Drift Racing began in Japan, where it achieved popularity during the 1970s with one man inventing a new style during standard races that gained drivers' interest. It gained even more popularity upon the release of the 1995 manga series Initial D, attracting more attention.

Eventually, its popularity turned it into a global phenomenon, and drift racing competitions have been held worldwide in recent years. It has become quite famous lately, with cars being made to specialize in Drift Racing and some electric cars even being made to charge while drifting.

Read on to find out more about the features, quirks, history, and evolution of Drift Racing.

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How Drift Racing Works

Drift Racing is a little bit varied and distinct from street racing in its mechanics and rules of operation. The driver intentionally oversteers and loses traction in drift racing, although control is maintained. However, the result is that the rear slip angle exceeds the front slip angle significantly enough for the front wheels to go right when the car is turning left, or vice-versa. The car is also driven through a whole corner while all this is happening, and the clutch is rapidly disengaged and re-engaged while the driver oversteers or counter-steers.

Criteria for judgment in drift racing include speed, angle of attack, style, line, staying on course, and showmanship, differing significantly from the rules and guidelines of standard racing. In fact, not only do the rules differ, but drift racing has far fewer rules than standard racing does. Control is the name of the game, as the more victorious drivers are able to guide their vehicles more fluidly as the vehicles slide sideways around turns.

Kunimitsu Takahashi Is Its Founding Father

One man in Japan may have been indirectly responsible for the origins of drift racing. Although the basics of drift racing have existed as long as the earliest automobiles have, drift racing began its evolution into its modern form when Keiichi” Tsuchiya, sometimes called the ‘Drift King’, popularized drift racing in the 1980s even more than it already had been in the 1970s. But to start from the beginning, Kunimitsu Takahashi, a former professional motorcycle and car racing driver, was involved in its inception.

After Takahashi sustained a career-changing injury in 1962 in a motorcycle race, he switched to car racing three years later. At that point, his driving style, reminiscent of modern drift racing today, grabbed attention from judges in his 1970s races. Specifically, the All Japan Touring Car Championship was when Takahashi showcased his pre-natal version of drift racing, attracting attention from many street racers present at that race.

Takahashi developed his style in order to counter poor grip holds and lower-quality racing tires his cars would have. By coaxing his Nissan Skyline KPGC10 into a slide before reaching the peak of a corner, and then powering out into a straight line, he would exit at a higher speed and pass the competition. This technique allowed Takahashi to gain the upper hand and go on to win several competitions.

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Secret And Illegal At First

When the movement first took off, it was hardly legal and very much underground. The first actual drift race took place in 1986 in Japan thanks to Japanese tuning magazine Carboy, and it was successful enough that a subsequent one was held three years later, as the movement had officially begun to build momentum.

Those early races were also the foundation for the side-by-side elimination format that now dominates competitive drift races around the globe. Drift races across the globe today, at least officially, include The BDC (British Drift Championship), the Irish Drift Championship, Power Drift in Norway, Formula Drift in the United States, and the Swedish Drift championship. That said, there are likely hundreds of “unofficial” drift races happening across the globe as well.

The format of Drift Racing is also more user-friendly and inexpensive, as anyone who wishes to take interest needs an easily accessible car with slight modifications. All of this, of course, is a far cry from the detailed specialty equipment and increasing expenses of other kinds of motorsport racing. Recommended equipment to start drifting includes a sourced lock extension kit, a racing seat, height-adjustable coil-overs, stretched tires, and a welded rear differential.

Anime Added Amazing Appeal

The movement gained more popularity once in the media, but an anime characterization may have been the movement's biggest breakthrough. Keiichi Tsuchiya, sometimes called the ‘Drift King’, had an animated character from the Japanese cartoon series Initial D based on him. Takumi Fujiwara proved to be a popular character, prompting readers to do research and discover the character's origins were tied to Tsuchiya, and further research showed the many Drift Racing achievements Tsuchiya had.

Tsuchiya is reported to have considered Takahashi his hero and inspiration for not only getting into racing, but for constant dedication, devotion, commitment, and practice. Tsuchiya was also a consultant for not only the Initial D Manga animation but also for the Fast and Furious: Toyko Drift feature film. Both the film and the anime raised awareness about Drift Racing around the globe, gaining the movement more popularity and appeal.

Sources: latimes.com, drivetribe.com, autoglym.com,