Drifting at UK circuits

I got the opportunity to photograph at the first round of 'Eurodrift' at Silverstone the other week (pics on my website). I'd never seen drifting before and really didn't know what to expect.

I was pleasantly surprised on the day... it was quite entertaining. This wasn't really much more than an amateur event, but the potential for providing a decent spectacle was clear. I can imagine that something like D1 would be really quite impressive to watch. I'm certain that this will pick up a strong spectator following over the next few years.

If nothing else, it's an entertaining break from the usual weekend's race meetings!

:)

I saw a bit of Channel 5's 5th Gear last night and they had some article on drifting which included a presenter taking part in "The National Doughnut Championships". I didn't watch for long! It seemed to me the biggest doughnuts were those behind the steering wheels!

What concerns me most about this is the damage it does to motorsport's image. After many years trying to placate the Nimbies and environmentalists by restricting test days, engine running times and noise reduction, we have bunch of guys thrashing the crap out of road cars, burning shed loads of rubber and creating smoke clouds of volcanic proportions...

There you go. I've wanted to get that off my chest for a while.

Hi,
Just been to silverstone to watch D1GP as this year I am being a spectator a bit more....
Deffinately different to Track motorsport but as a whole event getting spectators involved etc it was fantastic.
I still prefer F1 or even most club races but this is an event I would go to see again...

One of the dtrs boys his race car is out of action , but went to silvertone and did some driffting thing in his old sprint car a nissian skyliner, said was great fun was not doing the dough nut thing but won two great trophys large plus a time of 104. dtrs class a rob does a 102 not bad for a road car..
Might have a go my self as when i said about rockingham got called a traiter
At least i can make my own opinon once watch and tried if you dont try it you dont know

I was at Rockingham yesterday and if fact the gate man asked me if I was one of the drifters with my black Camaro on the back and I told him sorry but I'm tone deaf and can't sing a note, I wondered what he was on about. :-)

Anyhow they (the drifters) came on and did their bit and I thought I would have a quick look but what on earth was that all about, my mates that were with me asked the same thing, each to their own I guess but just seemed an enormous pollutting mess of smoke and noise (tyre squeal makes more unpleasant noise than my V8 and they had the hump with me) that would give the Rockingham environmentalists (read that people who want to build houses on the site or see their land investments rocket) a field day.

I saw the drifters advertised in the timetable so thought it would be worth a watch. Nice looking Nissan 350z's and yes they went sideways but not the type of display that I found interesting. Now maybe if they did it in a confined space it would be more interesting but hardly difficult.

Then they finished with doughnuts and burn outs! I thought from reading this thread it wasn't all about that.... the guy that won the pick up truck race did a better display during his victory performance.

As I Joked to Colin he had his Rover at a greater angle in Turn 4 at a far faster speed.