Discussion: Drifting, why so popular?

[Pupik]

I think it's more accessable than straight up racing.

You don't need a large racing team and unlimited budget to be competetive. Also, you can use road legal cars, helping fit drifting into daily life.

This is probably the most sensible reason; but I think's caught on with a younger generation becuase every set of youngsters wants to be the first to "discover" something new. Drifting, although not very interesting to me, is something a little out of the norm with "traditional" motorsports, so I suppose the extraordinary movements of a car combined with a tremendous smoke display is quite a hit with some people.

According to drift fans, it's supposedly nothing new, and those who have driven in snow or ice swear that it's existed as long as a horse lost it's sure footing while trotting.

Personally, it's easier on my tire budget to "get sideways" on a dirt or gravel road rather than a paved road. Either way, unless it's a deserted road, private, or closed-off, it's quite dangerous and stupid to take up extra lanes or drive in the wrong side of the road for the sake of showing off, no matter what the heck you label it.

 

[Duke]

To me, drifting fits in perfectly with the "X-games" generation. It's all about style, flash, and bragging rights, and nothing about real racing or achievement.

Climbing a mountain is an achievement that takes planning, skill, endurance, and courage. Bungee jumping off a bridge just takes an adrenaline addiction.

I'll never say drifting doesn't require skill and control - it clearly does. But in any competitive event, from the Olympics on down, I'm never impressed by judged events. I'm just not built for it. I care about performance, not style or looks.

To me, anything that doesn't boil down to a measurement - time, speed, distance - will always be pointless eye candy. A champion figure skater took years to get to that level, but the performance leaves me cold, even though I can clearly recognize the tremendous amount of skill required. But a speed skating race is actually fun to watch.

Same with supercross and motocross. Yeah, OK, it's amazing what the supercross guys can do. I've ridden enough dirt bikes to recognize how hard it is... but I'm still left saying "so what?" I'm much more impressed by an offroad enduro victory.

That doesn't make me dislike drifting, it just makes me think it's ultimately silly. What bothers me about drift culture is the utter disregard for safety and common sense, even among the alleged pros. Safety and danger will always be an issue in motorsports, but in racing at least the intent is to be safe - every rule in racing is in place to make the sport safer for participants and spectators. Not so in drifting.

I've seen numerous videos of cars drifting using live people as apex markers or slalom cones; in fact, I've seen blatant (even pruposeful) disregard for spectator safety. I've seen guys run over themselves while attempting to do donuts hanging out of the car. And I've seen numerous wreck videos like the one posted above, and it just looks to me to be a sad waste. A racecar that is damaged in a competition wreck is like an athlete pulling a muscle during a marathon or a 100-yard sprint. But I just can't extend that to drifting. All I keep saying is "Wow, these people are really stupid to put themselves, each other, and their cars in danger for something so silly."

 

[ledhed]

To me, drifting fits in perfectly with the "X-games" generation. It's all about style, flash, and bragging rights, and nothing about real racing or achievement.

Climbing a mountain is an achievement that takes planning, skill, endurance, and courage. Bungee jumping off a bridge just takes an adrenaline addiction.

I'll never say drifting doesn't require skill and control - it clearly does. But in any competitive event, from the Olympics on down, I'm never impressed by judged events. I'm just not built for it. I care about performance, not style or looks.

To me, anything that doesn't boil down to a measurement - time, speed, distance - will always be pointless eye candy. A champion figure skater took years to get to that level, but the performance leaves me cold, even though I can clearly recognize the tremendous amount of skill required. But a speed skating race is actually fun to watch.

Same with supercross and motocross. Yeah, OK, it's amazing what the supercross guys can do. I've ridden enough dirt bikes to recognize how hard it is... but I'm still left saying "so what?" I'm much more impressed by an offroad enduro victory.

That doesn't make me dislike drifting, it just makes me think it's ultimately silly. What bothers me about drift culture is the utter disregard for safety and common sense, even among the alleged pros. Safety and danger will always be an issue in motorsports, but in racing at least the intent is to be safe - every rule in racing is in place to make the sport safer for participants and spectators. Not so in drifting.

