Celerity's Official rant on Drift:
First, a little history of Drift.
Many people think that Drift is a technique developed in Japan. That's not true. In the mid 70s Hot Rod magazine put together a Bill Mitchell Camaro (350, 4 speed, lowered with tuned suspension and cam / exhaust) Designed to "Enter a corner at break neck speeds, using it's braking to not slow the car, but to initiate the turn. The sideways motion of the car would be it's breaking force, then aligning the car to exit the turn as fast as possible". The engineers increased the weight up front (If you're an F-Body guy you'll know the front fender supports, and "strut tower bars" that can be beefed up at an extreme weight gain). The result was a car that planted it's rear during acceleration, but then at the tap of the brakes it would instantly transfer it's inertia to the front wheels, making the rear end light and responsive to directional control. The front brakes were upgraded 10" discs from BAER, the rear brakes were stock drums with a brake balancer, and the clutch was multi-disc. They were approaching the turns at Sebring at high speed, and drifting the corner to not lose speed. This is "Drifting".
In Japan, flashforward 15 years, A racer (I forget his name) was coming in dead last during a race. He had no hopes of winning, but he decided (as a good sponsored racer will) to make the best of his situation and have some fun for the crowd. He was taking chances around corners and doing some pretty crazy high-speed skids. Immediately the Drift word was borrowed and Dori became a huge eye-getter for crowds. As most people in Japan lusted after automotive racing, they understood how difficult a high-speed skid is to control, and began to respect drivers that could do it.
Then, and I'm not sure where it started (Although I feel the Finnish have been doing it for a LONG time) came Dorifto. Dorifto is the Filipine sport of showing off with a huge smoke show, tight cornering and obnoxious fanfare. Viewers of "Real TV" and shows of that nature can remember footage of crowds of people (numbering in the 1000's) who would show up and watch groups of young kids doing donuts and burn-outs in tight quarters (The footage makes it to TV because they often fly off into crowds and kill people)
Recap:
Drifting is driving into a corner at a speed that goes beyond the envelope of the car's handling characteristic, so that the skid itself both slows the car to take the corner, as well sets it up for exitting the corner.
Dori is also done on a race track, but Dori events are not based on time or door-to-door competition. It is an artform more than race where drivers show off their wheel prowess by keeping a car moving through a course while maintaining edge-of-the-envelope grip.
Dorifto is what you might find in NFSU. It's where you simply keep the car skidding and squeeling, with points racking up for time spent "out of control".
The US vs Japan vs The rest of the World:
In Japan, where people appreciate the art of driving more than the sheer stats of their drivers, Drifting (which I'll encompass as Dori, Drift, and Dorifto) is respected and publically viewed as a valid motorsport. This kind of respect could not be gained in the US, where say a NASCAR driver would get more respect for coming in last place, even though "He has style". Japanese recognise that Sponsorship is an easier adventure where there are few cars to watch, and everyone's eyes are GLUED to the car.
The US only sponsors cars that come in "first place". Racing fields are so packed with cars that sponsors need a car and driver that really makes a cut - And thus fewer and fewer drivers are able to make the grade. But there is good news ! The US has a base of young and adventurous (Read: Risky) drivers that will hone their driving skills more than hone their wallets buying high-dollar Drift items. A Japanese Drifter, even a novice, will drop thousands into a car to compete, while a US driver - with less money and resources - will instead learn to use the car to it's fullest abilities.
We see that here on the East Coast. During DGTA trials drivers will show up with stock suspensions, hand-fabbed steering gear, and hybrid control systems that really only they can use. It's a creative way of competing that was made apparent when Signal Auto came to town last last year. Signal Auto has two of the best Drift drivers in the world in some of the most extreme drift-modded cars ever made. But all in all, the Local East Coast US racers not only kept up with them - But in many ways surpassed them. DGTA has an innnovative "Aces High" club where top contenders are allowed to Drift Twin (Hit the track multiple cars at a time). During this time they show off their skills in close quarters in an exciting display of prowess and expertise. Frankly, I feel that East Coast Drifters kicked some Japanese ass during these runs. And Signal Auto was also impressed that US guys had made such exciting runs in daily-driven cars. One of the East-Coast DGTA drivers is now Signal Sponsored - A move that makes me proud to be "part of" the
real US drift scene.
Northern Europe has created some of the world's best Rally drivers - Because the roads you see in WRC Rally competition are the roads that they have been driving since they were children. The terrain and roads don't scare them at all. Dirt roads are prevalent, and snowy roads are part of daily life. Because of that Europe has designed some of the best full-time AWD systems. Systems that aren't just advanced in their control (Because Nissan also makes very good AWD systems) but are strong enough to handle the rigors of daily life in Europe (Which is where delicate AWD systems like Nissan's fails). Finnish racing has revolved around timed, solo events where traction is key to remaining on course and winning. It's because of this that the northern European drivers (And finns like Tommi Makkinen) have been using drifting race techniques since the 50's. They simply don't call it "drift". Recently, youths in the ex-soviet blocs have made a past-time of snow auto sports. They will find one corner and see who can take it the fastest - They even commonly ski behind moving cars. They LOVE no-traction driving because they are so used to it.
The Culture:
From reading these examples of driving, you can see where Culture would step in. In Europe, Drifting isn't really a matter of art nor skill - It's something that most young people can do. Remember that they are heavily laden with snow, yet have a lower SUV-Car ratio than anywhere else on the planet. A Finn can bring his Volvo 240 to the US or Japan and perhaps out-drift anyone in the sport.
