Drifting. Hundreds of young guys who don't even have their license yet proclaim their ability to perform quality drifts or desire to be awesome drifters. We read about it constantly on the forums these days and it is starting to break through as a recognised form of motorsport in Australia, but what is it?

You could call it the automotive equivalent of rhythmic gymnastics or ice dancing. Showiness and style are at least as important as speed if not more so.

BUT WHAT IS IT?!?

Drifting is a style of driving around a circuit with the car sliding as much as possible for as much of the lap as possible, all the way around every corner and even on the straights.



If you're old enough to remember the top level rally cars of the 1970s and early 80s (basically pre-4WD) you probably remember the dramatic footage of the cars sliding sideways through forests and mountain passes. For the drivers of those cars it was the quickest way to get through an unfamiliar corner: slide into the corner until you're lined up with the exit and then power out.

The rally drivers had a number of techniques for inducing the slides. They included jumping on the brakes just after turning in, reefing on the handbrake, inducing momentary engine lock-up by using the clutch and/or changing gear, good old flooring the accelerator mid-corner and most famously, the Scandinavian flick. It was this sort of driving that attracted crowds to Rallying. That and the fact that when it goes wrong the results can be spectacular.

Modern drifting uses all of these techniques in cars modified specifically for the purpose. Rally cars needed long travel, compliant suspension to soak up bumps on gravel and dirt roads. Drift cars compete on race tracks with smooth surfaces and have almost no suspension travel. Uncontrollable weight transfer through the suspension and the car flexing is the drifter's enemy.



Drift cars are generally set up with a stiff spring/damper combination to help control the weight transfer, provide good front-end grip and quick steering response, with the overall chassis balance and predictability being more important than anything else. A proper drift car should be flexible enough to switch it's steer characteristic at the driver's whim. A dab of the throttle here, a touch of the brakes there... Drifting is not about power. Any car with a properly set up suspension, and a half decent power to weight ratio should be able to perform well in skilled hands.

The man credited with starting the modern Drift movement is Japanese racing driver Keiichi Tsuchiya. He was going badly in a race one day so he decided to entertain the spectators by throwing his car sideways through the corners. The crowd were suitably entertained and a new sport was born.

Tsuchiya reputedly learned his skills by throwing mid-80s RWD Toyotas around Japanese mountain roads. This formed the basis for the now famous Japanese animation series Initial D.

Drifting (or Dorifto) is now huge in Japan and fast gaining popularity in the west. It ranges from the ultra professional D1 league supported by component manufacturers down to illegal, late night street meets in industrial areas and on the mountain roads. Front engined, rear wheel drive cars dominate the sport and the most successful manufacturer has been Nissan with the turbocharged Silvia and 180SX series of sports coupes.



Drifting is not a form of motorsport that will challenge any of the traditional types of racing for overall speed. Drift is all about having fun and putting on a good show.