How do you become a real life drift racer?

[GTchampion]

I got the skills...but whee would i go to become one like a professinal one?

 

[battle_stage]

Just go to lots of events and win. Get noticed and get picked up by a sponser. There's already a couple American drivers on Falken and Signal.

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

Well, living in Canada will be a problem. Ideally, you'd move down to sourthern CA. Run in a couple Drift Day events, get some experience and recognition in track drifting, then enter in a single event like Drift Showoff. About this time, you should start contacting potential sponsors. Placing well will go a long way towards getting some serious sponsorships, but, even before you enter a major event, you may want to try to hook up with a sponsor like a shop, or a deal with a bigger sponsor. (For example, the team I'm on may soon have a deal with a major suspension manufacturer in which we will be able to buy parts at as low as 1/4 of the list price).

After a couple good positions in single races, and once you have a good set of sponsors, you can move up to Formula Drift or USDrift championship.

 

[battle_stage]

You do not need to move to the west coast to go pro. There's already a couple professional Americans from the east coast.

www.dgtrials.com

Check them out... East coast drifting at it's best with events every week at Englishtown.

 

[Seito4Counter]

So Cal. Drifting Central USA...

 

[max boost 2005]

DO u have any videos to see ur SKILS

 

[chrishardcore1]

My family moved to West Virginia and I want to start Drifting for real. The problem is that in West Virginia is these people don't know Drifting from there left hand and as would know there is no where to Drift around here. I don't what to do or where to go I guess I should start by buying a car to build into a Drifter.

I would love to find a really good 1996 Nissan 240SX (S14) I like the way this car look's and it is I think the best car in America to start Drifting with plus there are alot of aftermarket part's for them. What should I do to the car first and what are the main thing's that should be done to the car to turn it into a good strong Drifter.

 

[YSSMAN]

Drifting in West Virginia? You do realise that it is NASCAR country, right?

I'm certain that an SCCA league must be forming for drifting, so check your local race clubs to see what you can find. It is a growing sport (unfortunately), and thus it will only be a matter of time (unfortunately) untill it makes it's way into West Virginia (might not happen, dunno).

On the whole 240SX thing, yeah, good luck finding one for cheap these days. Because of the popularity of drift racing, the value of the cars have gone through the roof (AE86 included). Added to that, I'm sure insurance prices that were allready high would have gone up as well, so good luck with that as well.

If you want to do it on the cheap, get a Miata. Yeah, they might be "chick" cars, but that doesn't matter if you are a real man you is secure with your sexuality. The cars are extremely cheap to buy (early models go for nearly $1000 up here in Michigan) and parts are easy to buy, swap, modify etc. Added to that, insurance is cheap as well, and in all seriousness, cheaper than my '96 Jetta as well (on a '96 M-Spec Miata).

I don't care much for drifting myself (in fact, I think its quite silly), but it is obviously a sport that is catching on in America with the kids these days (unfortunately). Yeah, its fun to hang the tail out every once in a while, but you look like an ass when you do it around the racetrack when you are supposed to be "serious," and doing it on the streets is just plain stupid as well.

...Good luck trying to get noticed just like every other 15 y.o. kid with a drivers permit and $1200 in their hand, as everyone seems to think they know how to do it these days.

 

[chrishardcore1]

Thanks for the info I will check on the SCCA Clubs and Finding a car.

 

[YSSMAN]

Thanks for the info I will check on the SCCA Clubs and Finding a car.

I try to be as helpful as possible despite the fact I don't care much for the sport myself. I was actually reading an interesting article in Car and Driver today about the growing popularity of building you own version of the Lotus 7 sports car. Apparently these hand-built one-offs can be built for less than $1000 in most circumstances ($2500 was the cheapest they had tested), and for atleast one model, quite easy to get into a drift.

 

[LastHours]

Formula D is with the SCCA.

 

[Vision GT]

Best is to sign up for drift events. Win or do really good, get sponsored, do really good, get sponsored some more. Upgrade your car so that it looks like a D1 drift car. Keep in mind that the pros won't go easy on you, they'll try to take you out. If you don't win or do really good then just keep trying, that's if you have the $$$ for tires and parts(if anything unexpected happens).

 

[240^drift]

lol k if you actually own a car, (I:E 240sx <3)than move down to washington,oregon, cali or like florida, drifting is very popular in these states.
My brother competes at monroe speedway in Washington for drifting.
And it just takes time and skill before you become pro.

 

[Wolfe]

@YSSMAN: The Miata has a wheelbase that is a little bit on the short side for "professional" drift competitions, especially for someone just starting out. The same can go for the Lotus 7 replicas (depending on the donor car and builder), but more importantly, the Lotus 7 is very light and therefore can be very twitchy and responsive to the point of being difficult to drift.

Something larger and longer would be easier (given that it has enough power to compensate for the weight and keep the tail out), so I would recommend something along the lines of a Mk.III Supra or 300ZX.

Anyway, I can't say that I'm a fan of drifting as a sport -- though I do love powersliding through corners -- but good luck to you guys. You'll probably need it.

 

[240^drift]

it doesnt matter what kind of car you use , as long as you have outstanding engine response you can do great.