Drifting 101: Starting from Definition to Techniques to Do It

One of the automotive sports that is quite popular is drifting. This sport requires each participant to drive their car in a tilted position. Drifting competitions are commonly held in various countries, including Indonesia.

In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about drifting. From the definition to the techniques for doing it. Here’s the information you can check out!

Definition of Drifting

Drifting is a driving technique where the driver must tilt the position of their car. Not only that, the driver must also keep the car moving as long as possible while it is in a tilted position.

Initially, drifting was just a driving technique. However, over time, drifting has become a competitive sport. In fact, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile has recognized drifting as a professional automotive sport.

Not all cars can be used for drifting. Only rear-wheel drive cars and optimally upgraded cars can be used for this sport.

The History of Drifting Through the Ages

From its name, you might think that drifting originated from England or America. However, this sport actually comes from Japan. Drifting began to emerge in Japan in the 1960s.

At that time, a motorsport community called Rolling Zoku was practicing the opposite lock technique on winding and slippery roads. The opposite lock technique is commonly used in rally racing.

In 1970, Kunimitsu Takahashi successfully conducted an experiment that became the precursor to drifting. At that time, the legendary F1 racer managed to advance his car with the front tilted.

He tilted the front of his car by following the edge points on a track. This experiment then attracted several others to try and develop it. One of them was Keiichi Tsuchiya.

Keiichi continued to develop this experiment by practicing it on mountain roads. What he did eventually became the drifting technique we know today. For his contributions, Keiichi was dubbed the Drift King by the Japanese community.

In 2001, Keiichi, in collaboration with Daijiro Inada, created a professional drifting competition for the first time. In this competition called the D1 Grand Prix, participants had to make their cars go fast while in a slightly tilted position.

Over time, this competition became increasingly popular and is commonly held by drifting enthusiasts around the world. Indonesia is certainly one of them.

At its inception, drifting was not recognized by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile. However, now drifting has been officially recognized by the federation, with rules that have been adjusted by the federation.

Obstacles to Drifting in Indonesia

It is not known exactly when drifting began to enter and become popular in Indonesia. However, many people are now participating in this automotive sport. Unfortunately, drifting in Indonesia faces several obstacles. The difficulty of finding practice locations and the limited number of competitions are two of them.

Currently, there are no comfortable practice places for drifters (the term for drifting practitioners) in Indonesia. If they have to practice, they must do so in two ways.

First, practicing on wide roads at night. This is only possible if there is no supervision from authorities on those roads. The second way is to practice at Kemayoran field with the risk of high rental costs.

Actually, there is one practice area suitable for drifters. This area is located in BSD Tangerang. However, unfortunately, this area is considered less appropriate due to its proximity to residential areas. Practicing there is feared to disturb the comfort of the local residents.

The interest in drifting in Indonesia is actually high and continues to grow each year. However, this does not match the number of competitions available. Currently, drifting competitions in Indonesia are still relatively few.

One of the factors causing this is the organizers and investors. Currently, there are still few organizers and investors willing to create proper and structured drifting competitions, from beginner to professional levels.

Techniques for Drifting

Generally, the common drifting technique is to allow the rear tires to slip. As much as possible, the slip on the rear tires should create a larger angle than the front tires.

Make sure the car is driven at high speed when performing this technique. If successful, the driver can steer without having to reduce the speed of the car.

Ensure the steering is turned correctly, and the car's speed is stable. If not, the driver may lose control of their car.

Over time, drifting techniques have also evolved. This has led to many variations in drifting techniques. These variations are:

Shift Lock

This technique variant requires the driver to downshift to a lower gear. This is intended to lock the car's tires and lose traction.

Braking Drift

This technique is suitable for use when the car encounters a corner. The way to do this is by pressing the car's brake pedal. By pressing the brake pedal, the weight of the car will automatically shift to the front. Thus, the rear tires that support the car can lose their traction.

Dynamic Drift

Like the previous technique, this technique can also shift the load on the rear tires to the front of the car. However, this technique is not done by pressing the brake pedal. Instead, it is done by increasing the gas pedal when the car is at high speed.

Power Slide

This technique must be performed using a high-powered car. The way to perform this technique is by pressing the gas pedal fully. Then, the driver must control the direction of the car with the steering wheel.

Hand Brake Drift

As the name suggests, this drifting technique heavily relies on the hand brake of the car. In this technique, the hand brake must be pulled along with the clutch that has been pressed by the driver.

This is done to eliminate traction on the car. If the car's traction is lost, the driver must release the clutch and then switch to pressing the gas pedal. When the gas pedal is pressed, the driver must also perform countersteering.

Clutch Kick

You must be a bit careful if you decide to use this technique. Because if you do it wrong, you could have an accident while attempting it.

This technique is performed by kicking the clutch, causing the car's transmission to experience a jolt. If the jolt occurs, the car can slide. Ensure that the jolt is not too strong, so the car does not lose control.

Scandinavian Flick

The last drifting technique variant is the Scandinavian Flick. To perform this technique, you must turn the steering wheel outward from the corner. After that, quickly turn the steering wheel again until the back of the car shifts.

That’s all the information about drifting. From the definition to its techniques. Hopefully, it can serve as a reference for you. Whether you are a true automotive enthusiast or just a driver interested in trying drifting.

Author: Anggie Warsito