Rear Tyre

Rear tires are the sacrificial lambs of drifting. These Falkens were brand-new when we started our photography and down to their cords after about 10 runs around the Bondurant track. (Photo courtesy of Randy Lorentzen/Planet R)

Fuel

Drift cars don't need to carry a lot of fuel, but the fuel they do carry needs to be secure and safe. Notice the battery is also mounted in the trunk. (Photo courtesy of Randy Lorentzen/Planet R)

Rear Suspension

The "truck arm"-style rear suspension is similar to that used under NASCAR Nextel Cup cars and based on the rear suspension used under GM half-ton pickup trucks built between 1960 and 1972. (Photo courtesy of Randy Lorentzen/Planet R)

The Engine

While V8s are becoming more and more common in drifting competition, this 468-cubic-inch beast is the only Chevy big-block known to be regularly competing. And it's one of the few using a carburetor. (Photo courtesy of Randy Lorentzen/Planet R)

Present day

Drifting has evolved into a competitive sport where drivers compete in rear-wheel drive cars to keep their cars sideways as long as possible. At the top levels of competition, especially the D1 Grand Prix from Japan and others in Malaysia, Australia, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Formula-D in the United States, and New Zealand, these drivers are able to keep their cars sliding for extended periods of time, often through several turns. Drifting is still not recognised by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) motorsport's governing body, as a professional form of motorsport.
Amateur drifting on public roads is a significant problem in Saudi Arabia.

History

For years people have intentionally used oversteer in motorsports such as dirt track racing, motorcycle speedway, and rallying. Early Grand Prix drivers such as Tazio Nuvolari also used an at-the-limit form of driving called the four-wheel drift. It has also featured prominently in stunt driving and other forms of exhibition.
Modern drifting started out as a racing technique popular in the All Japan Touring Car Championship races over 30 years ago. Motorcycling legend turned driver, Kunimitsu Takahashi, was the foremost creator of drifting techniques in the 1970s. He was famous for hitting the apex (the point where the car is closest to the inside of a turn) at high speed and then drifting through the corner, preserving a high exit speed. This earned him several championships and a legion of fans who enjoyed the spectacle of burning tires.
The bias ply racing tires of the 1960s-1980s lent themselves to driving styles with a high slip angle. As professional racers in Japan drove this way, so did the street racers.
A street racer named Keiichi Tsuchiya became particularly interested by Takahashi's drift techniques. Tsuchiya began practicing his drifting skills on the mountain roads of Japan, and quickly gained a reputation amongst the racing crowd. In 1977, several popular car magazines and tuning garages agreed to produce a video of Tsuchiya's drifting skills. The video, known as Pluspy, became a hit and inspired many of the professional drifting drivers on the circuits today. In 1988, alongside Option magazine founder and chief editor Daijiro Inada, he would help to organize one of the first events specifically for drifting. He also drifted every turn in Tsukuba Circuit in Japan.
One of the earliest recorded drift events outside Japan was in 1996, held at Willow Springs racetrack in California hosted by the Japanese drifting magazine and organisation Option. Inada, the NHRA Funny Car drag racer Kenji Okazaki and Dorikin, who also gave demonstrations in a Nissan 180SX that the magazine brought over from Japan, judged the event with Rhys Millen and Bryan Norris being two of the entrants. [1] Drifting has since exploded into a massively popular form of motorsport in North America, Australia, and Europe. One of the first drifting competitions in Europe was hosted in 2002 by the OPT drift club at Turweston, run by a tuning business called Option Motorsport. The club held a championship called D1UK, then later became the Autoglym Drift Championship. For legal reasons, the business was forced to drop the Option and D1 name. The club has since been absorbed into the D1 franchise as a national series.

Drift Mix

A Limited Slip Differential is key to drift control. Without having LSD, life in the Drifting world is difficult. A LSD drives both rear wheels, so when in a drift the rear end of the car can keep a steady push throughout the corner. A car without LSD will have trouble holding a drift, because one wheel is powering the rear of the car and so ends up dragging the other wheel through the slide scrubbing off speed.

Drift Car Set Up

Here is a example of a camber adjustable upper mount.

• Picture 1 shows negative camber set up for the front suspension. Negative camber gives the front suspension more grip through cornering then the rear. This will produce over steer when entering a corner to help induce a drift and give more control throughout the corner.
• Picture 2 shows almost a strait camber set up with very little negative camber degree. This provides the rear suspension with less grip helping again to produce over steer for easier drifting

The Drift Kingドリキン 土屋圭市 Story!

