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Drift racing is one of, if not the newest form of car racing to hit Tasmania. It originated in Japan and some people say it developed to transport tubs of delicate tofu across the windy Japanese mountains.
It's the only form of motor sport that is judged on set criterion rather than the fastest car wins.
In Drift racing style matters. And they're not called races, they're called "battles".
Simply put the idea is to go around corners sideways, at full opposite lock and the rear wheels drifting sideways.
In a battle two cars compete, the lead car attempts to have perfect line and form through corners. The following car tries to "emulate" the lead car with better line, speed and angle.
The rear car is not trying to overtake the lead car and is only permitted to while drifting. The cars swap the lead and do it again.
Battles are performed at relatively slow speeds compared to fast-as-you-can racing, so it's a unusually safe motor sport. But is very specatular and very, very rubber smokey. If you go to an event you'll see the smoke long before getting there.
Driftkhana is a crowd-pleaser with the cars competing to be the fastest to swerve through some witches-hats, do a circle of the end hat and return to the start line. It's not possible to turn on the tight raceway without doing a 3-point or more turn, so it's a matter of drifting the rear tyres sideways to reduce that turning circle.
It's great fun for all the family.
Cheers Jon TBT
. I for one would love to check out this drifting...have played Need for speed and the like...but could never get the hang of drifting. Great pix as well. What's with the yellow smoke coming from the Kuhmo car?