I've seen numerous videos of cars drifting using live people as apex markers or slalom cones; in fact, I've seen blatant (even pruposeful) disregard for spectator safety. I've seen guys run over themselves while attempting to do donuts hanging out of the car. And I've seen numerous wreck videos like the one posted above, and it just looks to me to be a sad waste. A racecar that is damaged in a competition wreck is like an athlete pulling a muscle during a marathon or a 100-yard sprint. But I just can't extend that to drifting. All I keep saying is "Wow, these people are really stupid to put themselves, each other, and their cars in danger for something so silly."

Dude when you were born were you already 20 ?


Being an idiot is part of the growth process and darwins law. Remember its a good thing to remove the dopes from the gene pool...the skilled the really lucky and the smart get to live longer and die of cancer .

 

[exigeracer]

That doesn't make me dislike drifting, it just makes me think it's ultimately silly. What bothers me about drift culture is the utter disregard for safety and common sense, even among the alleged pros. Safety and danger will always be an issue in motorsports, but in racing at least the intent is to be safe - every rule in racing is in place to make the sport safer for participants and spectators. Not so in drifting.

I've seen numerous videos of cars drifting using live people as apex markers or slalom cones; in fact, I've seen blatant (even pruposeful) disregard for spectator safety. I've seen guys run over themselves while attempting to do donuts hanging out of the car. And I've seen numerous wreck videos like the one posted above, and it just looks to me to be a sad waste. A racecar that is damaged in a competition wreck is like an athlete pulling a muscle during a marathon or a 100-yard sprint. But I just can't extend that to drifting. All I keep saying is "Wow, these people are really stupid to put themselves, each other, and their cars in danger for something so silly."

Rally is the most unsafe spectator sport today. I'm not defending one or the other, I'm actually fairly indifferent towards drifting and am involved in rally, but I've come far close to being injured at a rally event than at any drift event I've been to. Seperating me and a car is 10 feet of air and a line of yellow tape. Throw in some flying rocks, and you're set. Safety regulations at rally events are still far weaker than drifting, at a track where seperating me and speeding cars is half a track width, several dozen yards of run off, three rows of defect tires, armco, a 12-foot tall fence, and then some. I've seen far more rally videos where a car rolls over a crowd of spectators, leaving many injured or dead, than drifting events where an organizer gets tagged by a donut-ing car and walks away with maybe a bruise.

I cannot comment on the illegal portions of either sport. I know people who drift often, but they are insistant on doing so at and only at the track, and I also know rally drivers who are always itching to sign up for the next event. Both crowds have vast automotive knowledge and buckets of respect for their vehicles, other people, and themselves. I do not know any people involved in drifting who are as ignorant as described in several posts above. In fact, none of the people described so far actually participate in these events, they don't even seem like they own a car. You will always have the fanboys complacent to anything other than their domain, but what is the point in blaming a sport for attracting that demographic? I know tennis players who trash-talk squash players like it was their job. Does this make me lose respect for tennis as a sport? No, I don't see why it should. I can't see how drifting is any different.

 

[Duke]

Rally is the most unsafe spectator sport today.

I knew somebody would raise this point.

What the spectators choose to do is one thing - standing on course, trying to get a glimpse of the upcoming cars, etc. They're putting themselves at risk to see the event, and the drivers have to deal with that. The sanctioning bodies do what they can to control the danger - in fact, the SCCA gave up sanctioning rallies in North America after some idiot spectators were killed.

But at some of the drift events I've seen, the danger is the point, not a byproduct. Hotdogging drivers slalom drifting through people standing like pylons - they are trying to generate danger, not trying to avoid it.

That's a clear difference.

 

[Dave A]

A point I completely agree with 👍, though drifting isn't the only motorsport where danger is part of the point. Some banger racing events are lunacy , think destruction derby and you start to get the picture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz4Evzu3pKo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jllv7rn_TYI

 

[exigeracer]

What the spectators choose to do is one thing - standing on course, trying to get a glimpse of the upcoming cars, etc. They're putting themselves at risk to see the event, and the drivers have to deal with that.

