Some questions about Drifting...

[Mark Chen]

Hi everybody
I am a foreign student which study in NYC.
Nowadays, I write a research paper about drifting in the U.S.
I need to make some interviews and ask some questions.
I hope if anyone have any ideas or experiences about drifting can tell me.
there are questions I want to ask:
Do you think drifting is become popular in the U.S?WHY?
what do you think of drifting?
Do you think drifting is inexpensive than other kinds of car racing?WHY?
Do you think drifting is an individually motorsport?WHY?
Do you think drifting is a kind of entertainment?WHY?
Do you think drifting is less space required?WHY?
Any comments will be grateful!!
I will quote every ideas,experiences in my research paper.
If you guys don't mind, please type your email address.
I will put them in my research paper.
Thanks a lot!!

[Sound Of Speed]

I drift professionally for American Tire Depot

[Mark Chen]

Can you help me, answer my questions?
thanks a lot

[Robin_NL]

OK, we have been organizing drift/trackdays for about 5 years now(on tracks like Assen, Zanvoort(NL) and Niederrhein/Papenburg(Germany)

I 'll try to answer your questions:

Do you think drifting is become popular in the U.S?WHY?
-In Japan and EU it's already very popular. Dunno about the USA

what do you think of drifting?
-I like it a lot(I practice it myself on rainy days at roundabouts, flyovers and some bends if traffic allows it, to me it's how to handle a RWD car in a unsexpected situation. Made me a better driver on trackday too I think.

Do you think drifting is inexpensive than other kinds of car racing?WHY?
-It's will cost you a few sets of reartyres IF you do it on dry surfaces. On wet surfaces you only need a rwd car and BETTER a limited slip differential too.But trackdays are more or less as expensive as driftdays to me.

Do you think drifting is an individually motorsport?WHY?
-In Japan it is. For us it's fun. I don't see it as a sport, more like how to control a car.

Do you think drifting is a kind of entertainment?WHY?
-Yep. Definitely.It's almost better than good sex if you go sideways and totally controllable.

Do you think drifting is less space required?WHY?
-You first need a 'closed' parking lot to practice. If your skills become better, try some driftdays. So some space is required yes.

Disclaimer: Don't try anything on the public roads unless you know what you are doing.

Thank you

2 pics of me 2 years ago or so when I had my M3

[KL2DC]

Do you think drifting is become popular in the U.S?WHY?

Started off small and underground, just a JDM curio ... then the marketers and promoters caught wind and came guns-a-blazing. Once the US business/marketing machine came on, of course drifiting is going to pick up popularity in a rapid rate (faster that Japan and Europe). Now you have all sorts of events and by-events and endoresements and merchandising etc .. it really is becomsing quite the marketing/media exercise. Your paper shoudl really cover this as this is fascinating...

[england1987]

I think that drifting is fun to do, but is absolutely pointless activity. It is a sport, but has the same feel as cheerleading. It is, but it isn't really. I prefer autocross races to controlled sliding, it just seems more satisfying. For the amount of precision that is engineered into a BMW, it seems redundant to use one for such a mundane sport. They are designed to carve smoothly and precisely around bends and twists. but thats just my opinion.

[vladinecko]

if i only got my tires for free...

[Robin_NL]

Drifting can sometimes help you control a difficult situation like this one(sorry for the bad quality).This is called a 'tankslapper'(why?dunno) He is too forcefull in countersteering, speed is 'rather' high and the whole 911 concept with the engine behind the rear axle sucks



http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...&q=nurburgring

[vladinecko]

also, look at this Driv3r's video. maybe you can ask him if you can use it as a part of your presentation...

[ward]

I think drifting is terrible and lame. The car control is impressive, but the lines are not the "fast" lines on a track.

Drifting takes racing with clear cut winners and loosers (based on a clock) and turns it fruity (based on "judging")

If I wanted to watch a sport where the winner was chosen by judges I'd watch figure skating.

I have no idea why people think it's a good idea to take a great think like motorsports and turn it all fruity like gymnastics

[Robin_NL]

Ward, I have a present for you:

Stefan Roser driving the RUF CTR at the Nordschleife 1990:

http://www.hotget.com/videocodefun/V...ler--6995.html

[ward]

don't get me wrong, as a car control issue it's great, it's something all drivers should learn how to control

but when you turn it into a full D1 drifting championship competition then that's when I think it turns awful

everyone should do it in an empty parking lot in the rain, but competition......

[Robin_NL]

for us it's fun. But D1 with all the specially prepared 200SXes with special 'easy' drift setups and stuff, then I agree completely with you Ward.

I just want to drift away in any stock rwd car

[Mark Chen]

thanks for your answering!!

[mava330]

I think there's potential for it to blow up here in the US and really become popular. Marketing at a local level is one thing. However in order for it to really gain in popularity there has to be some type of mass marketed, easily obtainable information stream for all; and no I'm not talking about the internet.

Later this year the new Fast and Furious movie installment will be coming out with a heavily influenced drifting story. If that movie makes $$ it'll most certainly raise awareness to a mass population. Making movies IS mass marketing. Wait till summer and see if drifting becomes part of the countries mass appeal; the movie will be a good indicator I think. My .02.

[Driv3r]

this is really bad, not only did fast and the furious mess up drag racing, and racing but now it wants to cash in on drifting too? Really F***** up. Yea if you want to interview PM me, too lazy to type anything right now.