Drifting is becoming more and more popular by the minute. Wherever we see, on the street and in stores, the drift is on fire. Ever since drifting broke into the mainstream with the help of Hollywood movies and the rise of drifting fans, the wave of wanting to learn drifting, as seen in the movies, has grown rapidly.
Of course drifting looks easy, just drive really fast and put your car on its side and smoke the rear tires. But as you’ll know if you’ve tried drifting before, it’s not as easy as they make it out to be on the big screen.
Here is a short drifting lesson for beginners. The basics of drift. First, this is what you need:
1. You need a car, preferably rear-wheel drive.
2. It must be a manual because preferably. Automatics are more difficult to drift but not impossible.
3. You must go to practice in an open area where it is legal and safe. Drift days are the place to go.
4. You will need some spare tires. Obviously.
Now this is what you need to do:
1. You want to practice making circles or donuts in one spot on the donut pad or in a flat, open area around a pestle/cone. DO NOT go straight to the track trying to drift through the corners the first time you try to drift.
Make donuts to the right, then switch and circle to the left. Start with small circles and then make them bigger.
2. Once you’ve got the hang of donuts, you can start using the handbrake and try some 180-degree turns. Place 2 drumsticks about 100 feet apart and go up and back doing 180 turns with the parking brake.
You shouldn’t try to drift out of turns yet, just get used to your parking brake and feeling your car slip. Once you can get it right and smooth, you can try to get off the slide.
NOTE: Keep the parking brake on for more than a fraction of a second. Slide it with the parking brake until you are facing where you want to go and then you can turn it off.
3. Keeping the 2 sticks where they are, you can now try a figure 8 by moving around the sticks. Just like what we’re doing in the 180s, use the parking brake to slide it in and then turn straight, lining up for the other side of the mortar at the far end. Repeat and try to get as close to the pestles with your front bumper as you can, touching the clipping point, just like professional drift drivers!
Try these drifting tips for beginners before you hit the track and wreck your car. Like any sport, practice makes perfect and proper training when learning to drift will keep you and your car safe so you can live to drift another day.