New Generation of Drift "Racers"

[Slappy]

I have a slight problem with this new generation of drifters. They are the definition of what the new term drift "racing" is all about , where there has to be a winner and there has to be a loser. Drifting is starting to lose its original purpose here in the states. I do not have any respect for those guys who have full factory backing/full manufacturer support that compete in series against drivers who fund themselves. Drifting to me is losing its grassroots appeal. I watched a show on Speed Tv where they interviewd a few drifters and i didnt like what any of them had to say.

Interview #1 Older guy with a green Viper. All he talked about was going out there and being "#1" and winning winning winning. Not once did he mention that its fun to be at the level that he's at and sliding with other drivers etc etc. He just had a Nascar type mentality , wich is not good for the sport of drifting , especially for the new up and comers that should be learning what drifting is really about.

Interview #2 Enjuku's new driver. Plain and simple he said "I could'nt do this without them(Enjuku) , but at the same time they couldnt do this without me". What an arrogant ****. Theres plenty of drivers out there with more passion and talent then that guy.

Interview #3 Nick Hogan , thats all im gonna say.

Not only are these "new guys" taking away from what drifting is really about , most of them seem to be bungholes. They lack the knowledge and passion of what grassroots is , and how it makes you a better person/driver when you come from the bottom and work your way up , not just thrown in a already fully built car and givin full factory sponsorship and told to win and all cost.

If they ever put a mic in front of my face , this is how the interview would go down...

Them : So , how did you get involved in the sport of drifting?

Me : I was visiting this shop about 6 years ago. I was chatting with the guy behind the counter when this other emplyee says "you should watch this tape". He popped the tape in the waiting area. What i seen was just crazy. It was an all girl team and they were all drifting on track at the same time. I watched the entire video and was hooked ever since.

Them : Would you say that drifting is a part of your life now? , is it something you love to do all the time?

Me : Well , there's real things that i "love" to do. I love spending time with my friends and my family. Drifting is something that puts a smile on my face , it makes me happy but in a different way then say spending time with a love one. I keep the 2 separate. Some of my friends know what drifting is and some of them dont , and that doest matter to me. I guess what im saying is , i only drift when im in my car , real life happens when i im out of my car , so i wouldnt say that drifitng is a part of my life , only when i want it to be.

Them : What is your take on the new up and coming craze called Time Attack?

Me : I'll say this , where does it stop. Its almost to the point here in the states that we'll do anything that the japanese do. I have nothing agaist Time Attack , but its to the point where if enough japanese people said it was cool to jump off a bridge , we would soon follow suite. I dont see why we cant invent something ourselves. We have the talented to do so. Touge is another thing. Its fine to watch an Option video of some late night mountain drifting , but its just not wise or safe to try and do it yourself. Ive heard a few stories of kids dying in car accidents on backroads and in the hills of Cali trying to emulate what they see on video.

Them : Who do you look up to in the sport drifting?

Me : It would have to be the japanese drifters, and any person(s) here in the states that work hard to hold events. These guys that are holding these grassroot events are the ones we all need to thank. They work thier *** off and hardly make a dime just so we have a legal place to drift , together. And thats what its all about. Sliding together , having fun , and making a few friends along the way.

Them : If givin the chance , would you go pro?

Me : Not if it means being someones puppet. Just like recording "artist" that are out there to make a quick buck. They sign their life away and the record company owns them. The company tell them how to dress , what to sing and when. Theres now way i would continue drifting if i couldnt drive what i wanted when i wanted. Your not gonna stick me in a 700hp Viper and tell me i need to this and i need to do that , thats when i would walk away from the sport forever , when i couldnt do it under my own terms. The fun for me would be lost.


Modified by Slappy at 7:00 PM 3/8/2008

[Matej]

I don't care for all the no-taste D1 or Formula D or whatever they are cars. I'd much rather watch "amateurs" tearing their aero off and having fun.

[Joe]

this is what happens when big corporate money gets involved.

the states needs a MSC-like series. one that isnt about who has the most money in a car, or who sponsors what and how the judges need to react to it. its about fun and drifting.

with that being said, ill be at the proam nationals in november going for my FD license

[Slappy]

I don't care for all the no-taste D1 or Formula D or whatever they are cars. I'd much rather watch "amateurs" tearing their aero off and having fun.

+1

[nieko]

+2

[1unar3clipse]

+3

[Katapl]

I don't care for all the no-taste D1 or Formula D or whatever they are cars. I'd much rather watch "amateurs" tearing their aero off and having fun.

I'll NEVER get tired of people destroying aero on medicore tracks and smashing their quarters when they drill hay bails.

[ddgsxr504]

Drifting truely has gotten away from its roots.

What I can't stand is all those people that are all over drifting's nuts.

"Yea man drifting is a way of life" "I live my life sidewayz"....WTF?

Do you drift your volvo wagon on the way to the grocery store, do you drift everychance you get on the way to your GF's house. How can drifting be a way of life.... maybe if you live in your f*ckin car.

Did any of you guys see that issue of SCC where they did a test of grip vs drift and drift got their @sses handed to them?

[Slappy]

Did any of you guys see that issue of SCC where they did a test of grip vs drift and drift got their @sses handed to them?

Yea , but at the same time that was sort of a joke to begin with. Sideways is only faster through corners in gravel and snow i.e. Rally. They were just doing that test to show the noobs that drifting is one thing and grip racing is another and the 2 shouldnt be compared in the sence of lap times.

