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SPECTATORS
Common questions and drift terms
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How do I purchase spectator tickets?Tickets are availaile for purchase at the entrance gate of each event.
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Drift TermsBattle Two cars compete head to head in a Tandem or Singles competition in which one person moves on through bracket until we have One victor. Winners are picked by a panel of judges Braking Drift This drift is performed by braking into a corner, so that the car can transfer weight to the front. This is immediately followed by throttle in a RWD car causes the rear wheels to lose traction. FWD cars can also use this technique, as it does not depend on the rear wheels being driven. Similar term: Left foot braking-applying brake pressure with left foot while simultaneously applying throttle with the right foot. Chicane A quick left to right or right to left “S-turn” usually placed at the end of straightaways in order to slow drivers down before they reach the tighter - slower corners. Clutch Kick This is done by “kicking” the clutch (pushing in, then out, usually more than one time in a drift for adjustment in a very fast manner) to send a shock through the powertrain, upsetting the car’s balance. This causes the rear wheels to slip. The foot should be at an angle so the brake and gas may be pressed as well, this being needed to control speed and stop from spinning out in the drift. Countersteer Corrective steering used to balance and maintain an oversteered condition. (turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the turn once the vehicle starts to oversteer). Dirt Drop This is done by dropping the rear tires off the sealed road onto dirt or gravel, or whatever low-grip surface borders the road, to maintain or gain drift angle. Also called “Dirt Turbo”. Drift A Drift occurs when a vehicle’s momentum or horsepower exceeds the cars tire traction, thus causing the car to slide laterally or sideways. Through driver skill and certain car modifications, this seemingly out of control state know as drifting can be controlled and actually enables the driver to maintain higher rates of speed through corners. Drift Angle Drift angle is the angle a car maintains during a drift in relation to the direction traveled. Drift angle is important in competition and is often judged as part of a driver’s style - the more extreme the drift angle the better. Drift Run Refers to any vehicle proceeding through the designated Drift Course or Track. E-Braking (also: Hand-Braking, Hydro-Braking) In drifting, a vehicle’s emergency brake can be applied during the entry of a corner and with proper technique, lock up the rear wheels for a brief moment causing them to loose traction and skid thus inducing the drift. Emergency brakes only affect the rear wheels of a vehicle. Exhibition Drift The purpose of drifting at the Drift Session is to cause maximum oversteer in a vehicle while maintaining speed. Vehicles are not judged based on time trials or speed but rather on the completion of clean and exaggerated drifts which maintain a reasonable rate of speed, drift angle and overall style. Exhibition Drifting includes techniques such as one hand drifting, opening the car door while drifting, hanging their legs and body out of the car, running behind the car, ect. Heel-Toe Shifting A drifting technique where the clutch is pressed with the left foot while the right foot presses the brake with the toes and the heel slides over to the accelerator to rev the engine up before downshifting the vehicle. Heel-Toe shifting allows for smooth downshifting, without jolting the vehicle. This is important during the drift in order to maintain consistent speed and drift angle. Inertia Feint Drift (or “Scandinavian Flick”) This is done by transferring the weight of car towards the outside of a turn by first turning away from the turn and then quickly turning back using the inertia of the rear of the car to swing into the desired drifting line. Sometimes the hand brake will be applied while transferring the weight of the car towards the outside to lock the rear wheels and help the rear swing outwards. This type of drifting causes the car to accelerate faster afterwards, because of momentum built up while drifting. JDM Short for Japanese Domestic Market Limited Slip Differential (LSD) Axle gearing that allows power to be transferred to the wheel with the most traction. Similar to Chevrolet’s “Positraction.” Limited Slip Differential allows both rear wheels to “lock up” and spin at the same time. LSD is essential when building a drift car. Oversteer During a turn, the car is said to oversteer when the REAR wheels do not track behind the front wheels but instead slide out toward the outside of the turn in a more straight-line trajectory. Power Oversteer (Powerslide) This drift is performed when entering a corner at full throttle to produce heavy oversteer through the turn. The excess power causes the drive wheels to lose traction in a RWD or AWD car. This is the most typical drifting technique for all-wheel drive cars. Silvia Silvia is the Japanese version of Nissan’s 240SX. The Silvia’s latest models come in S13, S14, or S15 variations. Typically coveted for its low cost, sporty look, and relatively powerful turbocharged 4-cylinder engine the SR20-DET. The Nissan Silvia is one of the most popular drift cars. Ski Drift This extremely difficult and dangerous drift is done by drifting while the car is on two wheels. If not done perfectly, the car will likely roll over and crash. Skidpad A skidpad is a large, circular area of flat pavement used for various tests of a car’s handling. The most common skidpad use is testing lateral acceleration, measured in g. The test is carried out on a circular track with a radius of 300 ft (100 metres). A car driving on said track is slowly accelerated until the outermost tires on the car begin to slip. Going any faster would cause the car to drive outside the 300 ft radius. At this point, the speed of the car is recorded, and given the centripetal force formula mv²/r, a car’s handling in terms of lateral g-forces can be derived. Touge A winding road suited specifically for drifting. Touge is a Japanese word literally meaning “pass.” It refers to a mountain pass or any of the narrow, winding roads that can be found in and around the mountains of Japan and other geographically similar areas. Placing a series of turns or bends in the steep roads that provide access to and from the high elevations of the mountains was intended to be a safety measure, usually to prevent commuters from reaching unstable speeds or creating excessive wear on the vehicles associated with them. It is therefore ironic that these same passes have become popular with street racers and motorsport enthusiasts in the last two decades, providing a dangerous and therefore challenging course where nightly competitions sometimes occur. Train Three or more cars in a tandem on the same line at the same time Tandem drifting vs singles (solo) drifting Tandem: Two cars that meet stringent safety requirements drifting in unison. Usually in a battle scenario leaving only one victor Singles (solo): Running one car at a time whether it is a practice run, qualifying run, or Battle run in Singles Group (beginners).
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