Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacob@NAL
The best time and place to learn when to "drift" is in the wet in a large open parking lot or loading zone.
The wet will allow slip angles at lower, less dangerous speeds, and all you should try to do is hold the car sideways balancing the throttle and steering.
Chris Harris has a good video demonstrating how to do a drift, but even his basic procedure is too advanced for an amateur driver.
I have a couple of suggestions:
One, find a driver who is more advanced at car control, has done track days, etc. He will generally have more knowledge, but still don't take his commentary as 100% fact.
Two, in your practice drifting in circles in the rain, realize that in order to keep a slide going, you may have to turn into the slide rather than putting on additional opposite lock.
The two biggest mistakes people make when "drifting" or sliding their car that causes them to get out of control are lifting off the gas suddenly out of panic, which upsets the balance of the car, and overcorrecting the car by waiting to put on positive lock until the car has already come back around and will then be much more difficult to correct.
Also, learn how to hold a single slide first. When I was a kid I tried to teach myself how to "drift" and until you can catch a single slide there is no point in that. Don't try to connect drifts going back and forth, just try to hold a single slide and go from there.
Good luck! There are a lot of drivers on the forum more advanced than I, so look out for their more in-depth commentary that'll help you out!
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Great post. Many thanks for the suggestions. I totally agree.
I think I lifted of the throttle in "panic" after the second slide, and over-corrected on the first. Also I wasn't fast enough when returning the steering wheel to center on the first slide, and I could have done with a less throttle during the unintended transition as suggested by our friend from Greece.