fun racing in the mountains. You just can't help the street racers that wants to just have a good racing in the mountains and learn first hand racing in their own cars.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
A Word Of Warning Before Attempting to Drift
Safety is of a paramount when you are involve in any motor sports. Drifting is not what you call safe, that would be absurd, many racers are risk takers, but you don't need to put yourself in danger when trying to drift.
When you start out drifting, find a place that that has alot of space for errors, like a big parking lot or a secluded area where there's no police that comes around. You need all the space because if you do make a mistake; you'll have plenty of room to recover.
Also before you choose a car on which you will use for drifting. It's important that you realize that the car you're going to use will get damaged. So don't get emotionally attached to the car that you will be drifting because it will get damage, and don't even bother putting any bodykits because, you'll be wasting your money.
Start off with a junky car which has rear wheel driver and a manual transmission. You can use this car to polish up your skills and get better at handling it sideways. At least if you wreck the junky car that your practicing on, you won't be angry and irritated about it.
Stick with this rule and your drifting quest will be much safer and easier that way.
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Jargons of Drifting
Jargon - language that is used primarily in certain profession, medicine, automotive industry, and etc. All these professions used certain words that is unknown to the person who's never been in any particular field.
That is my version of that vocabulary, now I'm not here to teach English 1o1 to you but it's important that you know some of the words primarily use in drifting.
Powerslide: The American way of drifting, specifically the name the English people use to describe drifting.
Drift: Obviously I'm not going to claim that the Japanese called this at first, but they refer to a car sliding through corners drifting.
Figure 8: If you havent gone through my post of "prerequisite before attempting to drift" then I suggest you check it out. Figure 8 is just as the name says, your making a figure 8 on the tarmac through the tires of your car. A good way to practicing the basics before drifting.
Hachiroku: If your new to drifting and Japanese people refer to their car by the body type. Hachi Roku literally means 8-6 so the AE86 is referring to the Toyota trueno or levin.
Angle: When you drift your car there is angle which tells how sideways your car is. So basically the more angle you have the more points you'll get from the judges after drifting through the course.
I'll stop there, I could go on and on about the terminology but I don't want you to fill your head with too much jargon's. I'll post more drifting terminology on the later post.
That is my version of that vocabulary, now I'm not here to teach English 1o1 to you but it's important that you know some of the words primarily use in drifting.
Powerslide: The American way of drifting, specifically the name the English people use to describe drifting.
Drift: Obviously I'm not going to claim that the Japanese called this at first, but they refer to a car sliding through corners drifting.
Figure 8: If you havent gone through my post of "prerequisite before attempting to drift" then I suggest you check it out. Figure 8 is just as the name says, your making a figure 8 on the tarmac through the tires of your car. A good way to practicing the basics before drifting.
Hachiroku: If your new to drifting and Japanese people refer to their car by the body type. Hachi Roku literally means 8-6 so the AE86 is referring to the Toyota trueno or levin.
Angle: When you drift your car there is angle which tells how sideways your car is. So basically the more angle you have the more points you'll get from the judges after drifting through the course.
I'll stop there, I could go on and on about the terminology but I don't want you to fill your head with too much jargon's. I'll post more drifting terminology on the later post.
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