Drift - Jalopnik

posts about #drift more →
Formula D Grand Prix Murders Tires At The Wall
Vaughn Gittin Jr Shows Us How To Smash A 'Stang Sideways
The Smoke and Bimmers of the Hungarian Drift Community
Hoon Of The Day: Spirit Of Ecstacy Goes Slideways
Don't Stop: A Terrifyingly Cool Look At The Non-Professional Drift World
Anatomy Of A Ford Mustang Drift Racer
Red Bull Drifting World Championship Announced, Beijing Olympics Now Forgotten
Taking A Spin In A JDM Nissan Skyline
Hit It, Boy! Helmetless, Hopped-Up Power Wheels Hoonage
Fast And Furious Chinese Drifting With Pregnant Passengerey

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vwminispeedster, pronounded Si-trow-in
07/20/09

In reply to Formula D Grand Prix Murders Tires At The Wall
someone was drifting a saturn sky at 2:06 sponsored by Sears? wow
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smalleyxb122
07/20/09

In reply to Formula D Grand Prix Murders Tires At The Wall
I understand the drifting team's desire to have a tire sponsorship, but the tire manufacturer wanting to be associated with cars sliding all over the track seems a bit odd.

Falken Tires: When too much traction is a nuisance.
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All_Thumbs
07/20/09

@smalleyxb122: These cars (while kinda silly) all approach or surpass 500hp, so are achieving their tire smoking slides the correct way, by over-powering their traction at high speeds while attempting to hang on by their fingernails to the ragged outside edge of the friction circle. If they didn't have ridiculous level of grip, they would all just being doing 80mph J-turns over and over with their handbrakes, instead of 1/4 mile long high speed slides. At the right track, this stuff can be pretty amazing and very fast.

Falken makes (made?) one of the best street tire class race tires on the market, and made it for half what any of the other manufacturers charged.
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smalleyxb122
07/20/09

@All_Thumbs - R.O.A.C.H.: Please don't misunderstand. I know that prodigious amounts of grip are required to maintain control in these situations, but it's about perception. I knew there were some troll-like implications in my post, but it was really about the fact that when all is said and done, these cars are sliding on dry pavement, and in most situations that doesn't scream "control".
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lilwillie
07/20/09

In reply to Formula D Grand Prix Murders Tires At The Wall
There is something so incredibly cool but so incredibly stupid about drifting and I can't put my finger on it.

Part of me is in awe of the skill and driving that is done by these drivers and cars. Hell, I did a drift burnout this weekend at 25mph and got a bunch of thumbs up. I was even surprised I got the car to snap loose at speed and slid it sideways for as far as I did.

But then there is the other part of me that thinks this isn't a sport at all but a form of just showing off and I am hating that these cars are going around the courses slower then they actually could.

AAAAGGGGHHH, my left side of my brain is fighting with the right side but my lower middle brain is telling me "just go with it"
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smalleyxb122
07/20/09

@lilwillie heart clicks GM: I have a hard time considering anything with subjective scoring a "sport". Much like Freestyle Motocross, it is quite entertaining to watch, so I see its merit as an exhibition. Unfortunately, the time always comes when some guy claims to be the best, and then they have to set up rules and judging guidelines. Then, we wind up with an automotive equivalent of rhythmic gymnastics.
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drewdrawshashtags
07/20/09

@smalleyxb122: Exactly. In the end, it's really just figure skating in ricers - hard to master, pretty to watch, and not even close to a sport.
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Bertone77
07/20/09

In reply to Formula D Grand Prix Murders Tires At The Wall
Nice work! That video was pretty cool. Surprising to see that Hyundai logo in there, Rhys Millen didn't place in that race but he did take the same car to pikes peak and set a new record for a 2wd time-attack.

http://www.ppihc.com/contentx.aspx?tabid=14&xsltfilename=PPIHCRaceDay&xmlfilename=~/Results/PPIHCResultsRaceDay&contentid=258

Now if I could just figure out how to get links to work...
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r0ver
07/20/09

In reply to Formula D Grand Prix Murders Tires At The Wall
No rear spoilers!!I hope that look catches on with all the 'streetracers' and their civics.(But I don't think it will)
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Al Navarro promoted this comment Edited by r0ver at 07/20/09 10:13 AM r0ver was starred r0ver was unstarred

pj134
07/20/09

@r0ver: If they did have spoilers, it's just something they have to pay to replace later.

