DRIFTING IN MALAYSIA: 7/15/07

Drifting, faint drift, power over, Swaying Drift, Kansei Drift, Jump Drift, Long Side Drift

Drifting is a form of cornering which uses controlled slipping of the tires to give a more showy and sometimes faster turn speeds. With grip driving, the key is to go slow to fast around the corner whereas with drifting, you try to maintain a constant speed around the corner and come out of it faster. These are some types of drifting which are possible with a MiniZ (there is no precise way to do each, but this provides you with a guide on how to perform your own drifts):

Power Over - When entering a corner, use full throttle to produce heavy oversteer through the turn

Faint Drift - Steer the car towards the outside of a turn and then use steering traction to throw the head of the car into the inside of the turn

Swaying Drift - A slow side-to-side faint like drift where the rear end sways back and forth down a straight

Kansei Drift - When at racing speeds and entering a high speed corner, quickly take your finger off the gas to initiate a mild oversteer and then balance the drift through steering and reapplied gas

Jump Drift - Allow the inside rear tire to bounce over the apex of the curb such that it loses traction, resulting in oversteer

Long Side Drift - Use reverse and steering to put the car side ways at a high angle (almost totally sideways) and hold this when entering the corner.

During a drift, speed will slowly bleed away, so enter a corner faster than you would normally with grip racing. You usually have to prepare for a drift way before the turn to give your car the right momentum and attitude. You must also know that not all corners are meant to be drifted around. A good racer must know when to drift and when to grip through it. I also depends on where your opponents are on the track.

The car must be set up properly for you to be able to drift. For example, you can help your rear wheels lock up during a turn so that it will swing out by tightening your ball differential. Whenever you are attempting to throw or change the direction of the car suddenly, you will need to steer quickly. If the steering range dial on your controller is too small, you may not have enough steering angle to throw your car. Tire settings are also important. Depending on the type of drift, you may want the front to have more grip than the back or vice versa. It depends on how you want to drift your car and our ability to control it.

Here's is an article found in a RC magazine on how to do a simple drift:

Source: UKAR_strjetta