Keiichi Tsuchiya began racing at a young age as most great drivers do. As he was learning to drive he began experimenting with the side brake or E-brake lever. Sliding the back end of the car out and counter steering was fun and taught him the basics of car control. Unlike many great racecar drivers he did not go to a racing school or have a rich family that was into the racing scene that could nurture his racing talents. He just had the basic passion to drive. Driving through local mountain roads he began to build a sense of where a car needs to be at each turn to achieve maximum speed through a corner. This not being a safe and smart way of learning to race he never the less learned much from running (Touge) mountain pass roads. From time to time he found himself off a cliff with his KPGC10 Skyline or against the side of a wall. Having snow in the wintertime further trained him to drive well on loose surface conditions enhancing again his car control skill. The more he drove on these roads and conditions of various road surfaces he began to get comfortable with sliding the car through a corner. He started to drift not because it was a quicker way around a corner but it was the most exciting way.

Enter the Drift King. Drifting a car through a corner is not the fastest way around most turns any racecar driver will tell you strait out. This is where Keiichi Tsuchiya was crowned the Dori Kin or Drift King. In Option drift contests; style and technique are evaluated for exhibition values. Lately contests have been judged on racing lines and setup for multiple corner drifting, this is more difficult. Back in 1977 Keiichi began his racing career driving many different cars in amateur racing series events. Racing these underpowered cars was difficult but again a great learning experience. Later Keiichi was picked up to drive the ADVAN sponsored AE86/1984 Corolla GT-S. During many races on a downhill corner he would drift the car and carry a better corner speed than his competitors. This technique is what made him the Drift King not as most believe that he was first in the drift scene. As he proved his style of driving his reputation grew. He is a racecar driver now and still takes to the mountains for illegal racing this also made his reputation grow. After videos featuring him and his persistent mountain running/Drifting his driver’s license was suspended! For a professional racecar driver this was embarrassing. Unknowingly this worked to his advantage, his fan base and fame began to expand. You could say that he is a rebel of some sort or because he was just a person who went from nowhere to success out of determination with no racing background. He still has a bond for an old car that he grew up racing, drifting, and winning with, the Toyota AE86. You can see this by his video series dedicated to this car that is called AE86 Club. Toyota itself also felt that he is the person to represent the car most and presented him a restored AE86 through TRD.

(Keiichi as a young fellow would go to Fuji speedway to watch skylines duke it out building him a foundation to get into the racing scene).

Driving History: Keiichi Tsuchiya

Born January 1956

1. 1977 Debut in Fuji Freshman series
2. 1977-1984 Ran selected entries in All Japan Touring Car championship
3. 1984 Fuji Freshman series race (Toyota AE86)= 6 wins
4. 1985 All Japan Touring Car championship (Toyota AE86) 1st in Class 3
5. 1986 Corolla Sprinter Cup-2 podium places
6. 1987 All Japan Touring Car championship (Honda Civic)-1 win
7. 1988 Toyota Cup-1st overall
   All Japan Touring Car championship (BMW M30)-3rd in Class 2
   Macau Guia race (BMW M3)-4th overall
8. 1989 All Japan F3 championship
   All Japan Touring Car championship (Ford Sierra Cosworth)-1 win
9. 1990 All Japan Touring Car championship (Ford Sierra Cosworth)
   Macau Guia race (Ford Sierra Cosworth)
   New Zealand Touring Car series (Toyota)
10. 1991 All Japan F3 championship (Ralt-Mugen)-10th overall
    All Japan Touring Car championship (Nissan Skyline GT-R)-5th overall
11. 1992 All Japan Touring Car championship (Nissan Skyline GT-R)
12. 1993 All Japan Touring Car championship (Taisan Nissan Skyline GT-R)-1 win
    Japan Endurance series (Honda Prelude)-2nd Tsukuba 12 Hours
13. 1994 All Japan GT championship (Porsche 911T)-1 win
    All Japan Touring Car championship (Honda Civic)
    Suzuka 1000kms (Porsche 911T)-1st in class, 2nd overall
    Le Mans 24 Hours (Honda NSX)-18th overall
14. 1995 All Japan GT championship (Porsche911TRSR)
    All Japan Touring Car championship (Honda Civic)
    Suzuka 1000kms (Honda NSX)-5th overall
    Tokachi 12 Hours (Honda NSX)-1st overall
    Le Mans 24 Hours (Honda NSX)-1st in class
15. 1996 All Japan GT championship (Honda NSX)-13th overall
    Entered NASCAR Thunder Special race at Suzuka
    Le mans 24 Hours (Honda NSX)-3rd in class
16. 1997 All Japan GT championship (Porsche 911/Dodge Viper)
    Fuji InterTec race (Toyota Chaser)
    Suzuka 1000kms (Lark McLaren F1 GTR)-9th overall
    Entered NASCAR Thunder Special race at Suzuka
    Le Mans 24 Hours (Lark McLaren F1 GTR)-qualified 10th, retired from race
17. 1998 All Japan Touring Car championship (Toyota Chaser)-7th overall
    All Japan GT championship (Toyota Supra)-8th overall
    Le Mans 24 Hours (Toyota GT-One)-9th overall
    NASCAR at the California Speedway.
18. 1999 Japan Touring Car Championship(Advan Altezza Touring car).
19. 2000-2001 he joined team ARTA racing a NSX once again in the All Japan GT championship.

