Drift Experience Recommendations
Discussion
Does anybody have a recommendation for a good drift experience in the south east - midlands? I'm a reasonably competent driver (many track days and a couple of seasons racing) but since I have spent most of my time trying to avoid lurid oversteer in the pursuit of laptimes, I'd like to throw all of that out of the window for a few hours and spend some time smoking tyres.
I can't really use any of my own cars on a DWYB day (my options are mid-engined, snappy Porsche or grippy/snappy race car or bargey family saloon) and so I am looking for one of the all-inclusive days.
The Caterham days look good so I wanted to see if anybody had done the Silverstone experience (£135 for a few hours of going sideways) or the official Caterham exeprience at Donnington park (£345 but looks to be an entire day of going sideways).
This is purely for a bit of fun during the off season but it would be useful to improve my over-limit handling skills so I'd ideally like one where you can actually learn something.
Any recommendations?
I can't really use any of my own cars on a DWYB day (my options are mid-engined, snappy Porsche or grippy/snappy race car or bargey family saloon) and so I am looking for one of the all-inclusive days.
The Caterham days look good so I wanted to see if anybody had done the Silverstone experience (£135 for a few hours of going sideways) or the official Caterham exeprience at Donnington park (£345 but looks to be an entire day of going sideways).
This is purely for a bit of fun during the off season but it would be useful to improve my over-limit handling skills so I'd ideally like one where you can actually learn something.
Any recommendations?
There is a company at Bovingdon Airport https://driftlimits.co.uk/ I did an experience day with them, was drifting a little on the track, but they have a dedicated drift track. Seemed good guys.
lost in espace said:
There is a company at Bovingdon Airport https://driftlimits.co.uk/ I did an experience day with them, was drifting a little on the track, but they have a dedicated drift track. Seemed good guys.
This, very good and great value for money. 
I did the Caterham day many years ago - 10 or more.
Not bad but I wasn't convinced that a 7 is the ideal drift car. I've played silly B8ggers on wet roundabouts since I was 17 in a 1300L Vauxhall viva. I came second in the final "competition" at the end, but still was struggling to do anything drifty with the wide bodied and only just getting to grips with the narrow.
Not bad but I wasn't convinced that a 7 is the ideal drift car. I've played silly B8ggers on wet roundabouts since I was 17 in a 1300L Vauxhall viva. I came second in the final "competition" at the end, but still was struggling to do anything drifty with the wide bodied and only just getting to grips with the narrow.
OverSteery said:
I did the Caterham day many years ago - 10 or more.
Not bad but I wasn't convinced that a 7 is the ideal drift car. I've played silly B8ggers on wet roundabouts since I was 17 in a 1300L Vauxhall viva. I came second in the final "competition" at the end, but still was struggling to do anything drifty with the wide bodied and only just getting to grips with the narrow.
Same here. Beaten by a kid barely a 3rd my age. Not bad but I wasn't convinced that a 7 is the ideal drift car. I've played silly B8ggers on wet roundabouts since I was 17 in a 1300L Vauxhall viva. I came second in the final "competition" at the end, but still was struggling to do anything drifty with the wide bodied and only just getting to grips with the narrow.
It was fun doing donuts etc, but not sure I learned anything useful. But then drifting was never my thing, and not a skill I’ve tried to put into practice.
essayer said:
learn2drift in Birmingham was a good day out.
I'm going on their Experience Day at Seighford in Stafford on Sunday. Looking forward to it but slightly nervous as my only time on track has been in a go kart, where I spent most of it trying to go sideways, hence booking this.
Any tips?
bodhi said:
...
Any tips?
- Have fun.Any tips?
- Try not to get addicted (it can get pricy in a hurry!).
- There are many different ways to skin that particular cat. Your instructor will be following one of those ways. Therefore any 'tips' you get from the internet may or may not work well with the method your instructor intends to teach.
Broadly speaking there are 3 components to a drift (my names below - not sure if they have 'official' terms) ...
Initiation (getting it sideways)
Maintaining (keeping it sideways)
Blending Out (getting back straight again without crashing)
If you reach a point where you are competent with those 3, I imagine the instructor would then move on to linking drifts together, where the blending out of one drift becomes the initiation for the next. Whether you get to that point or not will depend on the length of your experience and how you take to it. It's not a competition, so don't feel like you 'failed' or your instructor was rubbish if you don't get that far ... just enjoy the day.
Let us know how you get on.
EDIT: When I was learning (back when E36 325s were £500 with Tax & MOT!) the most alien bit to me was just letting go of the steering and letting the lock wind itself on and off. You may find that natural, or you may be like me and want to get a little bit too 'jazz hands' until you start trusting in the process of just letting go of the wheel.
Edited by Rotary Potato on Thursday 24th April 11:53
bodhi said:
Thank you both! I shall report back on Sunday, hopefully of pictures of a Lexus with smoke pouring off the rear tyres
Interested to know how you get on.I live not far from Seighford and have thought about having a dabble at drifting. Own cars are not suitable, so the idea of arriving and driving is attractive.
Just back from the morning in Seighford - thoroughly enjoyed it. Very laid-back atmosphere but also well run. There were about 25 of us there in total which did mean a bit of waiting around, weather made it less of an issue and there was a butty wagon and facilities so no great hardship.
Started off with some doughnuts, then figures of 8 round some cones and finished off with some passenger laps whilst they did a synchronised drift round the course they'd set up.
Felt like I hooked some nice drifts up and the instructor sounded happy - and it was a lot of fun getting it right. Biggest issue was fighting the instinct to control it and keep the car straight and stops dipping the clutch.
The passenger lap was an eye opener - we were inches from the next car at times - in fact at one point we did leave a mark on the car in front.
Great fun tho - very tempted to go again at some point. They also do a 3 hour course - which could be dangerous
Started off with some doughnuts, then figures of 8 round some cones and finished off with some passenger laps whilst they did a synchronised drift round the course they'd set up.
Felt like I hooked some nice drifts up and the instructor sounded happy - and it was a lot of fun getting it right. Biggest issue was fighting the instinct to control it and keep the car straight and stops dipping the clutch.
The passenger lap was an eye opener - we were inches from the next car at times - in fact at one point we did leave a mark on the car in front.
Great fun tho - very tempted to go again at some point. They also do a 3 hour course - which could be dangerous
Rotary Potato said:
bodhi said:
...
Any tips?
- Have fun.Any tips?
- Try not to get addicted (it can get pricy in a hurry!).
- There are many different ways to skin that particular cat. Your instructor will be following one of those ways. Therefore any 'tips' you get from the internet may or may not work well with the method your instructor intends to teach.
...
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