Is this not what the human pylons are after? Are they not standing on the course? Are they putting themselves at risk to see the event? Are the drivers trying to avoid them?

I understand your point, but the bottom line is rally puts far more people in far greater risk than a couple of non-spectators standing around while cars donut around them.

The issue of safety of spectators at a drift event was your initial argument, when the overwhelming percentage of spectators are perfectly safe at all times. In fact, these said human cones probably aren't even spectators, but more likely organisers or team people.

I have never felt remotely unsafe at any drift event. I have felt in danger when attending rally events, where being safe means you're behind a piece of tape.

 

[eiriksmil]

What have we learnt so far?

First of all, drifting is not a new sport. However, championships and competitions I believe is pretty new. There wasn't a D1GP in the 60's, neither was there a "sport" called drifting, they just slided along. Slides and drifting itself has probably existed longer than the car, as long as you've got something that pulls on the rear.

Drifting is a dangerous sport to be audiencing. In Norway, it's a car arrangement called Gatebil (show report in the newest Performance BMW). Drifting happens there, but the security is not good. One car drifts, one car slides and one car tries to race properly. Terrible.
However, if it's controlled, why should drifting be a dangerous sport? As long as there aren't spectators in the road, but on the arena for audience, it should be fine. And it's not for no reason they've got tire walls and other soft objects to stop the cars. Control is easily lost.

We had an episode in Norway not so long ago. A young marshall, 16 years of age, was hit by a rally car in a street rally run. Not racing on open streets, but closed. Yep, he wasn't even a spectator. This could have happened with anything on a closed city circuit, rally, racing and drifting.

As exigeracer has pointed out, as long as the drivers are professional, it doesn't matter. I see people trying to drift in their Volvos and old Vauxhalls, without having the slightest control. Their friends stand all around, and is nearly hit in every corner. Still, I also see young people streetracing with their Evos and STis in a straight line, crashing into innocent people and killing them.

Duke, I wouldn't call a guy going out a spinning car a "drift". I would call it a donut, and it's the same thing here. If you do donuts controlled, and have been doing that for some time, you can handle it. If you are 16, just got your license and try out donuts-while-going-out, it's common knowlegde that you will end up with the car over you. Oh, and donuts is not drifting.


Eirik

 

[exigeracer]

As exigeracer has pointed out, as long as the drivers are professional, it doesn't matter.

No, I would never say that.

 

[OZZYGT]

To me, drifting fits in perfectly with the "X-games" generation. It's all about style, flash, and bragging rights, and nothing about real racing or achievement.

Climbing a mountain is an achievement that takes planning, skill, endurance, and courage. Bungee jumping off a bridge just takes an adrenaline addiction.

I'll never say drifting doesn't require skill and control - it clearly does. But in any competitive event, from the Olympics on down, I'm never impressed by judged events. I'm just not built for it. I care about performance, not style or looks.

To me, anything that doesn't boil down to a measurement - time, speed, distance - will always be pointless eye candy. A champion figure skater took years to get to that level, but the performance leaves me cold, even though I can clearly recognize the tremendous amount of skill required. But a speed skating race is actually fun to watch.

Same with supercross and motocross. Yeah, OK, it's amazing what the supercross guys can do. I've ridden enough dirt bikes to recognize how hard it is... but I'm still left saying "so what?" I'm much more impressed by an offroad enduro victory.

That doesn't make me dislike drifting, it just makes me think it's ultimately silly. What bothers me about drift culture is the utter disregard for safety and common sense, even among the alleged pros. Safety and danger will always be an issue in motorsports, but in racing at least the intent is to be safe - every rule in racing is in place to make the sport safer for participants and spectators. Not so in drifting.

