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Making
the Most of Drifting Events
So
you’ve finally worked up the courage to actually attend your first
drifting event as a driver rather than a spectator. Now, how do you make the best use of these events?
Here are a few suggestions...
Go
for a ride.
By riding along with different drivers you can get a better
feel for how different cars react and how different drivers perform.
By riding with good drivers, you can see some of the techniques they
use and get a feel for their vehicle positioning and angle on the
track. Find a driver that you aspire to be like and pay close
attention to the speeds they’re reaching, the angles they use, the
line they follow, etc.
By
riding with bad drivers you can be thinking of the mistakes
they’re making and what you would do to correct those mistakes.
When you’re behind the wheel of your own car, things happen so
fast that you barely have enough time to react to your car, much
less anticipate and think about things. By riding along with someone
else, your brain will be free to think more and decide on changes
you need to make to your driving style.
Hopefully
you have at least a few friends that you know who are already driving so
you can start by asking them for rides. If you don't know anyone at all,
try to make friends quickly and see if a ride along is possible. Be
polite and don't impose on people though; they're at the track to drive,
not necessarily to be your mentor.
If
one or more drivers are nice enough to allow you to ride along, respect
their space and their vehicle. Thank them for the opportunity and keep
your comments to yourself (before, during, and after the ride along).
Badmouthing other drivers' abilities is a fast way to get yourself on
peoples' s#!t lists.
Take
people for rides.
We encourage all drivers to take as many passengers along as
possible. It’s a great way for people to learn to understand our
sport. If you want to get better at drifting, try taking along
different drivers and see what they have to say about your driving.
When
taking a mentor along for a ride, just drive normally. You’re
trying to improve your overall driving skills so you should try to
drive the same as you always do. Tell them of the problems you think you’re having with your
driving skills and / or your vehicle setup before you hit the track. Giving them a heads up
to your problem areas will allow them to pay closer attention to
those things. When
you’re done driving, ask them what they think and if they have any
suggestions to improve your driving. Have a few specific questions ready
about your problem areas, otherwise you’ll just get a generic
response and no definite suggestions for improvement.
Go
to empty circuits.
Keep an eye on the activity at different
circuits and experiment with different areas of particular circuits. If things
are slow in one section, go there to practice. The more time you
spend in line, the less time you’re running. Running on a section of
track that isn't busy may also help you to loosen up. If you
don’t feel like people are watching you, that might put you at
ease behind the wheel and allow you to get in more quality practice
time.
Don’t
waste time.
As a beginner, you should be spending as much time as
possible actually driving on active courses. Have your spare rims
& tires prepped in advance so you can change them quickly when
necessary. Don’t stop for a half an hour lunch break if you can eat a granola bar
or two while waiting to hit the track. Shake once
at the urinal instead of twice; whatever you can do to shorten your
off-track time adds to your on-track time.
Try
to keep things moving smoothly, but don’t be unsafe either. You
can be hasty without being careless.
Film your driving.
How your driving looks while you’re in the car and how
your driving looks from the outside of your car are two different
things. Get someone to film your driving from various spots on
the track. Make sure they check with the event staff to find out
which areas are safe to film from first. Getting your driving on
video will give you an unbiased 3rd person perspective on
your driving. Take note of your speed, placement on the track, turn
in point, drift angle, etc. Knowing these things can give you the
information you need to mold your driving into the way you want it
to be. Try to review your track footage as the day goes by so you
can correct problems while you're at the track instead of reviewing at
home and then having to wait for the next event to make corrections.
Be
consistent.
Try to drive as consistently as possible. Use the same shift
points, turn in points, and keep an eye on your speed. Only by being
consistent will you be able to track down any problems you’re
having.
Check with your events director to see if you can mark a turn in point for a given corner.
If you can't get a flag or a cone out on the track for a turn in
point, maybe they'll let you put a small piece of tape on the
guardrail or mark the asphalt with some chalk.
In
racing, you should be making one change at a time and then testing.
Problems with your car and your driving need to be broken down through process of
elimination. Start in the area where you think the problem exists
and then make a single change. Test your change on the track and note the
difference. Keep making changes one at a time until you find your
problem.
Stop
and think.
“Winners
never quit and quitters never win, but those who never win and never
quit are idiots.”
In
racing, there’s a key principle that drivers should never make the
same mistake twice. If you crash, it’s supposed to make you a
better driver because the shock should put it into your brain to
never do that again. If you find yourself making the same mistakes
again and again, it’s time to reevaluate your situation. It could
be that you’re spending too much time driving with your brain off
and not spending enough time thinking about what you’re doing.
Slow things down. Run it through your head first before trying it on
the track. Your body will follow what your mind has already told it
to do.
Enter drift
competitions that are within your means.
Competition is the only real measure of your skills. You
need to be able to come through under pressure, no matter how good
you normally are. That’s why the Super Bowl is decided in a
single game and heavyweight fights aren’t best out of
three. Regardless of how good (or bad) you think you are, competition
builds character and strengthens nerves. Competition is good for
your mental training in driving and will help you to focus more
under pressure.
Even
if you think you don’t have a chance at winning, if you don’t
enter competition, the best will only continue to get better while
you remain stationary in your progress. If you’re looking to gain
experience, competition is the only thing that counts. Nobody cares
how many practice laps you’ve taken.
Give
it a shot. Who knows? Here are some choices for competition in
America: Formula
D and the D1
Grand Prix.
Remember,
pride only hurts. It never helps.
Don't let your pride stand in the way of your driving development.
If you need help, ask.
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