How Drifting Works

Drifting is a motor sport that began in Japan. Drifting works by controlling understeer to slide the car sideways through a turn in the road. When driving a rear wheel drive car, if you give just enough gas while turning the wheel enough, the car will break traction with the tires spinning and the car will go sideways. If you want to control that "uncontrolled" movement of the car, you will spin the wheel the other way while staying on throttle. This will make the front tires turn right as the entire car will turn left, and vice versa.

Drifting In Race Events

A driver will sometimes go on a windy road and control the car in a drift through every corner. Sometimes, at a track, a driver will race another driver through a course while drifting and see who can drift the course faster. Most people drift illegally on the street, but there are tracks for drifting which are much safer. At the highest level of drifting is Formula Drift. It is held on a track and two cars will drive in a "tandem" drift. This happens by controlling two drifting cars very close to each other through a course. Whichever driver comes out at the finish line first or performs the drift better will win.