5 easy steps to a figure of 8

I am aware that the primary image isn’t the most relative but I can’t find a picture that represents a car doing a figure of eight. Plus it’s an awesome picture. The rest of their art work is cool so credit where it’s due: https://www.facebook.com/katanamarket

Once you are comfortable with the doughnut or don’t feel like your tyres are going to last long enough for that sort of behaviour, it’s time to move onto the figure of 8. I’m not going to lie, this is difficult. This is taking one of the most challenging parts of drifting (transitions) and making it really small and technical and repeating it over and over again. But trust me, if you can do this, then you will be fine when it comes to practice bigger things. First thing to realise is that the figure of 8 is just two doughnuts connected together. This isn’t anything you haven’t done before or can’t do. Second thing is if you’re getting heaps of understeer and the back isn’t coming out or it’s looking generally messy, then just stop the car and start again. Rarely can you just keep understeering until magic happens. I have broken it down into its separate sections below.

1. Starting position

Place the car in between the two cones so that you’ve got a car width either side (wider is faster, narrower is a bit more difficult). If you line the cones up with the back rest of your seat; this is the position that you want to be in when you start to transition. Remember that and what it looks like – It’s very important.

2. Start with a donut

You want to start with one doughnut around one of the cones. I’d assume right as that seems to be the more comfortable side (for RHD cars). Drive around the cone, off the throttle, back on the throttle, let go of the wheel, feather the throttle and continue the donut.

Full donut instructions - HERE

3. Get the car in position (Across the imaginary line) and start the transition

When you’re feeling happy with that, get your car into the approximate position you started in. Once you get there, then you want to lift off the gas, either fully or just a little depending on the conditions/power of the car. This should shift the weight to the front of the car and reduce the force from the back wheels which are pushing you around. This is by far the most important part of the figure of eight. If you transition too early (often achieved by looking at the second cone too early) you will end up gripping and driving into it. I often asked clients to try and convince me that they were going for a second donut, then transition.

4. Start the second donut

At this point the front wheels are facing towards the left hand side, as the weight is back on them and the back wheels aren’t pushing you as much any more, you have effectively achieved lift off oversteer (any of this sounding familiar?). The back of the car is going to start swinging around in the opposite direction. Try and keep the front wheels pointing in the same direction and let the car move around them, this is achived by either letting go of, or guiding the steering wheel through the transition.

5. Get back on the power and carry on the figure of eight

Momentum is built up from the car changing direction, this means that when you get back on the power (as you do when starting a donut), you don’t need that much. Try to feel for the back of the car starting to grip and then introduce the power. This is where a lot of people struggle as they add loads of power and end up spinning the car.

Troubleshooting

“I tried to transition and I ended up driving into the cone”

You transitioned too early. Don’t look at the second cone or even start to think about transitioning until you are passed the imaginary line which connects the cone. The later the better.

“I keep spinning every time I try to complete the second half of the figure of eight”

Stay off the power for longer, let the car use all of its momentum first before getting back on the power.

“I’m gripping and straightening up when I try and transition”

Sometimes (depending on grip levels/power of the car) you don’t need to come fully off the power to transition or if you do, it’s for a split second. You can also try adding a bit more power just before you transition, this keeps the rear wheels spinning long enough to change direction.

“Nope can’t do it, too difficult”

There is nothing wrong with that, keep trying, move the cones a bit wider if you have to. Wet the track to make things a little more slippery.

“I am sh*t hot at this, its child’s play I need more challenge”

Start off with a donut, then into a figure of eight, then go wide around both cones as a giant donut, then slow the car back down into a figure of eight, then back wide again. This is a great way to practice slowing the car down and speeding the car up whilst sideways. You can even scrub off some speed with the brake if you want to try some fancy footwork.

I hope you can take something from this. As usual, any questions/comments/feedback just fire them below. Sorry for the large gap between this post and the last one, I started a new job but also finished off my previous job so I didn’t have much free time! Next week I will cover initiation techniques and some other drifting techniques..

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