Getting Started & Drifting Techniques

How do I get started in Drifting?
There is no simple way to learn drifting. Drifting is a form of driving that incorporates many aspects of driving such as Autocross, Rally, Road racing and Stock car racing.

Typically a good drifter will have a solid background various types of motor sports.
The concept behind drifting is to understand what the vehicle is doing and making it do exactly what you intended to do. Drift UK hold events in all areas of the UK.
Do not attend any other forms of driving events to learn how to drift such as Autocross and Road racing events. You may potentially upset the organizer and the property manager by doing something you were not permitted to do. It is not smart to try and drift in roads or at unsupervised areas like car parks or empty roads.

When will I be ready for competition?
At the moment there are some events that give tuition beforehand, at Drift UK events this is the case but only you know when and if you are ready. However, Drift UK is working with a famous racing school and is training at this moment an instructor for the future.
Every driver should know that there are risks involved with any motor sport competition.
At one point or another, there is a possibility of an accident, but this is part of competition.

There are two main drifting techniques.
The first is called the 'clutch kick technique' and is the preferred method for rear-wheel drivers. With the clutching technique, you shift the car into second gear as you approach the turns. You then rev the engine to between 4,000 and 7,000 rpm, depending on the car. With the engine revved, you turn the car hard into the turn and 'pop' the clutch, causing the rear tyres to spin and lose traction.

To keep the car in the drifting motion until the next turn, you must keep your foot on the accelerator and make adjustments with the throttle and steering wheel to prevent spin out. If you've managed to keep the car in control, you can then cut the wheel in the other direction and attempt to slide around the next turn in one smooth motion.
However, if you went into the turn too slowly, the car may begin to regain traction and you'll have to re-apply the clutch kick technique.

Because front-wheel driven cars cannot produce tyre spin and traction loss at the rear wheels, they require a second, alternative method of drifting: the hand-brake technique.
While the clutching technique uses momentum and rear-wheel torque to power the car through a set of drifts, the hand brake technique relies solely on momentum. Using this style of drifting, you would simply pull the hand brake as you approach the set of turns to cause a sudden traction loss. Since there's no driving torque involved, it is much harder to maintain the traction loss through multiple turns using the hand-brake.

Instructors at our events will talk you through each technique at the practice event.

Other techniques

Kansei Drift
This is performed at race speeds, when entering a high speed corner a driver lifts his foot off the throttle while slightly turning into a corner to induce a mild over steer and then balances the drift through steering, braking and throttle motions. (note: the car that is being used for this style of drift should be a neutral balanced car therefore the over steer will be induce when this technique is applied, if the car plows through any turn this technique will not work)

Braking Drift
This is performed by braking before a corner while starting to turn in, vary the brake petal until loss of grip is obtained and then balance the over steer through steering and throttle motions.

Feint Drift
this is performed by rocking the car towards the opposite direction of a turn and then using the rebound of grip to throw the car into the normal cornering direction. (note: this is heavy rally racing technique used to change vehicle attitudes during cornering)

Clutch Kick
This is performed by depressing the clutch pedal on approach or during a mild drift, then pop the clutch under power to give a sudden jolt through the driveline to upset rear traction.
This is performed by letting the revs drop upon downshift into a corner and then releasing the clutch to put stress on the driveline to slow the rear tyres inducing over steer. (this is like pulling the Hand-brake through a turn - note: this is best to be performed in the wet to minimize damage to the driveline etc) Side Brake Drift This technique is very basic, pull the Hand-brake or (side brake) to induce rear traction loss and balance drift through steering and throttle play. (note this can also be used to correct errors or fine tune drift angles)

Dirt Drop Drift
this is performed by dropping the rear tyres off the road into the dirt to maintain or gain drift angle if losing power. (note: this technique is very useful for low horsepower cars, also good show move to produce a dirt rooster tail)

Jump Drift
in this technique the rear tyre on the inside of a turn or apex is bounced over a rumble strip to help lose traction resulting in over steer.

Choku Dori
This is done by pulling the Hand-brake through a straight to start a high angle drift and to hold this angle to set up for the turn ahead. (note: this can only be done at high speed)

Manji
This is a slow swaying faint like drift where the rear end sways back and forth down a straight.

Power Over
A common technique which entails heavy throttle application during cornering to induce heavy over steer (tail slide) through a turn. (note: need horsepower to make this happen)