@CSU: nice one. That's really gonna help. *claps*
@Slida: most racers
don't drift. Doesn't mean they
can't, it means they make a
choice not to! Racing's been around for quite some time (first GP was in 1906) so it shouldn't be a surprise that it's still most people's first choice of motorsport. Drift, i.e. the ability to control a slide, is an important weapon in any drivers' arsenal. I'm not talking about arse-out show drifting, I'm talking about gently losing traction and four-wheel-drifting to get better speed through a turn. Before slick tyres and massive downforce (basically the whole period between 1906 to the mid-70s), when tyres were rock hard and cars actually were producing lift at high speed, four-wheel-drifting was
the method for cornering quickly. It wasn't to show off, it was vital in order to be fast, and still is vital to save mistakes. It was also difficult to avoid, especially in early racing in the 30s where you had a 600hp car with drum brakes, 4-inch wide tyres and a straight-8 cast iron engine sitting in the front. Try keeping that thing straight! But disregarding the old-timers, if a racer in
any car doesn't know drift fundamentals he won't know how to stop his car spinning out or smacking a wall because he's come into a turn too fast, or how to squeeze a bit of extra speed through of a turn by making his car lose traction just a bit.
Drift isn't something drifters invented - it's as old as racing itself. It's just that they took
one aspect of driving and made it an entire sport. It's a niche event like ski-jumping is to downhill or slalom, or, as is often mentioned, figure skating is to ice hockey or speed skating. If, tomorrow, somebody decides to make an entire sport out of skidding to a halt, I wonder how the "drift or die" crowd would react if the "skidders" started calling
them old & boring and started saying shit like "Good skidders can drift as good as anyone, drifters can't skid for crap"?
Drift, as a sport all its own, is the new kid on the block in the world of motosport. Grading drivers on style over speed is a new thing and some people are gonna have to get used to it, because it's a growing sport and I don't see it disappearing. I like it - but I don't do it because I'm "ol skool" and I prefer going fast. Doesn't mean I don't throw the handbrake on and kick the back out sometimes. You wouldn't be human if didn't enjoy sliding your car around
Just realise some people prefer speed & grip, some don't. Fact, period, whatever. To each his own.
Some people don't like racing it because it's not for everybody. Maybe they can't comprehend it?
FFS I don't see why this topic always has to end up with the fundamentalists from either side saying "my way is best so screw you, infidel". Let's get over ourselves and remember we're playing with the same toys.