A Quick Post on Why I Think Drifting is Ruining Motorsport
I’ll start off by saying I simply don’t understand the fascination with the current fad of drifting; the following are a couple of my reasons. Perhaps some here will agree, but it will probably just start a lot of hate.
Thrashing Cars
The only other type of “motorsport” that promotes thrashing on cars in a similar fashion are demolition derbies. That being said, nearly every individual I’ve met that performs in demolition derbies finds cars that are at the end of their life and there is no limit to what model is used. They choose simply whatever is available. Their cars are no longer road worthy and therefore find a fitting end.
The drift crowd, however, finds their “dream cars.” These cars, most sought out in unmolested stock form, are then modded to the owner’s taste. Nothing wrong with that. However, after an event or two is when problems start…
The Dreaded Wall Tap
Simply - why?
“Drifting” is the only “motorsport” where hitting a wall is considered “cool.” I’ve attended many Formula 1, Indycar, GT3, Ferrari Cup, dirt track, and 1/4 mile races as a spectator as well as driven quite a few track days myself (road course and drag). Touching a wall is never a good thing; in any way. This leads to drifters being done with cars with the likelihood that they will never be used again.
The Drift Stitch
Another thing that, to me, screams “I just can’t drive, and I’m too poor to fix my own car.” It is a common misconception here on CT that drifters started this, hence the name, but I know it was popular amongst the moto-x and offroad crowd a long time ago. In that arena, this type of fix makes a bit more sense.
Plastics get expensive, it’s (usually) a muddy, off road environment where having protective fenders is necessary to keep the rider from constantly being pelted with dirt. Doing whatever it takes to keep them on makes sense. Still, I never wanted my quad to look beat up in the same way that drifters take pride in their juvenile “fixes.”
Anyone I’ve ever known from a track day always properly repairs their car if “battle damage” is received…
There is No Clear Winner or Loser in Drifting
It is the Synchronized Swimming of motorsport. Real racing is determined by seconds, not judges. There is always a clear-cut, undisputable winner; definitely not the case with drifting.
I won’t say drifting doesn’t require skill, but I strongly believe that setting fast, consistent lap times takes humongously more skill than any drifter (from amature to pro) possesses. Pacing against a solid benchmark, competing with your own times, always striving to be faster will be infinitely more fun than sliding around a bit. I attribute this to the fact I wasn’t raised when everyone gets a trophy and I find it more enjoyable to work hard, push myself, and reach goals.
I’ll see how this goes and may go more indepth with my thoughts on cars and motorsport in the future. I know I often go against the grain here which often receives many negative comments from the hive-mind that is CarThrottle.
And I’ll just end this quickly thrown together post with my favorite quote from James May - “Drifting is for the Unintelligent.”
Comments
It’s the Americans that have taken drifting and completely and utterly f**ked it.
Fun fact. Drifting is not a Motorsport.
Drifters do these thing because they actually can’t afford it. They do it because it doesn’t matter how beaten up your car is. They will do anything to drift, and just because they can’t afford to keep their cars clean shouldn’t mean that they can’t do with their love.
And about the part where you say there isn’t a definite winner, there can be. There has been a drift event where the scores are created with sensors and computers that calculate everything about the car’s slide. Here is a video on it. http://youtu.be/Tma6mAZXXEg
Also drifting isn’t a fad, it’s been here for a very long time.
Good post but I disagree with all of it. Here in Australia none of those points make an appearance, it’s simply passion that drives it. The wall tap is a symbol of control as it’s hard to ‘tap’ a wall rather than run straight into it.
I also don’t get why it’s a “sport”. It’s fun to watch a bit of drifting, but as a skill. I attended a couple of drift events but tbh it failed to grab my attention. Bottom line, I agree with you.
On a second thought, you may have opened a can of worms, talking against drift here on CT. My suggestion, good sir, is to…
It’s kind of unfair to say that drifting is not as good as any other motorsport, mainly because it is so different from other types of motorsport. It’s like comparing ice dancing with speed skating. However, I do agree with you on the “cool, beat up cars.” I hate how people say that their drift car is so cool when it’s just a mess, kinda like hipsters, one man’s necessity is another man’s pleasure, if you can fix up your car, do it! Don’t leave it sitting there all sad-faced with rusted quarter panels and trashed bumper bars just cause it has that “rat” look. However, if you really can’t afford it, that’s fine, wear those marks like battle scars :)
First of all, I know some older folks in Japan who have been drifting since the early 70’s and they were hated for it then. They have said they knew people doing it in the 60’s. It’s not anything new, it’s not a fad, and it’s definitely not going away soon.
Secondly, Not everyone has beaten up drift cars, many people I know go to great lengths to take care of their cars in this scene. Using a portion of the population to claim the whole motorsport is pointless is like using a handful of riced Hondas to claim the entire Honda enthusiast scene has no taste or performance.
Thirdly, those that are insanely beat up as you can see in the first three pictures attached are still out there getting used, and more importantly, bringing smiles to their owners, and in my opinion, that’s the whole point of getting sideways in the first place. All of us seek out joy through automobiles in different ways, and drifting is just one of the many.
Having losing its paint shows the drivers skill of drifting in tandem really close to the other car and drifting really close to the wall without spinning out.
I don’t necessarily agree but, to be honest, It’s quite nice to read something rather controversial on the old CT this eve.
This is why I’ve always loved cars…it’s each for their own individual taste and ‘genre’ (not that we’re all in one box but you get me).
My question is, why doesn’t drag racing ever take any flak like this? Yes it takes incredible cahoonies but can driving in a straight line be considered ‘sport’ in the same vein as the above?
Also you seem desperate, you posted this twice.