Although, they have been sighted in the past:
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Sheed's Bald Spot
07/20/09

@r0ver: What's worse: A big wing or a 2wd Subaru?

Wings have always been hit or miss in dorifto fashion, but at the speeds these pros hit, there is definitely an aero effect. It then comes down to driver preference.

I do know that the rear suspension geometry on both US generations of 240sx, especially in the S14, is prone to snap oversteer, especially when rolling on and off the throttle and in and out of boost on a larger turbo car. Having extra wing would probably nice to keep the rear end planted and stabilized, especially with excessive slip angles.
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Al Navarro promoted this comment Edited by Sheed's Bald Spot at 07/20/09 10:45 AM Sheed's Bald Spot was starred

r0ver
07/20/09

@Sheed's Bald Spot: In other words use spoilers only when they're needed,as god intended.
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Plecostomus [Tyrrell]
07/20/09

In reply to Formula D Grand Prix Murders Tires At The Wall
Isn't there something else cooler we can make drift cars do instead of drift around an oval?
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Turboner
07/20/09

@fuzzy plecoroom: Umm, drive a road course with traction at both ends? Seriously, with production values like this, an ordinary HPDE/track day would be entertaining. Probably more so.
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engineerd
07/17/09

In reply to Vaughn Gittin Jr Shows Us How To Smash A 'Stang Sideways
Was he trying a handbrake turn in front of 17 year old girls who were too busy texting to even notice he was there and would eventually give him 0 points for it?
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Joshuman
07/17/09

@engineerd misses Uncle Pete: I thought that looked like a beige Volvo estate.
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mr_dude
07/17/09

In reply to Vaughn Gittin Jr Shows Us How To Smash A 'Stang Sideways
And now I can't watch drifting anymore. I have a strict policy against motorsports with stars that have "Junior" in their name.
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Alphamazing
07/17/09

In reply to Vaughn Gittin Jr Shows Us How To Smash A 'Stang Sideways
That was not Gittin's choice. In fact, the Mustang did it on its own.I have a few theories behind WHY the Mustang chose to do this, which I shall list in no particular order.

1) The Mustang felt itself to be so ugly that it could not stand to live, and attempted to destroy itself so that it would not have to live with the pain and suffering.

2) The Mustang made a show of being jealous of all the light weight Japanese cars, but when you look further down, it was really just depressed and wanted to die.

3) The Mustang is really Australian, and that concrete wall is as close as it comes to a windshield for the Mustang's face.

4) The Mustang has two left rear tires/feet.

5) The Mustang thought it was at a dance club, and tried to do a new move it learned, not realizing that it was in no shape to do so, thus losing its balance and face planting on the floor.

6) The Mustang was set up by Roush.

7) The Mustang was really only doing its job trying to make a new Special Edition Formula Drift Mustang featuring New Lifelike Crash Damaged Bodywork!

8) The Mustang is so heavy that it distorted the pavement such that the corner changed instantly, sending it into the wall.

9) The Mustang saw a mare, and blindly tried to go hump it.

10) The Mustang can only turn for so long before it needs to go straight again.

11) The Mustang was tired of this drifting shit, and put an end to it the only way it knew how... WITH ITS FACE.

Now, there is the possibility that this is neither Gittin's or the Mustang's fault. These theories are presented below in no particular order.

1) Invisible NASCAR.

2) Invisible Yuki Takahashi.

3) Taken over by the spirit of Aryton Senna's car.

