This is a medium budget drift car rebuild for Formula D, I don't think that there are people that spend more on the car without factory support, but there certainly are those that spend more in support and such.
Also that clutch is pretty mind boggling
it's as much of a sport as anything else that relies on judging to find a winner. gymnastics, figure skating, air guitar..
You take that back novaderrik,
Air guitar is a serious sport damnit.
novaderrik wrote: it's as much of a sport as anything else that relies on judging to find a winner. gymnastics, figure skating, air guitar..
Everyone take a shot!
You know whats gayer than drifting?
Rollerblading 
BTW GRM, the day you run an article on drifting is the day I cancel my subscription, even though I got the 10 year. DON'T DO IT.
Drifting is getting more and more legitimate, from an engineering perspective, at least. They're figuring out high-strung 4-cyls, while fun, aren't the best way to produce power. It seems there's starting to be a divergence from the lifestyle-types and the competitors.
I have no problem with drifting. It's taking the car control skills you learn when road racing, and abusing them. Anyone who thinks it's easy has never tried it before, it takes a ton of skill to do well.
My main criteria for grading it a motorsport is that is seems an effective way to make a small fortune out of a large one, and of course the engineering and development perspective.
i forgot ballroom dancing in my last post.. sorry for the oversight..
The GRM article on drifting was great! It took the science of chassis setup, explained what would work best and showed that most of what the drifters were doing at the time was counter intuitive and mainly for style.
Huge brakes, over lowering, wheel and tire size and offsets were chosen for appearance not function. No suprise really but it was neat to see it rationalized.
Like Patrick Bedard said in Car and Driver years ago (about Hollywood stunt drivers): "The Harlem Globetrotters never won an NBA Championship, but you don't hear a lot of people saying they can't play basketball."
The drifters are OK with me, I just wish the local group would use some kind of sound control at the downtown site we (Atl Region SCCA Autox) share (the motors are a lot louder than the tires, and the locals think it's us). It looks like a lot of fun. The young folks at work (they know I used to club race and occasionally autoX these days) ask me if I've ever drifted, I just tell them, "Never on purpose.."
novaderrik wrote: it's as much of a sport as anything else that relies on judging to find a winner.
hit the nail on the head........
The drifting thing looks like a lot of fun, and I wish I had the budget to go give it a shot, but it really seems like a fad to me.
Very reminiscent of the import drag racing thing a few years ago. I do think that, although 90% of these guys will move on to the next cool new thing in a few years, some of them will discover a life long interest that translates into SCCA or NASA membership.
Cars in America will always be more fashion statement than anything else.
HiTempguy wrote: You know whats gayer than drifting? Rollerblading
I agree on the rollerblading thing (calling it "gay" offends gay people--I wouldn't want to associate them with something as deviant as rollerblading).
That said--didn't GRM do a drifting feature at some point???
I don't care if it's considered a motorsport or not. It's entertaining--much more so than NASCAR, IMHO.
The most popular motorcar show ... in the world is about drifting.
At least thats what I can surmise given the amount of time spent going sideways in any car the presenters climb in.
In reply to imirk:
That's a good point. Everybody worships Jeremy Clarkson as a god, and 90% of the footage of him driving a Civic Type- R is tail-out.
It's Qualitative, not Quantitative.
Quantitative: Relies on numbers. Racing Treasure hunts highest/fastest/furthest getting laid
Qualitative: Relies on perspective. Ski jumping Dancing Music getting laid
Drifting IS a motorsport, but its not RACING like they all think it is. But by that rationale, mowing my lawn is technically a motorsport as well.
I might call drifting "repetitive precision driving" or "a sport involving motors" but racing it is not.
One of my own personal "motorsport" chassis has three motors in it, and I think I'll go sit in it right now... its my hot tub. Its a motorsport.
friedgreencorrado wrote: Like Patrick Bedard said in Car and Driver years ago (about Hollywood stunt drivers): "The Harlem Globetrotters never won an NBA Championship, but you don't hear a lot of people saying they can't play basketball."
Yahtzee. Perfect analogy.
worst HOA ever, if they give scores on how well you mow your lawn :P
curtis73 wrote: Drifting IS a motorsport, but its not RACING like they all think it is. But by that rationale, mowing my lawn is technically a motorsport as well.
But what if you get sideways while mowing your lawn?
love the lawn mowing analogy.
If you mow your lawn with deft precision in a way that may possibly kill you with a lawnmower that has been tweaked to show it's true potential, then yes, it's a sport. Because you try.
You don't try to hot tub. If you try to hot tub, you are a looser.
It's another way to use a car, don't put it in the same arena as racing. It's not fair.
i think the sprint car guys invented drifting about 40 years ago..
imirk wrote: worst HOA ever, if they give scores on how well you mow your lawn :P
No, they just send you a nasty letter if you don't mow. Scores are either 1 or 0. Either I suck or I don't :)
friedgreencorrado wrote: Like Patrick Bedard said in Car and Driver years ago (about Hollywood stunt drivers): "The Harlem Globetrotters never won an NBA Championship, but you don't hear a lot of people saying they can't play basketball."
They have won as many championships as the Knicks in my lifetime so I will always consider them New York's better team.
mr2peak wrote: love the lawn mowing analogy. If you mow your lawn with deft precision in a way that may possibly kill you with a lawnmower that has been tweaked to show it's true potential, then yes, it's a sport. Because you try.
Have you seen my lawn? The only reason its green is because it has weeds. and if you saw my hot tub.... yeah, its not a sport.
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