Drifting has become very well known and extremely popular worldwide, And yet still alot of people don’t understand the rules to competition drifting. I hope i can make things a little clearer for those interested to find out.
Competitions are judged on line, angle, speed, and show factor. Line involves taking the correct line which is announced before a race meeting and is announced by the judges. Angle is the angle of a car in as it drifts/slides around a corner, Speed is judged by the speed through a turn aswell as the speed entering and exiting a turn. Show factor is based on the amount of smoke, how close the car is to the wall, and the crowd’s reaction.
There are two sessions, a qualifying/practice session, and a final session. During qualifying drifters get individual passes in front of the judges to try and make the final 16.
The finals are tandem passes, or chase attack. Drivers are paired off, and each heat consists of two passes, with each driver taking a turn to lead. The best of the 8 heats go to the next 4, to the next 2, to the final. The passes are judged as explained above.
Here are a few more of the rules that can give you a win or a loss instantly, Overtaking the lead car under drift conditions almost always wins that pass, Increasing the lead under drift conditions helps to win that pass. Spinning forfeits that pass, unless the other driver also spins. Overtaking the lead car under grip conditions automatically forfeits that pass.
Points are awarded for each pass, On the odd occasion there can be a tie and the race will be run again. Sometimes mechanical failure determines the battle’s outcome, either during or before a heat. If a car cannot enter a tandem battle, the remaining entrant will give a solo demonstration pass.
The most common drift cars are light to moderate weight, rear-wheel-drive coupes and sedans. Nissan Silvia’s, Toyota AE86, Mazda RX-7, Nissan Cefiro, Nissan Laurel, Nissan Skyline (RWD versions), Toyota Altezza, Toyota Chaser, Toyota Soarer, Honda S2000 and the Toyota Supra.