4) Dale Earnhardt

5) Invisible police chase.
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Alphamazing promoted this comment Edited by Alphamazing at 07/17/09 2:09 PM Alphamazing was starred Alphamazing was unstarred

PowerTryp, Starless wonder.
07/17/09

@Alphamazing: Good list.
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Alphamazing promoted this comment Edited by PowerTryp, Starless wonder. at 07/17/09 2:05 PM

pauljones
07/17/09

@Alphamazing: Since the Mustang isn't ugly, and it's big V8 is more suitable for drifting than turbo-fours, it's not Australian, it can dance pretty well, I'm going to have to go with option #5 and say it has two left tires. What do I win?
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Alphamazing
07/17/09

@pauljones: Please see new options.
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WilliamG.
07/17/09

@Alphamazing: I like to think the paint job had something to do with it.
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Skunky
07/17/09

@Alphamazing: Invisible Texas cop throwing a spike strip is my guess.
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Alphamazing
07/17/09

@WilliamG.: That was the jealous/depressed comment.

@Skunky: But those never actually worked...

It's like premature ejaculation. There's a lot of effort, but it doesn't really do anything except make the guy look bad.
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Edited by Alphamazing at 07/17/09 2:18 PM Alphamazing was starred Alphamazing was unstarred

TX Law
07/17/09

In reply to Vaughn Gittin Jr Shows Us How To Smash A 'Stang Sideways
Looks like the left front separated from the wheel. Not much you can do in that situation, I'd imagine. It is pretty funny to watch the coil bouncing off the wall, then doing a MJ-worthy spin on the track.
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Al Navarro promoted this comment Edited by TX Law at 07/17/09 1:55 PM TX Law was starred TX Law was unstarred

pauljones
07/17/09

In reply to Vaughn Gittin Jr Shows Us How To Smash A 'Stang Sideways
So much for his chances with the Falken Umbrella Girls.
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Alan Vochaska
07/17/09

@pauljones:
FUG's ?
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pauljones
07/17/09

@Alan Vochaska: If you can call Randyl Dawn, Eri Moriyama, CJ Gibson, Joyce Lex, and Lisa Angeline fugly, then sure.
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Maymar
07/08/09

In reply to The Smoke and Bimmers of the Hungarian Drift Community
That was 215 seconds of reminding me why I miss having (or having access to) a RWD vehicle. Even if it's an old F-150 or Chevette.
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jjdaddyo
07/08/09

In reply to The Smoke and Bimmers of the Hungarian Drift Community
I'm not sure where you would come up with a Camaro in Hungary....
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hoodoo1966
07/08/09

@jjdaddyo:

I saw an Eagle Talon, of all things, the last time I was in Poland.
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Peter Orosz
07/09/09

@hoodoo1966: There are Camaros here. And as for Eagle Talons, there's a separate Diamond Star Motors Club.
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Audaxero
07/08/09

In reply to The Smoke and Bimmers of the Hungarian Drift Community
'The Hungarian Drift Community'... really proves that if you can think of it, it already exists and there's a video on the internet to prove it (although i wouldn't want try this theory out with more niche market 'indoor pursuits')...

Nice article Peter (or should that be 'Orosz Petros'?) and cool video.
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Maymar
07/08/09

@Audaxero: Rule 34, dude.
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GeeHalen
07/08/09

@Audaxero: In Hungarian that's stil 'Peter Orosz' or rather: Orosz Péter.
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Peter Orosz
07/09/09

@GeeHalen: Although my medical diploma says Petrus Orosz, which I find very cool. Not as cool as my dad as Ladislaus Orosz, but still. At least I can pretend to be a very expensive bottle of French wine.
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Audaxero
07/10/09

@Maymar is breaking in the commenting system...: Great, and now we've gone and invoked some sort of horrible niche depravity known only as 'the hungarian drift'...bleh
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anthony6151
07/08/09

In reply to The Smoke and Bimmers of the Hungarian Drift Community
I'm hungary for some more sideways action.

Moar!!!
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Kid Twist
07/08/09

@anthony6151: I Magyar pardon?
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.357
07/08/09

@anthony6151: relax, this isn't 4chan.
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