Cut and Paste from Wikipedia, but it saves me spending ages writing...

Drifting competitions are judged based on line, angle, speed, and show factor. Line involves taking the correct line, which is usually announced beforehand by judges. The show factor is based on multiple things, such as the amount of smoke, how close the car is to the wall, and the crowd's reaction. Angle is the angle of a car in a drift, speed is the speed entering a turn, the speed through a turn, and the speed exiting the turn; faster is better.
Team Drift Competition in Melbourne.

The judging takes place on just a small part of the circuit, a few linking corners that provide good viewing, and opportunities for drifting. The rest of the circuit is irrelevant, except as it pertains to controlling the temperature of the tires and setting the car up for the first judged corner. In the tandem passes, the lead driver often feints his or her entry to the first corner to upset the chase driver.

There are typically two sessions, a qualifying/practice session, and a final session. In the qualifying sessions, referred as Tansou (speed run), drifters get individual passes in front of judges (who may or may not be the final judges) to try and make the final 16. This is often on the day preceding the final.

The finals are tandem passes, referred as Tsuiso (chase attack). Drivers are paired off, and each heat comprises two passes, with each driver taking a turn to lead. The best of the 8 heats go to the next 4, to the next 2, to the final. The passes are judged as explained above, however there are some provisos such as:

* Overtaking the lead car under drift conditions almost always wins that pass.
* Overtaking the lead car under grip conditions automatically forfeits that pass.
* Spinning forfeits that pass, unless the other driver also spins.
* Increasing the lead under drift conditions helps to win that pass.
* Maintaining a close gap while chasing under drift conditions helps to win that pass.

Points are awarded for each pass, and usually one driver prevails. Sometimes the judges cannot agree, or cannot decide, or a crowd vocally disagrees with the judge's decision.[citation needed] In such cases more passes may be run until a winner is produced. Sometimes mechanical failure determines the battle's outcome, either during or preceding a heat. If a car cannot enter a tandem battle, the remaining entrant (who automatically advances) will give a solo demonstration pass. In the event of apparently close or tied runs, crowds often demonstrate their desire for another run with chants of 'one more time'.[4]

There is some regional variation. For example in Australia, the chase car is judged on how accurately it "emulates" the drift of the lead car, as opposed to being judged on its own merit, this is only taken into consideration by the judges if the lead car is on the appropriate racing line. Other variations of the tansou/tsuiso and the tansou only method is the multi-car group judging, seen in the Drift Tengoku videos where the four car team is judged in groups.[citation needed]

This is clear from your naive belief/summary of how easy it is

But why end with an insult ?

Before this turns into a name calling fight, I would urge anyone sceptical to attend a DWYB day and see how difficult it actually is, but also how addictive it is and how satisfying it is when you manage to link a few corners together. Im sure that if you introduce yourselves on driftworks as a curious observer one or two people would be happy to let you have a little go in one of the practice pens there in their car.

Trouble is anyone that has ever managed to catch a slide in a RWD car coming off a roundabout or round a corner thinks that's a drift and that it must be easy. It is far more technical than that.

I'm inclined to think once you've seen one drift show that's about it. Perhaps the same with Ken Block ? I mean he's a bit like those American bike stunt jumpers I'd say. Paid a fortune for performing in a narrowly defined range of motoring activity with not much success outside their chosen sphere- They do however possess that ALL-American trait of lots of show & "Pazazz" & marketability to go with it!

Anyway I'm off now to perform the World's leading execution of a 27.645 degree reverse-angle left turn on a unicycle.

Sponsorship anyone ??
(don't call with less than £1M offers )

He's competing in WRC next year.

When did you last go there ??? it's not just a drag strip venue anymore.

It's extremely entertaining when you have a well matched pair. It's not racing as in "first to finish" or time trials, but it requires every bit as much skill as circuit racing, with the instant-hit gratification and thrill of drag racing.

Keeping a car that sideway for that long is always a good thing, whether on gravel or tarmac.
I know it's not a sport in the same way that racing is a sport, but it's definitely good fun to watch!


ETA - Oops! Should read some posts before replying!

Lol, never, as far as I was aware it was just a drag strip. I've only ever been to the RWYB at the Bulldog Bash (Shakespeare County Raceway) on my bike. My mistake.

Carry on!

I'm sure that if there was a load of TVR's drifting then there would be a few more nods of appreciation. But when the car of choice tends to be a 'Fast and Furious, just driven through the Halfords Ripspeed counter' type of Japanese car then it will only appeal to a certain ilk of follower.

Drifters and racers both have great car control skills, so let’s not get into a debate about who is best and instead just marvel at the control over the machine in hand. For example - I really enjoyed watching Adrian Sutil throw the Force India into a drift/long power slide in Fridays free practice at the Brazilian GP a couple of weeks back.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OEwZZCwnGo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uPznTbus3g