Keiichi Tsuchiya “Drive by Drift” “It is easy to make plans but difficult to carry them out”

By DCG

What Cars Do They Use?

There are seven cars most commonly used for drifting. The first is the AE86 Levin/Trueno (referred to as a Hachi-Roku), because of it's rear wheel drive lay-out and the fact that it's relatively inexpensive it is probably the most common drifting car. The second and third are the Silvia S13 and S14, which come in two different models: the turbocharged K's and the non-turbo Q's. Because of their high horse power and free-revving enginges they are excellent drifting cars. The third is the 180SX, related mechanically to the Silvia, the only difference is in the body style and the fact that is lighter and has a better front/rear balance ratio. The fifth is the FC3S RX-7. I believe that this would be a more popular pick among drifters if it was not as problematic as it is. The Cefiro is another excellent drifting car. It has a powerful RB20DET engine and good handling characteristics. The last is the Laurel which is also powered by the RB20DET. . Another good drifting car is the Skyline GTS-T which you don't see very often. It has a rear wheel drive layout and boasts a 260hp engine. A car you also don't see very often, but is the epitome of a drifting car, is the Sil-Eighty. It is a hybrid of a Silvia and a 180SX, either with a Silvia S13 front end and a 180SX back or the opposite. Because of their rising popularity Nissan started manufacturing the Sil-Eighty last year.

Where Do They Drift?

There are three places where drifting occurs. The first and probably the most popular is in the mountains (Tohge). Drifters flock to them because they are realtively desolate with few people and they have perfect groups of S turns to test a drifters abilities. This is usually where you will find the hardcore drifters driving Hachi-Roku's without bumpers. The second is what I like to call the docks, but it is also done in isolated parking lots. This is where drifters learn or warm up for the mountains. Last but not least is the circuits. This is where competitions are held and contestants are judged on a specific group of turns on a 100 point scale. Circuits are very popular but are usually only open one day a week (Sunday or Saturday) and you have to pay to get in.

Who Does It?

On the average it is men in their early to late twenties, but more and more often you will see girls participating. There are some older men who do it such as Keiichi Tsuchiya (the drift king) who is in his fifties.

How is it Done?

There are two ways to start a drift. The first is the clutching technique. When approaching a turn the driver will push in the clutch and shift his car into second gear. Then rev the engine up to around 4000-5000 rpm (it all depends all the model of the car being used) and then slightly turn away from the turn and then cut back towards it hard while at the same time popping the clutch and causing the rear wheels to spin. At this point the drifter has a loss of traction and is beginning to slide around the curve. Now comes the hard part. You have to hold the drift until the next turn. To do this you must keep your foot on the accelerator while at the same time adjusting your car with the steering wheel so you don't spin out. It's not as easy as it sounds. Then as the drifter reaches the end of the turn and approaches the next turn which is in the opposite direction he must cut the wheel in that direction and in some cases, if the previous drift was to slow and they start to regain traction, they must pop the clutch again to get the wheels spinning. And that is how you drift a rear wheel drive car.The second technique is used by a few drifters in rear wheel drives, but is the only way you can really drift a front wheel drive. You have to use the side brake. A front wheel drive can not whip it's tail out because the tires are being driven in the front as opposed to the rear. So when approaching a turn you pull the side brake to cause traction loss. And the rest is pretty much the same except that it's much harder to take more than one turn with a front wheel driver .

