wow, lots of input, this is awesome!

 

I guess I should introduce myself before I start giving advice. My name is Jonathan, I have been drifting locally for a couple of years but I am by no means an expert on the subject. I am drifting a 91 Miata that is mostly stock. It has a welded diff, an ACT clutch and a bunch of small modifications. For your first event I agree with the other comments suggesting used tires. The tire wear depends heavily on driving style and the condition of the asphalt. I have been to events where I run all day on one set of tires and they still have tread at the end of the day. At other events I have used 2 sets. Since you will be drifting a car that is heavier and has over 3 times the horsepower of my car I would suggest using your stock wheels and get 4 used tires just to make sure you don't run out of tires before the end of the event. If you want to run new tires I would suggest something like the Falken ZE512, they are $90 each on edgeracing for your size. They are cheap and a lot of people use them. If I remember correctly Maxxis Tires offers a really good discount for drift competitors. If you are interested let me know and I will find out who you need to contact. All this information has been about your rear tires. For the front tires you should run the same thing you use to autocross. The more grip the better. I did not see anybody answer the question about tire pressure, my suggestion for the front would be to run the same as you run for autocross. For the rears I would play around with the pressure and until you find a pressure that you like. Some drifters run 40-45 psi in the rear tires for two reasons, a smaller contact area (also achieved with camber adjustment) and less sidewall roll.

 

Thanks 4 the imput Stancel. Thee good news is I scooped up an extra set of stock firebird 16x8s w good tires 4 $150!! I may well hit one of the local drifting events. I'll kinda feel like a tool w mismatched rims on the back though...

Oh, well, maybe I'll fog them black w that new wash off paint, probly won't be as obvious that way....especially when they are spinning, and smoking!!

 

Good luck! I am willing to bet that there will be a lot of cars with mismatched wheels. I have only done 2 events where my wheels matched. 16" used tires will also be a lot easier to find used than 17" tires, because everybody is looking for 17s. My only advice on making the tires last all day is when you spin out fight the urge to stay in the throttle. When you spin out and stay in the gas you will burn off the tires much faster , it creates a huge cloud of smoke that makes it difficult for the next driver on the course to see and it brings attention to the fact that you did not make the turn.

Just like with any motorsport, to get the most out of the event find a driver that knows what they are doing and ask to ride along with them or have them ride with you and give some pointers.

From your pictures, your car looks to be in really good shape. Are you worried about your car's paint getting scuffed by hitting any cones?

 

Thought I'd provoke the thread, jk.

What about going with a data logger mounted in each of the competitors?
I would imagine it would quite feasible (long term wise for the sport) to remove the subjective judging with actual numbers. Would the things that would need to be captured just be the slip angle (through gyroscopic measures and steering angles), throttle position, speed, rpm, what else ?
I don't know, just thinking out loud on a way to compare quantitatively rather than subjectively. I road race, but enjoy the shennaniganry of drifting.

 

Drifting is simply a fun thing to do, and you don't need a computer scoring device to tell you that you're having fun. Think of drifting events as non-timed track days where track observers can watch a miata catch up to and pass a Z06 in the yellow group - you don't need timers to see who's the better driver, and this sort of kneejerk judgement is compulsory, albeit unorganized and crude. Drifting "competitions" take this a little farther by forming a scoring system and adding a little more observable objectivity to it, but it's pretty much the same sort of thing.

However, it doesn't do any good to fixate on the competitive side of the sport when MOST of the participants at the local levels are just there to drive their cars and have a good time, just like at a DE track event. And just like at track events, there are also those clowns (in riced out nissans/flashy porsche's) who're there just to show off their tYt3 R1de and m4d sk1llz0rz yo! and you have to weed through them to find the true enthusiasts who just don't give a crap about what anybody thinks, they're there to drive!

 

Thanks, and yeah I am a little concerned about screwing up the car cosmetically. I've tagged cones at auto-x b4 (in other cars)...didn't leave damage, but I can c where higher speeds may make that different. I mentioned earlier in the thread c-ing an import break off a big piece of body kit on a cone on a tv event (but I figured it was just a cheap-poorly installed kit). Is body damage from cones a serious risk (obviously walls are to be avoided at all costs)?