I've seen numerous videos of cars drifting using live people as apex markers or slalom cones; in fact, I've seen blatant (even pruposeful) disregard for spectator safety. I've seen guys run over themselves while attempting to do donuts hanging out of the car. And I've seen numerous wreck videos like the one posted above, and it just looks to me to be a sad waste. A racecar that is damaged in a competition wreck is like an athlete pulling a muscle during a marathon or a 100-yard sprint. But I just can't extend that to drifting. All I keep saying is "Wow, these people are really stupid to put themselves, each other, and their cars in danger for something so silly."

Outstanding post 👍

Dude when you were born were you already 20 ?


Being an idiot is part of the growth process and darwins law. Remember its a good thing to remove the dopes from the gene pool...the skilled the really lucky and the smart get to live longer and die of cancer .

*sigh* I understand that you don't get the point of why people like drifting quite well, but refering to these people as "idiots" just because they do something that you don't consider appropiate or useful in racing doesn't make you look less idiotic than them....and funny enough, you talk about the Darwin laws




Ciao!

 

[eiriksmil]

No, I would never say that

Would you mean it, without saying it?
I think I read your post a tad too quickly.


Eirik

 

[YSSMAN]

You obviously haven't been close to any drifting event ever. You're making a completely arbitrary judgement here based on nothing.

Who are you refering to?

1) I almost went to the last D1 event in Chicago, but decided not to, and instead worked on Dad's Camaro. I've seen plenty of wanabe drifters around Grand Rapids, and a few demonstrations at races and auto shows, but I think with the majority of Mid-West folks like myself, Chicago is as close as things come these days.

2) I belive my judgements here of these types of folks are indeed based in reality. As Casio pointed out, there are kids who claim to be a part of the drift scene (or maybe even the import-tuner scene) and obsess over the Skyline, 240SX, Civic, or S2000 and yet completely ignore other cars out there. Added to that, many of them talk specifications and part names, but I'd bet money that many of them do not even know how an engine works, maybe even to the extent as to why these modifications they wish to put on their own models operate as well.

This gross ignorance certianly is a part of any form of motorsport, but from my point of view, I see it being a bigger problem with the types of folks in question. My views are indeed based uppon discussions with classmates in high-school, now in college, co-workers, folks on XBOX Live, and even members of the boards here at GTPlanet. I'm not rolling everyone into the depiction here, as clearly a man such as yourself does know what he is talking about Exigeracer, but there are others who do not... And they know who they are...

* However I must make note that we are all being completely reasonable here, and I have to thank everyone for doing so. No personal attacks of stupidity have gone about for those on either side, and thats awesome. In the past there certainly would have been a problem, but I'm happy to see that everyone is acting like an adult when discussing things in this thread. Keep up the good work!

 

[Pupik]

Just to back-up my point a little bit:

Whomever created that video is a fool; he added a near-fatal accident from a 1998 JGTC race at the end of the video. It doesn't have anything to do with drifting accidents, since it was not a drifiting-based event. I suppose he figured it had fire, so it must be cool...

 

[Kylehnat]

Yeah, what is the relevance of that to the rest of the video? I'm sure the drivers of those cars appreciate having their near-death experience trivialized in a drifting video.

 

[exigeracer]

1)

2)

*

Because you almost went to a drifting event doesn't qualify you to make a judgement on the participants of the event you almost went to based on some internet chat groups.

You're basing your entire opinion of the sport of drifting on the kids who want to follow drifting. The people actually involved in the sport, from grassroots to national level, aren't close to the person you are describing. But why is this making you lose respect for drifting? The crowd drifting attracts shouldn't lose value for the sport for you.

It's like all of the 15 year olds who listen to Led Zeppelin and are completely ignorant to any other newer music. Would that make you stop listening to Led Zeppelin? If it does, then shame on you.

 

[Swift]

There is absolutely no difference between racing and drifting. None. It's about your point of view.

Almost all accidents in drifting(aside from the situations Duke described) are the same as a race driver losing it in a corner. The same general effect and all. There's no difference.

Drifting and racing both put the car to it's limits and hence both have the same level of safety/danger. The problem comes in when people act stupid around either racing or drifting.

