Who says drifting isn't motorsport

Teh E36 M3 wrote:

mr2peak wrote: You don't try to hot tub. If you try to hot tub, you are a looser.

Oh no? James Brown says you're wrong

That's a performance. Maybe drifting is a performance?

Brett_Murphy wrote: If drifting is the thing that is getting more people interested in cars these days, I'm all for drifting. We want more automotive enthusiasts of all stripes, not less. Likewise, I really don't care if they're taking old Nissans and dorifto-suiciding them into walls. The cars are getting used, and odds are good they saved at least a few of them from the junkyards. In any case, their money, their car, glad they're having fun.

+1 We ought to support anything that's going to get young people enthusiastic about cars. Some of today's dorifto fanbois may be tomorrow's dedicated road racers and autoX'ers.

Wally wrote:

friedgreencorrado wrote: Like Patrick Bedard said in Car and Driver years ago (about Hollywood stunt drivers): "The Harlem Globetrotters never won an NBA Championship, but you don't hear a lot of people saying they can't play basketball."

They have won as many championships as the Knicks in my lifetime so I will always consider them New York's better team.

ROFL! The Knicks have two Championships, right? The Hawks only have one, and that was back when they were still in St. Louis.

They took a 30pt beating by the Bulls the other night. Ouch.

Who says drifting is not a motorsport? The head dorifto of Drift Alliance, circa 2006

Chris Forsberg, In the December 2006 issue of Super Street Magazine, said: "I'd like to see drifting go the way of the X Games," he says. "This is an action sport, not a motor sport or racing. It's all about style and personality. That's where it belongs and hopefully it'll get there some day."

BigD wrote: I'm personally not terribly interested in drifting but I do appreciate it (Ken Block's latest Gymkhana is breathtaking). But saying something isn't a sport just because it doesn't tickle your fancy is really petty, even when disguised as jest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TshFWSsrn8

you know just for reference.

moparman76_69 wrote:

BigD wrote: I'm personally not terribly interested in drifting but I do appreciate it (Ken Block's latest Gymkhana is breathtaking). But saying something isn't a sport just because it doesn't tickle your fancy is really petty, even when disguised as jest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TshFWSsrn8 you know just for reference.

Also for reference. 29,000,000 (that's twenty-nine million) people have watched that video. 29,000,000 people that are that much closer to understanding why nut jobs like us view cars as more than a mode of transportation.

unevolved wrote: Also for reference. 29,000,000 (that's twenty-nine *million*) people have watched that video. 29,000,000 people that are that much closer to understanding why nut jobs like us view cars as more than a mode of transportation.

I think it is more like 10 Block fanbois have pleasured themselves to it 2,900,000 times each.

Flinging a car into a corner with full steering crosslock and smoke billowing from the rear tires is a lot of fun. It's also pretty much the slowest way around a race course of just about any type. Truth: He or she who crosses the finish line first wins, not the one who looked the prettiest. For that reason, no drifting is not a motorsport.

I really would expect this place to be the last place to find such elitism. This guys is closer to you guys then any of the other drifters, he doesnt sport the brim hat, he wears w/e the hell he wants and his crew is a Motley Crue inspired bunch of simple friends. Not to mention much like many have said, some exposure, whatever kind of exposure, is better than no exposure. This goes back to the Ken Block hate. I would swap my spot for one of theirs in a hearbeat, f*** the haters and driving a car for a living is the dream. Maybe Im not as lucky, or maybe I didnt work for it as hard. But I sure as hell dont confuse my envy and some respect for ill will or condescending backhanded expression.

I am a dedicated auto-x and track whore. If 20 out of these 5000 drifters develop the industry more and try another motorsport, its only to the benefit of all of us. I know from my personal findings sliding a car that consistently at those speeds and then linking multiple turns together is pure insanity. These guys are throwing the cars in, completely perpendicular to the apex, at 90mph? Not easy, not by a longshot.

As well, it is completely feasable to measure this exclusively on points. Some systems have been developed, just not established within the sanctioning bodies. A simple electronic system can record two most important details: angle of the car during oversteer and speed. Thats all you would need. Just because there are judges does not completely discredit this. There are truly some budget grassroots guys who go up against these giants, and I respect that. Do I love it as much as racing? As much as w2w full on battle royale of Gt cars? No. Would I do it as a hobby during weekends to relax? Hell yes. I think the question to ask is: "What would Randy Pobst do?". And I believe he would tell you that its something really cool that he respects, he would try it and perform it flawlessly by the end of the week, then come back and tell you that what those guys do is amazing and hard as hell to do.

This kind of goes back to the whole hellaflush thing. Yes its stupid, and I wish the kids my age would smarten up. But... is it any different to the candy caddys of the 60-70s that people would pinstripe and "cruise" in? Same sport, different era. I know you guys are better than that, keep an open mind.