The only drifting event I saw locally last year was in a small paved oval track-Rockford Speedway. The asphalt is very course. I auto-xed there, but would be hesitant to drift due to the extreme banking, walls, and general lack of cleanliness (sp?)(parts, bolts, fixed objects in infield). I hope to see a parking lot event, or better yet at a road course.

And as 4 the scoring issue, I could give a $#!+ less what a judge thinks...powersliding is fun!!!

 

Cones are not a big issue and your stock bumper will hold up to them unlike the cheap fiberglass body kits. You may have to spend some time buffing out any marks. They are a problem for me because my car has 16 year old white paint but it is not a big deal because I need to repaint it. You could always cover the bumper with tape but in a drift event you might hit a cone with the side of the car or even the back of the car. If you go to an event set up in a parking lot then the speeds will be low enough to where the cones won't damage the car. You might see one 3rd gear entry turn, besided that it will be mostly second gear. Because of safety concerns you will not see the same kind of speed in a parking lot that you would see on TV at Formula D in Irwindale. Road courses are the best! There is an old karting track down here that has drift events and I like it much better than a parking lot.

 

Drifiting is a sport, it takes skill to win........anyone who says other wise has been blinded by the F&F crap, im glad to see some american muscle kicking *** at every level.

 

I look at it more like a game....It looks fun as heck, but the judging issue really takes away from the competition IMHO. Too much like figure skating, not enough like racing. But, I guess they call figure skating a sport too. I don't question the skill in either one...just the fairness/relevance of competition.

But, yeah, I 2 want 2 C American Muscle kicking ***!!!

 

Im going to try out a event this summer, and use some old tires for the heck of it!


Its better than getting a ticket or somthing for doing donuts in a parking lot.

 

I find it rather interesting that the only comparisons being brought up regarding the judging aspect is figure skating (and there was one other similar to figure skating that I've forgotten after reading all these posts).

Some other competions that rely on juding though....

Most forms of competitive fighting. Boxing, UFC, Kick Boxing, etc. Short of knock-outs, the end results are determined by a panel of judges. They have metrics defined to determine the outcome, but there is also a subjective element to it as well.

Freestyle motocross, BMX, skateboarding, etc. VERY subjective forms of competition, but they ARE forms of competition nonetheless.


Competition: a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage

Sport: an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

There are definitely Drifting competitions out there. Both racing and boxing are listed as examples of Sports. By general definition, Drifting IS a sport, that's pretty clear. There are certainly more narrow definitions of what constitutes a sport. It's not uncommon to see fans of more physically oriented sports such as Basketball, Football, Soccer, etc to not consider racing a sport, but I doubt anyone in this forum will agree with that view. And anybody ever wonder what type of minds might typically contrive such narrow definitions?

I'm personally not a fan of most judged types of competitions either, primarily due to the more subjective nature of the outcomes of such events, but I by no means consider them any less a sport than more determinate forms of competition. Many of them ARE enjoyable to watch (sometimes more-so than other sports), but I never really get emotionally involved with the outcomes of such events.

 

jRaskell, I do not disagree w what you have 2 say. I will add though, I like boxing and UFC, but I ,like most fans, would much rather C a Knock out or submission rather than let it go to the judges. Just not a fan of judging, like to C winning based on fact, not opinion.

I will still likely destroy some cheap 16s I recently scored in the name of fun. Judges B damned!

Not like I expect to win my 1st time out anyway.

 

Yes there is

 

just think of all the green house gasses that are produced when that smoke goes into the atmosphere. the government should ban this spectacle!

however, i do enjoy empty parking lots late at night when no one is aroudn

 

Probably not as bad as all these modded 'catless' fbodies running around, and - are they going to ban the drag strip too - I think over the course of a weekend the burnout box at the track probably sees a similar amount of smoke as a drift event.

 

Here is a CTSV drifting a few year back

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzMFJ...eature=related

 

haha i have no cats or mufflers so who cares haha

 

I saw this vid on youtube i figured the drifting fans would like it. I know the camaro is riced out (ugly body kit) but jus proves u can drift a camaro.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLHuPGsaw8k