Drifting Explained!

It seems as if the drifting fever is catching on here in America so Street Racing has asked Ryan Stevens of Velocity Racing Team Japan to give us an in-depth explanantion of the art.

• What Is Drifting?

Basically, drifting is getting your car sideways down a road. It doesn't sound very hard does it? Sounds a lot like power sliding huh? Well it isn't. It's much more complex. Instead of a drifter causing a drift and then countering to straighten out, he will instead over-counter so his car goes into another drift. That is the reason many drifters do it in the mountains, because there are many sharp turns strung together. So in essence a good drifter has the ability to take five or six opposing turns without having traction at any point in time.

The Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift Music Video w/lyrics

*Warnings

• Suspension parts are generally very dirty, and they can be extremely hot. Always allow the vehicle to cool down for at least 4 hours before attempting an inspection.
• Any suspected tire or suspension problem should be looked at right away. It could render the vehicle uncontrollable or unusable.

*Tips

• There should be no detectable play in any part of your suspension system. Finding this usually indicates a problem.
• On cars without rack and pinion steering, the suspension should be greased every time your vehicle has the tires changed or rotated, or every 10,000 - 15,000 miles.
• Press downward with your body weight on one corner of the vehicle. If it bounces more than once, the shock or strut is probably worn and needs replacement soon.
  

How to Inspect Your Suspension System

1. Get into the car and drive. Turn the radio down and listen to the car. A noise may lead you in the right direction and show you where to start your search. A roaring sound may indicate a stuck bearing or a stuck brake shoe. Rattling on a bump may result from a dry bearing or a loose suspension part (which may be simple to tighten up on your own, provided that torque specifications are followed). A "clunk" may be a sign of your suspension needing grease, a bad ball joint, or a bad strut.



2. Try to really "feel" the car. A vibration in your steering wheel suggests a problem in the front of the car (most likely in the steering linkage). It may be a tie rod end or a bushing in the car's control arms. Seat vibration suggests a problem in the back of the car. It may be a wheel bearing or a runout condition in a tire.



3. Once you think you know where the problem is, park the car and let it cool. Grab your gloves and safety glasses. If you choose to lift the vehicle, put the car on a flat surface and use the proper supports. NEVER rely on the jack alone to support your vehicle, and never use bricks or lumber to hold your vehicle up. Use proper jack stands. Now you can get under your vehicle in the suspect area and get to work.



4. Be sure to know what you are looking at. Many suspension parts can be diagnosed by grabbing or rotating the part. For example, the tie rod ends, the Pitman arm, the idler arm, and other parts of the steering linkage. As for wheel bearings, bushings, and tires, you will need to have the wheels off the ground.



5. Tires are frequently the main culprit in these "not-so-good vibrations", due to different degrees of tire runout (such as the tire being shaped liked an egg, or the tire having a bulge effect in the side). With the tire off of the ground, spin the wheel and look at it head on. You may be able to see that the tire shows the above symptoms. However, you cannot always see this with the naked eye. While you have the tire in the air, grip the top and bottom of the tire. Wiggle the tire back and forth. If the tire shows signs of play, you have bad (or dry) bearings, or a bad tie rod end. You may also want to check to see that the lug nuts are not loose.



6. If you can't find anything through this basic inspection, you may need to take your car to a professional mechanic, where the proper diagnostic tools can be used.

How to Race Your Car

Some people like it fast. This article reveals the secrets to racing your car on a track.