To truly enjoy a car you have to explore -every- slip angle, not just the optimum one(s).

rwdsport wrote: I really would expect this place to be the last place to find such elitism. This guys is closer to you guys then any of the other drifters, he doesnt sport the brim hat, he wears w/e the hell he wants and his crew is a Motley Crue inspired bunch of simple friends. Not to mention much like many have said, some exposure, whatever kind of exposure, is better than no exposure. This goes back to the Ken Block hate. I would swap my spot for one of theirs in a hearbeat, f*** the haters and driving a car for a living is the dream. Maybe Im not as lucky, or maybe I didnt work for it as hard. But I sure as hell dont confuse my envy and some respect for ill will or condescending backhanded expression. I am a dedicated auto-x and track whore. If 20 out of these 5000 drifters develop the industry more and try another motorsport, its only to the benefit of all of us. I know from my personal findings sliding a car that consistently at those speeds and then linking multiple turns together is pure insanity. These guys are throwing the cars in, completely perpendicular to the apex, at 90mph? Not easy, not by a longshot. As well, it is completely feasable to measure this exclusively on points. Some systems have been developed, just not established within the sanctioning bodies. A simple electronic system can record two most important details: angle of the car during oversteer and speed. Thats all you would need. Just because there are judges does not completely discredit this. There are truly some budget grassroots guys who go up against these giants, and I respect that. Do I love it as much as racing? As much as w2w full on battle royale of Gt cars? No. Would I do it as a hobby during weekends to relax? Hell yes. I think the question to ask is: "What would Randy Pobst do?". And I believe he would tell you that its something really cool that he respects, he would try it and perform it flawlessly by the end of the week, then come back and tell you that what those guys do is amazing and hard as hell to do. This kind of goes back to the whole hellaflush thing. Yes its stupid, and I wish the kids my age would smarten up. But... is it any different to the candy caddys of the 60-70s that people would pinstripe and "cruise" in? Same sport, different era. I know you guys are better than that, keep an open mind.

i think you need to step back, take a deep breath, and chill out.. no one said it isn't hard or that it isn't cool.. no one said anything bad about Ken Block..

it's just that drifting is not a motorsport.. motorsports require someone to get to the finish line first within the rules to be declared the winner- drifting throws that out the window and goes for style points more than anything. it's like figure skating where if the judge from Romania has something against your home country, you are getting less points from him regardless of how good you do.

i'd be willing to bet that most of the newer fans of drifting come from the X Games set. most of the events in the X Games are based on judging- you do the best double backflip with a 720 twist on the half pipe and you get more points. a lot of these same kids love watching rally cars- mostly because of Nitro Circus, i bet. there is also a big crossover with motocross, which is also a real motorsport once you get away from the trick stuff at the X Games..and now that Travis Pastrana is playing in NASCAR they are starting to look over there, too. in this sense, drifting is kind of like a gateway drug that gets kids hooked on real motorsports.

is it fun to do a controlled slide around a corner at 60mph? hells yea- i was doing it on dirt backroads in my 78 Cordoba when i was 16. i even tried it in a few paved parking lots, but 4200 pound boats with under 200 hp and highway gears isn't exactly a recipe for drifting success on pavement.. but damn if it wasn't fun to try..

I dont need to chill out at all because I was not wound up. My message was relayed at the general tone of the first 3/4 of the thread.

The Ken Block and hellaflush comments relate to some older threads, perhaps you missed them and the message was lost on you.

Like I said, im a roadracing guy and to me the clock is what matters, but Im also trying to dispel the negative "hipster" stigma that seems to be carried with the sport.

I fail to see the relation of all the figure skating and such references as well. Are you saying in FD (formula drift, an american based sanctioning body) that a particular class of car/person is being discriminated against? There have been everything from the most Amherican' Muscle to the high strong turbo JDM cars as winners. Drivers from all backgrounds. If anything, rather than promoting biased nationalism all this sport promotes is big corporate logos.

Also a slide @ 60mph on a dirt road in said car is a bit different then at 90mph with walls fast approaching. Just like a ride in a HS mini is a bit different than an SM2 500whp e36. Just saying

drifting is dumb

Wally wrote: If we are counting drifting as a motorsport can I count my bus roadeo trophy? It was a timed and objectively scored event. ie points off for hitting cones.

I've got to give this Bus Rodeo thing a try.

I guarantee that I can stay on for more than eight seconds.

Drifting is fun. And a great spectacle to photograph. Need to actually make it to an event this year...

rwdsport wrote: Are you saying in FD (formula drift, an american based sanctioning body) that a particular class of car/person is being discriminated against?

I think the statement was because judged events have this possibility. I don't think there was an implication that this is currently happening. My guess is that he was pointing out that stop watches don't lie (i.e. in racing the fastest guy is the winner) but that drifting is different. Drifting is a judged event, just like surfing, skateboarding, "freestyle" snowboarding, ice skating, and competitive ballroom dancing. In any judged event, the potential exists for the judges to let their bias influence the scores they give. (Ice skating has a long history of this sort of abuse.)

This means that Wally's bus driving competition could be considered a sport, just not one with a lot of spectator appeal (...and in that aspect, it would be similar to autocross.) If they could work out a way to include scantily clad women wiggling seductively at bus driving competitions, it might become a big hit.....maybe they should combine two judged events......The drivers can maneuver around competitive dancers.