Why is Nascar so popular? Because of crashes, end of story. But very few drivers are hurt, nevermind killed during races. Because the safety features are there. If drifting events would go with the same kind of mentality, then I doubt there would be much of a problem from that end.

I've been to a few drifting events and they can be very fun. Just like watching a race, depends on the taste

 

[TheCracker]

I have to agree totally with Duke's first post 👍

A 'sport' that's judged completely on style is no 'sport' at all in my book. I put drifting in the same ballpark as Syncronised Swimming, Ballroom Dancing & Rythmic Gymnastics.

As for the Drifting vs. Rally argument about which is the more dangerous, it's true that rally is a dangerous sport for both competitor or spectator. But drifting is nothing more than organised 'showing off' and showing off to your friends on the street is obviously a dangerous past time. I trust most rally fans have the sense (as much as anyone who gets up at the crack of dawn to stand around in a forest, in the middle of nowhere, in the cold all day to watch a handful of car flash past, have) to not replicate what they've seen on the public road. I don't trust the majority of Drift fans to have the same restraint.

 

[Boundary Layer]

Well, as a personality from the drift forums here, I figured I'd chime in.


I was going to answer with some huge essay about the roots of drifting in Japan, about the role of Keiichi Tsuchiya (and likewise Initial D, BMI, Option, and D1GP), and about American media coverage and corporate involvement in the sport. But I decided against it - although these all play a role on some level in the drifting's growing exposure, they don't explain why drifting became such a big deal in the first place. These factors only exist because there is something deeper about drifting that people (generally) enjoy.


So, I figure the quick answer is: car's are meant to be driven straight ahead. While drifting, you don't. The sensation of being in control of a car in a state that is regarded as out-of-control is exciting. Infact, it was this excitement that caused me to start drifting in Gran Turismo 2, before I had any idea that it was an emerging form of motorsport.


Now the bad:
Like I said already, I don't think the growing exchange of media over the internet, or capitalist forces are the root of drifting's popularity. But I will credit those with the percieved bad image of drifters (something YSSMAN and exigeracer have already exchanged views on).

The corporate involvement in the sport at the pro level in both Japan and North America has, imo, cheapened the sport - moreso in the North American NFS sponsored Formula D series. While I can't argue that drift events are a great place for aftermarket companies to try to showcase their products, the televised events seem to be just as much about product endorsement as they are about the drifting itself. The cars are fitted with outrageous aftermarket kits and rims, and wild paint schemes to get themselves noticed.

Combine all this with the ghetto-speak American FD commentary, and the percieved close ties bewteen drifting and street racing thanks to Initial D, movies like F&F, and games like NFSU, and you have your bad image. Take one step into the drift forum and the influence of these media forms becomes very apparent. There's F&F remake drift videos and ID fanboi's everywhere you look.

Every step has been taken to market the sport towards ignorant thrill-seeking teens who will spend their minimum wage paychecks on big rims and wings for their rusty 240's and corollas just because some sub 60 IQ commentator said they're cool. If you could better educate people with a new interest in the sport about car tuning, or just change the target audience by providing a slightly more technical commentary with less emphasis on the 'wow' then you might be on the right track to remove the stereotype that drifter = ricer. I will credit Keiichi Tsuchiya with attempting to do this with his BMI Drift Bible - he went over in great detail the types of mods a new drifter should be looking at. Body kits, fancy rims, and extensive engine mods did not make the list. 👍 to him for that.


All that said, I do have a great amount of respect for skilled drifters, and people who are involved in the sport for the love of the sport. It's just a shame that the upper echelons of drifting have been converted from a motorsport to an advertising platform.

 

[speedy_2]

Drifting is a Fad. Fads gain popularity easily. Just like Rice Rockets. I've heard people say drifting is faster. It's slow as dirt and eats tires like crazy. Also, people try to drift a FWD car, which is impossible. There's drifting and then there's dragging the tires.

 

[Swift]

Drifting is a Fad. Fads gain popularity easily. Just like Rice Rockets. I've heard people say drifting is faster. It's slow as dirt and eats tires like crazy. Also, people try to drift a FWD car, which is impossible. There's drifting and then there's dragging the tires.

