What is Drifting?

Drifting is a high skill level motorsport in which drivers control a car whilst in slides from side to side at very high speed, normally between 80-110mph through a fixed course. It is carried out on a tarmac surface, usually a racing circuit and is judged on speed, angle of attack, execution and style rather than conventional racing whereby the winner is usually the one which passes the finish line first.

Drift cars are normally mid-sized, rear wheel drive sports cars and the majority of the field is made up of Japanese manufactured cars due to the sport being born in Japan. However with drifting exploding worldwide , it is becoming more popular for American and European built cars to be used as a base model for a Drift car.

The goal is to apply enough power to the rear wheels to break the tyres traction and to initiate a slide whilst accelerating the car forward, creating the Drift. Once initiated, the Drift must be maintained throughout the turn and the rest of the course, using nearly full power, slight braking and precise counter steering movements, achieving a gracious Drift from the first corner to the last whilst navigating within point scoring ‘ clipping points’, a section of a corner marked out by the judges as the correct Drift ‘line’.

Why do people like Drifting so much?

Drifting is a sport unlike any other. It combines the aftermarket tuning scene with professional level racing. For the drivers and teams it gives a huge challenge to perform at high speed, on tarmac, on circuit, sideways at speeds sometimes in excess of 100mph, half a metre from another competitor aiming for the same piece of tarmac. For the spectator it is an exciting and thrilling viewing experience with door to door performances, near misses, high speeds, unbelievable angles of Drift and plenty of tyre smoke. Combine this with glamorously decorated professional cars and you have a motorsport event for all the family, where the crowd are included in the show and can sometimes even a have say with the judges to decide on close runs and what they think of the battles.

What car should I use to Drift?

Your car must be rear wheel drive in order to achieve the desired handling effect to compete. Although the Championship line up is mostly a field of Japanese cars, in fact any RWD car can be used including the likes of BMW, Mercedes Benz and many other recognised brands which have RWD cars from the factory. Most cars from the factory can be used to Drift however in order to use the car seriously, you will have to consider modifying some parts in order to make the car more obedient to Drift. Most cars on the road have a mediocre handling setup and as such the parts installed from the factory are generally made to encourage safe driving and avoid both over and under steer so car choice is critical as is your understanding to further modify the car from its stock specification. Should you be in doubt as to your vehicle being suitable, we would recommend a visit to one of the online drifting forums and ask like-minded people of their experiences.  

I would like to try Drifting but I have no experience?

The European Drift Championship is for professional qualified drivers. All these drivers started at the beginning and this is an important aspect for the Championship to encourage new blood into the arena.

DWYB (drift what ya brung) days are now officially recognised by EDC to host events for practicing the art of Drift. At these events you may attend with your own car, you can be given advice on your car, how to improve it to better it towards Drifting, driver techniques and the basics involved in getting sideways! We work alongside Santa Pod and are always looking for tomorrow’s stars for the European Drift Championship and in fact it is our feeding pool for the Championship. PRACTICE DRIFTING??? CLICK HERE

Do I need a licence enter ?

For practice events there are no licence requirements at all as they are non-competitive events. The European Drift Championship requires drivers to have an official EDC licence. In order to compete in the points scoring European Drift Championship as a professional driver you must hold a valid EDC Professional Licence.

Please visit our competitor info page on how to obtain a licence.

What tyres do you use for drifting?

All Drift events require the use of street legal tyres. This requirement is defined as a tyre which is readily available to purchase ‘over the counter’ to the public for use as a road legal tyre regardless of territory, ie, legal in USA or Japan as well as Europe. Tyres which are solely used for racing, such as cut slicks are not permissible as accepted tyres. If you are in any doubt, please consult the technical area of the forum where you will be able to check this detail with a EDC Crew member.