[Joe]

Did any of you guys see that issue of SCC where they did a test of grip vs drift and drift got their @sses handed to them?

wtf were they comparing?

of course grip is faster if anyone thinks drifting is faster they are IDIOTS

[Slappy]

wtf were they comparing?

of course grip is faster if anyone thinks drifting is faster they are IDIOTS

[Joe]

*shakes head*

[maik21]

maybe im totally wrong.. but drifting was corrupted when travel to america !!!! at the begining it was the same fun as in japan, then become bored. im with those things slappy said: "I don't care for all the no-taste D1 or Formula D or whatever they are cars. I'd much rather watch "amateurs" tearing their aero off and having fun.""

he is all right !!!!

[raremotive]

Think how Keiichi Tsuchiya gets his name as drift king. Basicly there are two kinds of drifting in japan. One competion.. and yes.. it's a lot about winning. And second illegal drifting on the streets of Japan. Fine's as high as $20,000, your car impounded, and your license gone if you are caught.

You have to be there to judge a difference for one, what you see on tv or movie can lead to many fantasy.

Now in this video shows illegal drifting on the streets of Osaka:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RxVZweec5U

These are things you cannot do too long in USA without the cops all over the scene like bloody murder. Second, even the best drivers on the streets compete to be the best. The whole reason why we have Formula D1. And Thank God, because if there wasn't it be drifting.. the ballerina sport.. where cars try to sway together...in sycro...

Theres been a long debate in auto racing about using drift as a technique to get around a really sharp corners verse grip, so don't think it's new or changed. Think about the origins of drifting. A technique developed by Japanese racers due to the rugged moutain roads japan possesses, born of competion. Then got media, and popularity.

I do agree and I do drift with passion and I compete all friends to say on each other's side often. And it's purely for the fun of it.

Let it go, ignore it, because you are only going to get more angry, and think worse of it. Think positive, and good things do come out. Might sound werid but it works.

And final note it's all about character of the driver. Corruption is human nature, and it has shown through history repeatly. Not just America.

[Joe]

drifting will never ever ever ever EVER be a faster way around a corner. i dont care what website you read it on, i dont care what drifter said that. it is ALWAYS slower no matter WHAT corner.

its for looks, and fun. thats all.

[Slappy]

Your right. Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsports , and there is a reason they grip around corners , because it results in the fastest lap time , always....on tarmac.

[Joe]

rally does not count

[eDmSiL80]

thats just how big the sport really got, most of the drivers are now at the point of having no fun with drifting. They have to try and always win, d1 maybe the same way. And prbly in every motorsport. There are very few drivers that fund themselves and are pro, i give them a lot of respect carrying on their own. But in the long run sponsors do help. Personally, i like to watch drivers progress. Being that im the same seat, i do it for the fun

[Darkness and Light]

Gymkhana. Autocross at the local go-kart track. If your wheelbase is long enough or your steering ratio is crappy enough, its the only way around some corners. The cars setting the fastest times grip on our autocross runs, but then again they are also the smallest cars, the Mini S, the Elise/Extige, the EK Civics, etc. Someone ran a C5 Corvette on the track once. There were literally corners he couldn't make at a crawl.

In my admittedly limited experience drift has its uses on some corners, particularly on extremely tight corners or tight corners at the end of a slolam. Drifting is the only way to get the momentum to rotate the back around quickly enough. Using torque to power the back around will work too, but only if you have rear-wheel drive and enough torque.

[Joe]

...but its never the faster way around a corner.

[Slappy]

Gymkhana , its a mix of American style Auto X and drifting where your best lap times will be made when mixing grip with drift. I guess this one is tough to argue.

[mutiny]

If the corner is tight enough where your car's turning radius wouldn't allow you to make the corner without going off the other side of the track or hitting the wall..... throwing your *** end around is probably faster then stopping and reversing to make the turn

[Slappy]

Why the -------> ?

A race team would'nt send thier driver out on a track with a steering lock setup that wouldnt allow thier driver to make such a tight hairpin.

[Joe]

If the corner is tight enough where your car's turning radius wouldn't allow you to make the corner without going off the other side of the track or hitting the wall..... throwing your *** end around is probably faster then stopping and reversing to make the turn

NO

DRIFTING IS NEVER FASTER

[Slappy]

NO

DRIFTING IS NEVER FASTER

[usdm_180sx]

My favorite part of D1 is watching the Japanese drivers practice in the morning. It's so awesome because there's no pressure so they're just freestylin' with which means they're doing it for fun, which is what drifting is all about.

[starkos14]

NO

DRIFTING IS NEVER FASTER

true, but dont you wish it was?

also, how about espn buying the TV rights to formula D? and have they even played one 2007 FD event?? im scared and getting to the bottom of what the hell their plans are. i have insides at espn and i want to make sure it doesnt play into this bogus F&F drift market...

[Joe]

true, but dont you wish it was?

no

grip racing is awesome.

[Slappy]

grip racing is awesome.

True.

[Joe]

since were ranting thats another thing that really bothers me

all these new drifter kids that just think their talent will fall from the sky. they have never done ANY performance driving before and wonder why they suck at drifting for a LONG time! GO GRIP DRIVE.

in AZ on the big road courses we REQUIRE all driver to have completed a HPDE1 school. most of the "top drivers" drive in the top HPDE groups on a regular basis.