I'm sure people said the same thing about Rock music, snowboarding and skateboards But the challenge with a Fad is that it goes away or severly dies down. Some have, but some have stuck around, like Snowboarding that is now an Olympic Sport.

 

[Evo7GTA]

Drifting is a Fad. Fads gain popularity easily. Just like Rice Rockets. I've heard people say drifting is faster. It's slow as dirt and eats tires like crazy. Also, people try to drift a FWD car, which is impossible. There's drifting and then there's dragging the tires.

It just like skateboarding. After the X-Games every single person had a skateboard now where I live the skating culture is slowly dying out. Oh and check this out a FWD drift car, says in the interview that he's won with it too.

http://www.hondatuningmagazine.com/features/0504_ht_keisuke_hatakeyama_interview/

 

[Kylehnat]

There is absolutely no difference between racing and drifting. None. It's about your point of view.

Then there is no difference between the 10,000 meter and ice dancing?

 

[Swift]

Then there is no difference between the 10,000 meter and ice dancing?

Nope, it's point of view. Some people really like the grace of ice dancing others like endurance of the 10K meter race. It's all ice skating, just a different form and appreciation of the sport.

 

[YSSMAN]

Because you almost went to a drifting event doesn't qualify you to make a judgement on the participants of the event you almost went to based on some internet chat groups.

I belive that I pointed out that I have been to the local demonstrations around West Michigan, seeing things done at races and car shows, etc. I belive that counts for something, but as noted, I have better things to do in most circumstances... Thus, I don't go.

...That would play into the whole "If you don't like it, don't do it" rule that most "normal" people follow...

You're basing your entire opinion of the sport of drifting on the kids who want to follow drifting. The people actually involved in the sport, from grassroots to national level, aren't close to the person you are describing. But why is this making you lose respect for drifting? The crowd drifting attracts shouldn't lose value for the sport for you.

Where, in anything that I said, go against those who are hardcore drifters? If they are serious about it, actually know what they are doing, then all power goes to them! I can appreciate people such as that, who stick to their guns and do what they want to do... Not because its "cool" (like so many Americans seem to think so...), but because they like it, know how to do it, and do it safely on a track or closed circuit.

Boundary Layer gets Kudos for hitting the nail on the head. I may not like the sport, but I acknowlege that there is plenty of difficulty to it, and those who do it are very talented folks. But it is that group of Americans, hell folks worldwide, that screw things up. As he says:

ignorant thrill-seeking teens who will spend their minimum wage paychecks on big rims and wings for their rusty 240's and corollas just because some sub 60 IQ commentator said they're cool.

Thats the problem right there...

----

Now exigeracer, I know we have had our issues in the past over the 240SX simply because of drift culture, but that shouldn't be any reason to get so flustered over everything I write. I'm defending my own opinion, and it is somewhat disrespectful that you don't respect it yourself, and take some things a bit out of context.

People would probably say similar things about one of my favorite forms of motorsport, NASCAR, and although I will defend the sport to my best ability, if you don't like it, thats your opinion, not mine. I respect that, and if you have good reasoning, so be it.

...My reasons for not liking drifting are indeed well-founded. I don't care much for the culture that surrounds it (as noted by Boundary Layer), and the types of folks who claim to be drifters oh so often. I don't find the sport particularly entertaining, and given that I've seen some examples of it in person, again that is my own opinion based on fact. I'll be an old-fart and stick to NASCAR and GT-Racing, or is that not allowed these days if you are under 30 years old?

 

[exigeracer]

Now exigeracer, I know we have had our issues in the past over the 240SX simply because of drift culture, but that shouldn't be any reason to get so flustered over everything I write. I'm defending my own opinion, and it is somewhat disrespectful that you don't respect it yourself, and take some things a bit out of context.

People would probably say similar things about one of my favorite forms of motorsport, NASCAR, and although I will defend the sport to my best ability, if you don't like it, thats your opinion, not mine. I respect that, and if you have good reasoning, so be it.

