getting people out there to have a go

[accident]

winter drifting and the whole get people playing theme.
now for starters i have never taken part in any "drift"event be it a practice or a competition.
now i am in my own words a crap driver.ive done a bit of rallying and a bit of racing and im crap at both.so i do track days they are cheap ish and allow me(mostly )to drive hard and get whatever car im in a bit sideways(i have actually been thown off some trackdays due to sideways action).
i did spectate at an event in the summer and was struck by the fact that only about 5 people could drive a car sideways with any confidence and the rest were either in the spin out for fun or the timid understeer city brigade.
so now we get to the point of my post.
now i am not convinced this is a sport.
and i am convinced that trying to regulate the safety with overalls and lids will put a lot of people off.
the fact is that the speed on drift "events" is low and the risk of a fireball crash is very low.
so why not over the winter when the tracks are wet and the race wanabe's are in the warm cant somebody organise a sideways friendly trackday?
take the 5 people who can drive and sit them in with the want to learn people.
if each person sits with 2 people per day
you go from 5 drivers to 15 drivers to 45 drivers to 135 etc.
but what is needed is track time at low money on wet tarmac(tyre cost)and people to help.
now at the moment all the big car comics are doing drift articals.
this is the time to grab the punters and hook them.
if you let this peak slip bythen drifting will fall into the lost ground that is autotesting.
grab people while they know what you do.
offer them ridicule free practice
and an easy step up to competition.
once i get a clutch in this shitbox s14 i will come and drift it. springs and wheels and rollbars and power.all the kit makes it easyer.
but if you cant do it standard you cant do it

[Matt_T]

wet drifting is the gayest thing ever.

its against the rules on here but I learned everything I know from the street. that costs nothing :nod:

[PazzaAE86]

Well, we kinda know all that anyway.. The main problem area is finding a venue. Ive been looking for 3 years now and found only one, and was subsequently banned due to noise issues. If i had a venue, damn right id put on laid back practice sessions and free drift sessions. Speed isnt as big an issue as it is on track days (however at Trax, myself and Julian were hitting near 100mph at times) but its just noise levels, everywhere has silly restrictions :(

And its not really a fair comment to say only 5 people can drive either. There are people who rarely attend events, meaning you wont of seen them, but they can drive like you wouldnt ever believe. There are also people who simply have days when things dont quite work out for them...

But if you can find a venue, id be there!

Paz

[Blue Neon]

Its a shame, it just goes to show tho, its either on the street or no where :(

[accident]

wet drifting is the gayest thing ever.

its against the rules on here but I learned everything I know from the street. that costs nothing :nod:
but its easy in the wet.
therefore people will actually have a go.
at speeds that feel safe to them.
example is snow.
when it snows you go out and you slew about at 5mph all night.its great fun.
then on the next dry night you drive like an absolute hooligan sideways at (no numbers)stupid speeds for public highways.
the reason is you have had some practice.
and ok some of the points i tried to make were a bit exagerated due to having just got in from the boozer,5 was a bit unfair.
as for a venue i did try to get the tarmac that is used for doningtom market(its huge and has some gradient),not owned by the track but the guy who owns it wouldnt play ball for anything like sensible money,there are other issues aswell like noise(its under the flightpath for east midlands airport and they worry about a few cars)madness

[Hates_]

There are also people who simply have days when things dont quite work out for them...Amen :thumbs:

[donrevey]

but its easy in the wet.
therefore people will actually have a go.
example is snow.
when it snows you go out and you slew about at 5mph all night.
there are other issues aswell like noise(its under the flightpath for east midlands airport and they worry about a few cars)madness
i couldnt have put it better myself
there are a few of my mates the we search about for a bit of a twisty road in an industrial estate and then we dont abuse it
have a play for half hour then bugger off somewhere else
been doing it for years and never been caught
as for snow BRING IT ON
thats what is say
last year we was in costco car park at lakeside for about 6 hours
we only stopped because it was getting light
:nod:
and noise levels i have never heard so much shite in my life
they stopped northwield for that very reason :furious:
it a airport it is noisey
i think it was the fact that a lot of peeps turned up to scectate and they aint got a permit for that so upset peeps started to doughnut round the roundabout outside which really pissed the security off

well im off out to find somemore roads

[Blue Neon]

i couldnt have put it better myself
there are a few of my mates the we search about for a bit of a twisty road in an industrial estate and then we dont abuse it
have a play for half hour then bugger off somewhere else
been doing it for years and never been caught
as for snow BRING IT ON
thats what is say
last year we was in costco car park at lakeside for about 6 hours
we only stopped because it was getting light
:nod:
and noise levels i have never heard so much shite in my life
they stopped northwield for that very reason :furious:
it a airport it is noisey
i think it was the fact that a lot of peeps turned up to scectate and they aint got a permit for that so upset peeps started to doughnut round the roundabout outside which really pissed the security off

well im off out to find somemore roads

Have to agree with the above. Its a bit harsh to say wet/snow drifting is :ghey: even the ol' drift king himself recomends it! and to us poor mortals who have to learn to drift rather than be born with pure drifting skills, wet drifting is the way!