In Japan the people recognise the sport as more of an art-form - and they have regarded their drivers as artists. This has brought the Drifting community together as friends. "Competing" drivers will work with other drivers and shops to build Drifting cars and collaborate their work to continually evolve and improve the sport.
In the US Drifting is much like Drag racing. There is a sportsman respect for each other, but when it comes down to it they are still competitors. Hoods are locked and secret weapons are built to annihilate the competition. The drivers will push hard and risk damage to their cars not for fun or spectacle, but to simply gain more points to enter a new "Aces High" type of league.
Remember Dorifto? Discussed earlier as an Equatorial thing, where people who have too much exposure to the sun will simply do burn outs and smoke shows in crowded parking lots? Well this is prolly where you get your idea of "Drifting assholes". The people that hang out in parking lots playing rap and doing drugs, causing trouble with the public and watching smoke shows aren't drifters - They are just the redneck troublemakers that the US has been famous for since the 50's. There IS room for Dorifto in the Drifting sport, as the DGTA guys prove, but parking lot assholes aren't where the talent is found.
The Disclaimers:
The Japanese drifters do their work both on and off the track. Yes, they DO crazy things on mountain roads. These things are illegal, but the Options videos that you see are done late at night, on empty roads with track guides. Track Guides will stand at the beginning and end of the course and warn of cars. They will warn of animals and hard corners. The drivers are aware of the track at all times. It's illegal, but it is controlled.
US Drifters practice on US roads. They rarely, if ever, have course guides. They are flying by the seat of their pants, and competing for position rights (Ala Initial D). Their official tracks aren't as impressive nor as purpose-built as the Japanese have - but they are beginning to catch up. Like Autocross, US Drifting events are held mostly in parking lots and debris-covered fields. Given the 2-years of popularity that Drifting has taken in the past two years, and the amounts of American made parts coming to the market for controlled slide, the US is poised to dominate the Drift world-scene very quickly. So now is your time to get in on the action and grow with the sport.
Places that gather crowds for Dorifto, like is common in the Philippines, go hand-in-hand with backwards cultures where human life isn't so important. Equatorial regions where people are turning low-dollar (like a 1978 Toyota Starlet, rusted and broken) into smoking ballistics, aren't respected as a real Drifter is. But there is a time and place for Dorifto. Commonly a Drifter takes his whip to an empty parking lot with a few buddies and does some slides and burn outs, to get practiced with the car and have some fun. When crowds are controlled, the track is free of injury risk, and the damage to property is low (Skid marks in an abandoned parking lot are NOT damage in my eyes) Then I say "Have at it". Cars are meant to have fun in, compete in for style, and gather crowds to peep the innovative and tuned mods.
Finally, on the subject of the "Drift Crowds", I have lots to say about that. I say nothing but good things about the Drift arts / sports. I LOVE drift steer, and I enjoy the competition. However, I am in agreement about the punks that also show up. Whereas the punk element in Autocross is missing (It's an "Old man's sport) it's prevalent in Drifting, mostly because older folks don't "get" the idea. There is hope however, where on the East Coast DGTA holds it's events at Englishtown race park. Read on:
At Englishtown, home of the most prestigious drag runs on the east coast, Racing used to be the domain of the domestics. Pony cars and Muscle cars were allowed 15, 20 sometimes more runs daily because of the low volume of cars that show up. Then when Imports and Sport Compacts got into the sport - The respect was gained but the problem of volume came to bear. Now draggers wait for hours in line, only to do 2 or 3 runs. And the costs haven't fallen. Many draggers and expert-level drivers are turning away from the drag courses now because the "Thrill is gone". On the way out of the Englishtown parking lot, they spot the DGTA trials. This is where things get interesting.
Some of these older draggers have got decades of performance driving under their belt. NO ONE can make a Mustang sit up and beg like a 30-something Muscle Car owner can. And these guys will be showing up at Drift events with American straight-line muscle and WILL be handing a lot of our hats. I have a lot of respect for this kind of driver, and I consider myself one.
Two Stories before I wrap up here:
For 14 years now I have been a Celica expert. I have owned about 10 of them, all pretty much the same body (1978-1981 Celicas) and I make this body style sit up and beg. I can park a 1979 Celica in a shoebox, and consider my skills with one more the area of a skateboard trickster than performance driver. It's people like me that you need to look out for - Those that appreciate all cars, yet have completely mastered a zen-like state with one particular kind of animal. The second story is a friend of mine that has done that, only with a more powerful car -
My friend Sam is entering the world of professional drift, and I've seen him work. It's scary. He writes words on parking lot surfaces with his 1998 Mustang Cobra. Double line inscriptions like "HI" and "SAM" were found in parking lots in Stratford and Milford Connecticut. He's completely in tune with his car because he's driving RWD V8 Stangs since he was 15. He is now getting irritated at the wait for 1/4 mile runs, so he is determined to show up and "Show these kids what it's all about". And he'll do it - I'm being him fully.
In Conclusion, don't hate the game, Hate the playahs
. If you find a group of punkish brats with high-dollar sleds don't consider them the norm. What you will see of Drifting in the US will be nothing short of magic. The combination of pleasant and respected drivers like in Autocross with the media coverage of WRC or GT road racing. Perhaps never appealing to the idiot bourgeousie of NASCAR (NASCAR TURNS LEFT), but the scene will be unprecedented.
-> Steve
Cliff's Notes: I wrote all this, I think you should read it.