...My reasons for not liking drifting are indeed well-founded. I don't care much for the culture that surrounds it (as noted by Boundary Layer), and the types of folks who claim to be drifters oh so often. I don't find the sport particularly entertaining, and given that I've seen some examples of it in person, again that is my own opinion based on fact. I'll be an old-fart and stick to NASCAR and GT-Racing, or is that not allowed these days if you are under 30 years old?

I don't have a problem with your opinion, bottom line, but the way you formulated that opinion is flawed. Let's take a look at your "Rant On Drifting; Version 2.301" with your inital opnion in this thread. The only thing you state that turns you off about drifting is the crowd it attracts. That is the only thing I confronted with you in this thread.

Why does Drifting as a whole lose credibility because of people who pretend to be part of it?

I didn't mention drifting at all when discussing the 240SX with you. In fact, you seemed to ignore and refuse to adress the issues I brought up in that thread. Perhaps you should re-read what you and I wrote there before throwing empty accusations around. I have yet to disrespect your opinion and nowhere have I taken anything out of context, in fact I even tried to clarify things by asking you that question before this paragraph.

Your original opinion, as I replied to, and described in "Rant On Drifting; Version 2.301" is flawed. Now, if you add on all of the little "I agree to this and I agree to that", like you have, your judgement is made valid by using what others have said.

I have respect if this is how you would have described it initially. I have absolutely zero respect for the little nuanced jabs you have taken at me.

 

[Kylehnat]

Nope, it's point of view. Some people really like the grace of ice dancing others like endurance of the 10K meter race. It's all ice skating, just a different form and appreciation of the sport.

They're both forms of ice skating, but ice skating by itself is not a sport; it's an activity. The racing/drifting parallel is that both are forms of driving, but once you start to analyze them, they diverge completely.

 

[TheCracker]

They're both forms of ice skating, but ice skating by itself is not a sport; it's an activity. The racing/drifting parallel is that both are forms of driving, but once you start to analyze them, they diverge completely.

I would argue that a 10k ice skating race is exactly that - a race, and therefore a sport. Ice dancing, or Figure Skating as it is usually called, is a form of dancing, judged on style and nothing else - and therefore isn't really a sport at all. This is why myself and many others don't consider Drifting to really be a sport.

 

[Midnight Runner]

YSSMAN seems to be forgetting one thing:
NASCAR attracts Rednecks.
Rednecks are brainless idiots.(Well,most of them.)
Drifting attracts Ricers.
Ricers are brainless idiots.(Well,most of them.)
Any form of sport will have it's idiots.

So,saying [1337 sarcasm mode]"I H8 TEH DR1F17NG BKUZ ITZ ATRAKTZ R1C3RZ LOOOLLOL!!!!!111111shiftoneleven!!!1111!!one[/end mode]
is not a valid argument,IMHO.

 

[eiriksmil]

Let's look at it this way:

NASCAR is racing, BTCC is racing, one is hot in the US, the other is big in the UK. NASCAR and BTCC is old school racing, many cars racing head to head for victory. On the other hand, rally is definatly racing too, but it's on time, separate racing. Time trails are then racing, of course, since rally is racing.

Ice skating and ice dancing, used as example above. Ice skating, for example 10.000 metre race, is definatly "racing", since it's a competition. However, ice dancing is also a competition. It's racing, then.

So, drifting is a competition and therfore, drifting is a type of racing cars. In the 50s, there was no D1GP. That has come since, in the last couple of years, and in a couple of years, we'll probably get a version in Norway too, the same way as Locost, ShortCar, Peugeot Cup and other racing series.


Eirik

 

[Casio]

Ice skating and ice dancing, used as example above. Ice skating, for example 10.000 metre race, is definatly "racing", since it's a competition. However, ice dancing is also a competition. It's racing, then.

No. Ice dancing is dancing. Dancing is not racing.

So, drifting is a competition and therfore, drifting is a type of racing cars.

Oh so all competitions are racing now. Burnout competitions are probably racing then?