Car drifting is a fun, high-adrenaline sport that’s getting more popular with car and racing enthusiasts. Many people seek out drifting experiences or enjoy watching professional drifters compete at events. In this article, we take a look at some ways you can experience car drifting.
What is drifting?
Drifting is a dangerous sport that involves high speeds, making it even more appealing to many adrenaline seekers. If you’ve never seen or experienced drifting, the best thing to do is head over to YouTube and watch some footage of drivers drifting. You’ll probably see lots of smoke and cars looking as if they’ve lost control whilst going at high speeds around corners. In simple terms, drifting is oversteering a vehicle, which is when your back tires lose grip on the road and drift or slide around the corner. The loss of control is done very carefully to enable drivers to make quick turns. Drifting requires skills and interpretation of the vehicle; otherwise, things can go very wrong, leading to large, high-speed accidents.
Car drifting experience day
If you want the ultimate drifting experience, you can book yourself onto a professionally run car drifting experience day. During the experience, professional drifters will teach you how to perfect this skill in several different vehicles. You’ll also get to ride along with them whilst they show you the skills of a professional drifter. This is a great day out for any car enthusiast that has an interest in drifting. Experience days on the track also make the perfect present for lovers of motorsport. For those new to drifting, this is a great way to get into the sport and try it with a professional on hand to give advice and tips on how to drift in the safest possible way.
Can you drift on the roads?
In most countries drifting on roads or in car parks is illegal. Drifting is dangerous as vehicles reach high speeds and essentially lose control of the car's back end. When motorists practise drifting on public roads or car parks, they put themselves and other road users at risk of injury. Therefore this sport is illegal to practise in these areas. If you get caught drifting in the UK, you could be charged with dangerous driving, amongst other offences. Never drift on public roads or in car parks, as it's illegal and dangerous for you, other road users or anyone in the near vicinity.
Drifting tracks
The best place to drift is on purpose-built drifting tracks; here, it is perfectly legal, and the environment is controlled to minimise risk. If you have a car of your own that you want to drift, you’ll need to get a set of drift wheels. Regular tyres won’t provide you with the right surface for drifting as they’re designed for the opposite purpose, keeping your car gripped to the surface of the road. Drifting tires have a very little tread pattern; instead, they’re made to be smooth on the surface to allow the car to slide and drift around corners. If you use standard tires, they will soon become worn and unsuitable for use on the road. A separate pair of drifting wheels you can use on the track will stop your tires from being ruined and improve your drifting performance.
Spectating drifting events
If you love to watch drifting but don’t want to put yourself in the driving seat, you can choose to attend drifting events as a spectator. This is the safest and cheapest way to enjoy the drifting experience. Professional drifting events are fun, thrilling, and a great way to enjoy this sport. You can make a whole day of it as there are often other things to do and see at the drifting track. The whole family can enjoy watching cars race, drift and push their performance. Suppose you’re interested in drifting but have only just learned about this sport. In that case, we suggest you go to a few drifting events as a spectator before participating in a drifting experience yourself. It will give you a better understanding of the sport and the risks involved with participating. Although drifting with a professional is controlled, some risks are still involved.