this past weekend was spent drifting. saturday by car, sunday by boat. and i'm kind of beat even though i didn't do much of anything but hang and watch. i blame the glorious southern california sun.
g4 videogame tv comped us tickets to attend the need for speed formula D (drift) finals in irwindale, california (thanks rob)! i didn't know what to expect but i somehow ended up shaking blown-up-bangers with my neighbors and yelling, "One more time! One more time!" and having super dumb fun! i can't remember the last time i hung out on metal bleachers and chomped on pretzels with nacho cheese, but i'm thinking maybe i should do it more often. i found it pretty damn easy to slip into motorsports. fast cars, fake boobies, i mean really, all that was missing was some cotton candy. although i bet that was actually available somewhere too.
so anyway, what is drifting? from the little that i know, it is a racing sport that was solidified in japan about 10 years ago. my definition: gonzo race car drivers burn rubber while trying to stay close to one another while following the leader's trail line but like, add excitement for getting really close while they're drifting. it is controlled car chaos. and it's very graceful when both drivers are really good. wikipedia's definition:
Drifting refers to the difference in slip angle between the front and rear tires of a car. When the rear wheels are slipping at a greater angle than the front wheels, the car is drifting, or oversteering. The rear end of the car appears to chase the front end around a turn, the driver utilizes both front tires and the rear tires to control the actual direction of the car. More throttle induces more rear wheel slip angle and the rear of the car wants to overtake the front. The goal is for the driver to achieve steering lock and use the throttle to fine tune the cars angle and direction.
like the monster-trucks of the 80s, i found the sport entertaining. my photos don't translate the action very well so enjoy these videos:
download drifting demo
download drifting demo
download formula d race
download formula d race
and if that wasn't enough for ya, check out the general lee drifting -- shot for the dukes of hazzard movie. i don't know what to make of the sport. but the sold out event tells me it's going to blow up big!
