Perfecting the Drift

Drifting is a driving skill that is marvelled by many car enthusiasts. Although it might not be the safest activity on the public roads, it is fun to try it in an empty parking lot. So what does it take to drift your car safely?

Of course, a normal motorist has a standard handbrake. This means that you need build in an extra millisecond to reach for the handbrake if your hand is on the gear shift. The idea is to have the correct amount of RPM (revolutions per minute) or torque so that you can achieve the perfect drift. You should not take the corner too quickly as you need to be in control of the car at all times.

Drifting only works for rear wheel drive cars as the car needs to keep moving whilst the brakes are being activated and you are feeding the engine. When you reach the peak of the corner then you can lock your wheel in the direction you are turning. You should take this corner or bend in second gear at about forty kilometres per hour.

Clutch control is important for this step as you will need a massive amount of power to get the car to do what you want it to. Push the clutch in to achieve a technique called clutch kick and apply feed to the engine. You will see that the car will have a high RPM. When you reach the peak of the corner or bend you can release the clutch. When the vehicle starts to turn continue to push the throttle. You need to give the rear wheels additional torque whilst the front wheels remain almost stationery.

Another technique is to use the handbrake around the corner or bend. As you lock the steering wheel in the direction you want to go, you need to pull the handbrake up. Make sure that your hand remains on the brake at all times so that the moment the car is facing the correct direction you can release it immediately.

Always remember that this could damage your tyres beyond repair and it should be done with a cheaper tyres that were made for this sport. There are wheels that drifters prefer to use that a wheel supplier may have available. Such wheels are specifically made for this motor sport.

You will need to learn to drift in an open or controlled area where you know that no one will get hurt. It will take a lot of time to learn how to perfect this move but in the long run you will gain techniques that work best for you.