[PulsatingStar]

Odd that people think wet is the way. Im far happier in the dry. If I spin in the wet god knows where im gonna end up.

[donrevey]

Odd that people think wet is the way. Im far happier in the dry. If I spin in the wet god knows where im gonna end up.
true true
but in the wet i aint going so fast and my car dont suffer so much stress
as D1 cars are made and strengthened to drift mine aint its a standard body road car
but yes you are right in the wet you never no where you end up
i will carry on this way till i get it right then enter D1 comp
:nod:

[Midgers]

Why do people still think that you have to acheive a certain level of skill before going to an organised event?
That's what they are there for.
To practice at.
Yeah okay the UKD1 is set up like a competition, but you just treat the competition run as another practice run if it's your first time :)

[Matt_T]

true true
but in the wet i aint going so fast and my car dont suffer so much stress
as D1 cars are made and strengthened to drift mine aint its a standard body road car


your hardly gonna be doing dirt drop and bouncing off the kerbs intentionally when you street drift though, its never gonna snap your car in half!

[Carl]

IT was actually a good winter last year, every drift I went to at north weald it was dry. Yeah it was bloody cold but you were in your car most of the time with the heat up high :D
I prefer dry drifting, I feel more commited to corners in the dry and will happily go into a corner alot faster. god knows whats gonna happen in the wet. and I personally think dry drifting looks alot better.

[siliconslave]

i still realy wanna make it allong to a drift day, to try it out and let me feel slightly more confident when the inevatable happens on the street. Just there don't seem to be any around here atm :( well that and i can't aford special tyres

[PazzaAE86]

I feel more commited to corners in the dry and will happily go into a corner alot faster.

Amen to that! I feel i can commit fully in the dry (ask Euge :D ) and i dont spin out anywhere near as often as i do in the wet.. And when it is wet i still try and go as fast as normal and i come unstuck. Alot. hahhaa.

Paz

[PhilMorrison]

Dry drift: The only thing you generally have to worry about is lack of skill.
Wet drift: Differing levels of wetness create different levels of traction, the water also lifts all sorts of crap like oil and diesel out of the cracks, which then floats on top. front tyres never get up to temperature, and with the amount of camber we run can sometimes result in understeer even when on full counter..

[FullMetalGasket]

It may be worth you guys contacting the Haynes motor museum, It's not a big track, and you sure as hell won't get up to any sort of speed (ala silverstone) but,they don't seem to have an issue with lots of peeps getting it sideways wherever possible :thumbs:

The biggest problem you will have is that the circuit's so small you'll have to limit numbers to ensure track time :)

Take a look in the southwest meets section for our pictures, you should get an idea from them. It may not be suitable of course,but then it just might be....

[voodoo_melon]

Why do people still think that you have to acheive a certain level of skill before going to an organised event?
That's what they are there for.
To practice at.
Yeah okay the UKD1 is set up like a competition, but you just treat the competition run as another practice run if it's your first time :)
And if you're crap you end up getting about 3 runs for your £75 + suit + helmet + tyres + fuel to get there & back. Not exactly n00b friendly.

[donrevey]

your hardly gonna be doing dirt drop and bouncing off the kerbs intentionally when you street drift though, its never gonna snap your car in half!
ok i give in
YES YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT KERBS

and as for what philmorisson says about oil your right as well as i ride a motorbike to work and back also sometimes in the wet i feel like im driving on a rainbow
if there are anyother bikers amongst us you will no what i mean

althought it does look cool when you come out of a corner drifting your bike off the revlimiter
if you can do it that is?

[Blue Neon]

And if you're crap you end up getting about 3 runs for your £75 + suit + helmet + tyres + fuel to get there & back. Not exactly n00b friendly.


True words :nod: :nod: :nod:

[KevJ]

And if you're crap you end up getting about 3 runs for your £75 + suit + helmet + tyres + fuel to get there & back. Not exactly n00b friendly.


Theres a scary thought!

So how about a two/three/tier system or even specific noobie practice days?

I want to start drifting next season and it looks like I have sorted a car, but at the above prices it is a bit of a choker! :nod: