Drifting rules - 17th Mar 2007 12:29pm
Mark commented in my mmc about drifting and the rules.
Its not just going sidways there is more to it so if you are interested here you go.
Judging Criteria
What are the judges looking for?
Drifting is a sport that is judged similar to ice skating or Snowboarding. Just like any sport, there are criteria to look for. There are minimum requirements to a good drift that everyone must understand such as:
Entry speed
Entry speed is one of the most visible aspects that judges will look for because it will determine the other parts of a drivers drift.
Clipping Area
This is another part of drift that the judges will be looking into. The "Clipping" Area is often judged by how well the driver takes a drive line. The line itself should always involve the vehicle hitting the right apex of a corner. Judges prefer to see a driver take a tight line around a corner, putting the nose of the car as close as possible to the apex of the turn. Getting the back end of the car close to the outside of a turn also demonstrates car control and can score the driver additional points.
Angle and counter steer
Driving angle of the vehicle is the angle of rotation of the vehicle relative to the direction of its travel. Basically this means that the farther the back end of the car comes around (without losing control), the more points a driver would score in this category. Angle also refers to the length of time a drift is maintained as well as the average angle of the vehicle during the turn. This means that getting the back end to come around for a short period of time won't score the driver many points, even if the angle of rotation was significant. A vehicle that exhibits extreme angles without spinning out will be awarded high points.
Presentation
How a driver puts speed, line and angle the best will score very well with the judges. There is also another factor and that is how the driver presents his or her drift technique. Just like any other form of competition, there will be an individual with a certain spark or energy that makes them stand out during competition. When a competitor puts that extra flare or energy into their run, the judges may pay more attention to the individual. The most universal component of this category is smoke. The more tire smoke generated by a vehicle while drifting the more points a driver will score.
How is "Tsuiso" Battle Judged?
"Tsuiso" is the Japanese term for "Twin Battle Drift". This head to head style of drifting is judged by the same principles as a solo round. However, there is a high level of strategy behind it that provides for a competitive level and an awesome show for the spectators. The exact judging of this event is difficult to explain because the judges rely on their many years of track experience and knowledge of the vehicle dynamics when issuing the exact points.
Offensive: Generally the chasing driver has the offensive when in the Twin Battle. An easy analogy is Cowboys at a rodeo competing in the round up or two jet pilots engaged in a dog fight. They chase their prey and do what ever they can to get their target into a dead zone where the prey cannot maneuver from. This same principle is used in the Tsuiso style. Driver use their vehicle and its drift to position into a space that minimizes the running drivers ability to keep a good line while staying in a high speed drift.
The chasing driver MUST at all times demonstrate a superior drift in order to A) Keep the pressure on the lead driver B) Steal and block a line that may allow the lead driver a good opportunity for a drift. C) Be awarded a superior number of points If a chasing driver is unable to keep up and maintain pressure on the lead driver this will not be good when the time comes for points to be awarded.
Defensive: When a drive takes the lead in the Tsuiso battle the ideal strategy is to perform a drift a a much higher speed, good line, and a greater angle than the chasing driver. If a lead driver can shake off or intimidate a chasing driver many times the chasing driver will make a mistake when trying to compensate for what seems like erratic actions of the lead car. When a lead driver can pull away with a good angle, following the ideal line while maintaining a controlled drift, the chasing driver has all the pressure to increase performance.
The lead driver at this point is winning. Lead drivers many times demonstrate superior skill by suddenly entering a drift at a great angle and going directly to the inside of the corner. TO the following driver it appears as though they will T-bone the lead car so they back down and take measures to avoid the lead car. Many times that will cause the chasing car to loose a great amount of speed and not be able to properly execute the corner in a full drift… or even worst they may spin out or hit the barriers. This is a ideal outcome for the lead driver in Tsuiso battles.
Its not just going sidways there is more to it so if you are interested here you go.
Judging Criteria
What are the judges looking for?
Drifting is a sport that is judged similar to ice skating or Snowboarding. Just like any sport, there are criteria to look for. There are minimum requirements to a good drift that everyone must understand such as:
Entry speed
Entry speed is one of the most visible aspects that judges will look for because it will determine the other parts of a drivers drift.
Clipping Area
This is another part of drift that the judges will be looking into. The "Clipping" Area is often judged by how well the driver takes a drive line. The line itself should always involve the vehicle hitting the right apex of a corner. Judges prefer to see a driver take a tight line around a corner, putting the nose of the car as close as possible to the apex of the turn. Getting the back end of the car close to the outside of a turn also demonstrates car control and can score the driver additional points.
Angle and counter steer
Driving angle of the vehicle is the angle of rotation of the vehicle relative to the direction of its travel. Basically this means that the farther the back end of the car comes around (without losing control), the more points a driver would score in this category. Angle also refers to the length of time a drift is maintained as well as the average angle of the vehicle during the turn. This means that getting the back end to come around for a short period of time won't score the driver many points, even if the angle of rotation was significant. A vehicle that exhibits extreme angles without spinning out will be awarded high points.
Presentation
How a driver puts speed, line and angle the best will score very well with the judges. There is also another factor and that is how the driver presents his or her drift technique. Just like any other form of competition, there will be an individual with a certain spark or energy that makes them stand out during competition. When a competitor puts that extra flare or energy into their run, the judges may pay more attention to the individual. The most universal component of this category is smoke. The more tire smoke generated by a vehicle while drifting the more points a driver will score.
How is "Tsuiso" Battle Judged?
"Tsuiso" is the Japanese term for "Twin Battle Drift". This head to head style of drifting is judged by the same principles as a solo round. However, there is a high level of strategy behind it that provides for a competitive level and an awesome show for the spectators. The exact judging of this event is difficult to explain because the judges rely on their many years of track experience and knowledge of the vehicle dynamics when issuing the exact points.
Offensive: Generally the chasing driver has the offensive when in the Twin Battle. An easy analogy is Cowboys at a rodeo competing in the round up or two jet pilots engaged in a dog fight. They chase their prey and do what ever they can to get their target into a dead zone where the prey cannot maneuver from. This same principle is used in the Tsuiso style. Driver use their vehicle and its drift to position into a space that minimizes the running drivers ability to keep a good line while staying in a high speed drift.
The chasing driver MUST at all times demonstrate a superior drift in order to A) Keep the pressure on the lead driver B) Steal and block a line that may allow the lead driver a good opportunity for a drift. C) Be awarded a superior number of points If a chasing driver is unable to keep up and maintain pressure on the lead driver this will not be good when the time comes for points to be awarded.
Defensive: When a drive takes the lead in the Tsuiso battle the ideal strategy is to perform a drift a a much higher speed, good line, and a greater angle than the chasing driver. If a lead driver can shake off or intimidate a chasing driver many times the chasing driver will make a mistake when trying to compensate for what seems like erratic actions of the lead car. When a lead driver can pull away with a good angle, following the ideal line while maintaining a controlled drift, the chasing driver has all the pressure to increase performance.
The lead driver at this point is winning. Lead drivers many times demonstrate superior skill by suddenly entering a drift at a great angle and going directly to the inside of the corner. TO the following driver it appears as though they will T-bone the lead car so they back down and take measures to avoid the lead car. Many times that will cause the chasing car to loose a great amount of speed and not be able to properly execute the corner in a full drift… or even worst they may spin out or hit the barriers. This is a ideal outcome for the lead driver in Tsuiso battles.
Got yu