My drifting experience has been limited to two events. Drift Day 8 and 10. I'm still very new, but I thought I'd share some of the things I've learned during the two track days.
Drift Day 8 – Irwindale Speedway
'93 240sx hatch
KYB AGX Shocks (set at mid settings front/rear)
Tanabe Springs (spring rate somewhat low)
Ebay Strut Bars
195/60/15 Yokohama ES100 (front)
195/60/15 Crappy Tires (rear)
Open Diff
Early Morning Sessions -
This is where I learned the definition of understeer. I start off on the smaller course. First run through, I'm acclerating hard coming to the first cone (a left hander). I come to the turn in point, I don’t let off the gas and turn hard left (trying to power over). The tires start squealing, I’m in 2nd gear, but the car is not rotating. In fact, the car is not turning at all. Steering wheel’s turned, but the car is not turning. SOUNDS like everyone else’s drifting (tires squealing), but doesn’t look like everyone else’s. I was understeering. My front tires were loosing grip and being pushed by the rear. Remedy? Come off the f*ckin gas moron!
Repeat this a few more runs while talking and riding with the instructors.
Late Morning Sessions –
This is where I learned how to ass drag and spin out. Still on the small course and J-turn. Come to the first cone. As per the instructors, I come off the gas at the turn in, clutch in, yank the ebrake up… hey look at that, the back is coming around. I put the ebrake down, come in with gas and countersteer. Well when I put the ebrake down I kept my hand on it, so I was trying to countersteer with one hand (not countersteering fast enough), and I also put in A LOT of throttle. Spin to a stop.
Repeat this a few more runs while talking and riding with the instructors.
Afternoon Sessions –
This is where I learned that drifting is f*cking hard, that those who can do it are incredibly skilled and that I’m no Yoshinori Kogouchi. For the rest of the day I’m either spinning out like before, or countersteering too much with too little gas and snapping back to spin out the other way. By the end of the day, some 6-7 hours of track time later, I’m exhausted and had an awsome time.
Drift Day 10 – California Speedway
Same car as before plus:
Kaaz 16 clutch 2-way LSD
Spin Knob
This is where I learned that ass dragging is not drifting, drifting is drifting. Most of the day was like the afternoon sessions of DD8. But on the skidpad I was able to catch the rear end coming around a few times and hold the drift. I can’t describe how awesome that feeling was. I was totally in control of this thing as it circled the skidpad cone. I was countersteering and when I “felt” the car start to recover I’d turn in, when I “felt” the car coming around too much I’d put in more counter, I was playing with the throttle seeing how it responds with more/less. Drifting is not just getting the ass to come around, it’s getting it stop coming around and hold it where you want it.
Anyway, I couldn’t “catch” the ass when I had a running start at the skidpad, only when I was circling it slowly. I’d slowly circle the cone, and put the clutch in. I’d rev it up to about 4k, dump the clutch and gas it. Immediately I’d countersteer and come to about ½ throttle. If I countered too late or not enough I’d spin out. If I let off too much on the gas or countered too much I’d recover and snap the other way. If I found the balance between the two, I’d be drifting…
Had a blast, again.
Drift Day 12 – Irwindale Speedway (hey that’s tommorrow)
Same car as before except 205/55/15 Yoko ES100 up front and a good alignment.
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