1. Find a race track. Racing your car on public roads is dangerous and illegal. You will also have a lot more fun on a track that is made for speed and safety.
2. Get schooled. Call the race track and ask when they will be hosting a "Driver's Education" event or when it will be open for the public. You should not race your car until participating in a Driver's Education event. If the track knows of none, search on the Internet for "motorsports clubs" in your area.
3. Perform a safety check. On the day of your first race, check all of the mechanics of your car including oil (which should be topped off), tire pressure (a few PSI lower than normal), tire tread, steering fluid, brake fluid and brakes. If you are not experienced in doing a safety check on your car, take it to a mechanic and tell the mechanic you plan on racing the car. When you get to the track, check the tire pressure and oil again. Look under "Things You'll Need" (below) for a list of items to bring to the track.
4. Learn the rules. Every event has different rules. One common rule is a prohibition on passing, among the most dangerous of racing moments. Find out the rules from the event organizer.
5. See the track. Feel the track. Be the track. On the track, go around twice at a normal rate of speed to get the lay of the land. You will need to know when curves and other features are coming. Do a drive-through with a teacher if at all possible.
6. Track to curb. Once you start racing as a novice, you will generally want to stay as far to the side as possible. Stay to the side opposite to the next turn in the track. For example, if the next turn is moving the track to the left, you will stay far right with you right wheels almost to the very edge of the road.
7. Turn. Turn. Turn. Knowing when to begin a turn is an important part of racing your car. This depends on many factors including speed and angle. The most advantageous turns are started at a point where your car can make as straight a shot as possible to the new angle of the track. This is one reason why you are tracking to the outside before going into your turn. You are then braking rapidly and then turning as directly as possible into the new curve of the track, going from the opposite edge of the track to the mouth of the coming curve. The more straight distance between your vehicle and the mouth of the curve, the less you will need to slow down; hence tracking from far right to a left curve in this example.
8. Learn how to Brake. Rather than braking incrementally when going into a curve, it is best to be going as fast as you are prepared to and to then brake fast. This does not mean slamming on your brakes to the point where you could go into a spin (a common mistake) but it does mean knowing when to brake at the last possible moment. This, too, is acquired knowledge and so you should start off braking earlier rather than later. A teacher familiar with the track can tell you exactly when you should start braking and turning and even where your car should be positioned going into turns.
9. How to be Passed. If you are driving under "No Pass" rules, this usually means that passing is still allowed if consent is given. Ask first. If this is the case, ask for the signal to show your consent. You should not be doing a lot of passing (or any passing) as a novice but you should be getting passed often. When you see a driver approaching rapidly, the driver may well be looking for your signal. It is important to be courteous by giving this signal whenever it is safe to do so. This signal is usually an arm point out straight to the left if you wish the driver to pass to your left or, if to the right, your arm out the window and bent over the roof pointing to your right. Give the signal clearly with your arm fully extended. Immediately upon giving the signal, make sure your car behaves as if it is ready to allow passage on the side you indicated. Do not point right and then track right. Stay in your line of travel. Only give a passing signal on straightaways.
10. Chill out. The last run is called a "cool-down" lap because you are cooling down the brakes, which, by now, may be hot enough to melt rubber. Go slow and try not to use your brakes at all.
11. Steer correctly. When you are driving, position your hands at 3:00 and 9:00. This will give you the best response time and best posture at high speeds.
12. Keep your windows down. Keep both front windows down. This is necessary so you can signal a pass and arguably safer in crashes where the glass breaking would otherwise cause injury.
13. Learn and be mindful of the flags. While most tracks attach the same meaning to each flag, there is some local variation. Use this paragraph as a guide but be sure to check with the event organizer. The following will usually apply:

• A solid green flag means that the warm-up lap has ended and that passing may commence (when passing is allowed and then only according to rules of consent).
• A blue flag with a diagonal yellow stripe means that you need to allow the car behind you to pass. This is usually only shown when you have already failed to do the right thing without request. At the next passing zone, give the signal and hold your line.
• A stationary yellow means that there is some type of danger ahead. Slow down and use caution.
• A waving yellow means that there is a disabled car on the track. Slow down and prepare to go off your line to avoid the car.
• A flag with alternating yellow and red vertical stripes means that there is debris on the track (e.g., an oil slick). Slow down and watch for debris on the road.
• A black flag means that there is something wrong with your car. If the black flag is shown at all flag stations, it means that all cars are being called back to the pit, usually because there has been a crash or there is something else obstructing the track. Safely slow your vehicle, indicate to the flagger that you have seen the flag and pull into the pits for instruction from the trackmaster.
• A red flag means you must stop your car immediately. Brake slowly and be aware that another car may be behind you. Come to a stop, preferably off to the side. Stay still and stay in your car. There may be emergency vehicles entering the track. Wait for instruction.
• A black flag with a yellow meatball means that the run group is about to end. Proceed through the checkered flag and slow to a cool-down la
  Chill out. The last run is called a "cool-down" lap because you are cooling down the brakes, which, by now, may be hot enough to melt rubber. Go slow and try not to use your brakes at all.