Drifting is coming to North Texas

Texas Drift. :shock:

First event to be held at Pennington Field on Sunday, February 29th. Looks like they've got eight events scheduled there this year. Wonder how long it'll be before we lose that site for autocrossing? :P

OK, I'll admit it, I actually do find drifting kind of interesting. I have no interest in participating (I spend enough money on tires every year as it is :roll: ), but I'm vaguely interested in going to watch this event, at least for a little while. And from a safe distance.

Iain

Based on the very little I know about this sport, it seems rough concrete would be the last place they would use.
What am I missing?

Morbid curiousity is going to make it awfully tough to not go watch... It looks like a lot of fun to me!

Who is running these drifting events? Where did you see a calendar? This could be bad news for Pennington. But then again don't all FS cars drift. Well I did when I drove FS. :)

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Originally Posted by altiain

First event to be held at Pennington Field on Sunday, February 29th. Looks like they've got eight events scheduled there this year. Wonder how long it'll be before we lose that site for autocrossing? :P

Iain

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From my very limited knowledge of the sport, I would think a drifting event would create more car noise than an Autocross. Wouldn’t that be a safe assumption?

Mick

Ok how about a free internet game to practice your drifting. It is a flash game. Wish they wrote one for autocrossing.
Drifting game

Thanks for the new addiction. :lol:

Chris

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Originally Posted by general default

Ok how about a free internet game to practice your drifting. It is a flash game. Wish they wrote one for autocrossing.
Drifting game

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Well, if I can get a pass from home (remember, the day before that we'll all be out at the Mineralring at the NTS2KOC autocross), I'll come out to watch for a little while. I have similar concerns* as altiain, but I'd like to see what it's all about. I'm also not interested in participating, but I'd like to see how organized this is...

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* I'm alittle afraid that the noise and "out-of-control" feel will cause someone in the neighborhood to complain. This will bring additional unwanted attention to any motorsport events, and my guess is the "City Fathers" won't make a distinction between Autocross and Drifting when they pen the "Anti-Motorsports Ordinance" :roll: .

I'm also equally concerned that drifting will be considerably harder on the surface than autocross. After a couple of events, Penningtion Field folks may see that it's tearing up their parking lot and ban motorsports events (again, lumping Autocross and Drifting together).

Don't misunderstand -- I don't have any issues with Drifting. If people want to do that in a controlled, safe environment, more power to them :wink: . And I hope it works out.

I was surfin the pointy board and came across this post aboiut a meeting these guys are having before the event.

http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimateb...;f=40;t=000529

Philly Steak and Deli is directly across the street from my world headquarter here in beautiful Euless, Texas! Kinda Wild!

Interesting that altiain chose to put this thread in the "Bull" section... the section that is "Not remotely car, track or driver related" topics :wink: .

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Originally Posted by Kestrel

Interesting that altiain chose to put this thread in the "Bull" section... the section that is "Not remotely car, track or driver related" topics :wink: .

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Well, it ain't autocross, drag racing, or track racing. And we don't have a section for "Motorized Ice Dancing". :P

Iain

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Originally Posted by altiain

Well, it ain't autocross, drag racing, or track racing. And we don't have a section for "Motorized Ice Dancing". :P

Iain

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:lol:

Anyone here thinkin' 'bout giving it a try? I'm likely to go have a look, but I'm not terribly interested in the whole concept. But I'm guessing there are some folks on this board that will find this to be right up their alley...

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Originally Posted by Kestrel

Anyone here thinkin' 'bout giving it a try? I'm likely to go have a look, but I'm not terribly interested in the whole concept. But I'm guessing there are some folks on this board that will find this to be right up their alley...

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I'm defiantly going to try and find some time on the 28th to go see what they are doing. Although I imagine it will be like watching at an autocross. :thumbdow:

Looking at the rules, I can't play in my Miata since -All convertible cars must have a four-point roll bar. Factory roll hoops are not sufficient. Refer to CCR for roll bar specifics.

But there is still hope for me since they also say -Trucks and SUV vehicles are allowed, providing they do not pose too significant a rollover risk threat (increased ride height, large tires, etc.). :shock: Time to dust off the Expedition! :P

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

Time to dust off the Expedition! :P

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Personally, I was thinking the Caddy would make a great drifter... :afro:

Iain

I'm planning to go out to this in the morning, just to check it out (well, not early morning... probably something like 11:00am). I'll hang out for a couple of hours and then head back home. I just want to see what it's all about, and see how organized and controlled it is.

Anyone else thinking of coming out to watch?

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Originally Posted by Kestrel

I'm planning to go out to this in the morning, just to check it out (well, not early morning... probably something like 11:00am). I'll hang out for a couple of hours and then head back home. I just want to see what it's all about, and see how organized and controlled it is.

Anyone else thinking of coming out to watch?

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I'll bring some wine & cheese! :lol: I also plan to take a peek! I'd bet they are going to be a ton of spectators!

I saw this note on Miata.net http://forum.miata.net/ubb/ultimateb...;f=40;t=000543 :shock:

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Originally Posted by Kestrel

I'm planning to go out to this in the morning, just to check it out (well, not early morning... probably something like 11:00am). I'll hang out for a couple of hours and then head back home. I just want to see what it's all about, and see how organized and controlled it is.

Anyone else thinking of coming out to watch?

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I have to work this Sunday, but we don't start until noon. I could be there around 11'ish and watch for an hour or so. Maybe we could all meet in those small parking lots just north of Pennington. Who's in :?:

I'm hoping to stop by for a little while, but I don't think I'll be there too early - my neighbor down the street is throwing a big suprise bash for her husband's 30th birthday Saturday night, and I like going to parties where I can walk home. :drunken:

Iain

I was out at Pennington about 8:00 this morning just before the line of Rain went through; there were just 4 cars. One was a White Miata with a carbon Fiber hood, I know the guy but I can't recall his name.......

They had some cones out, but it wasn't looking good for an AM drift session....

The http://www.texasdrift.com/ website shows :
Inaugural Event on February 29, 2004

**EVENT IS ON - RAIN OR SHINE**

Registration opens at 8:00 AM

Drifting will begin at 9:00 AM

1 day of Drifting - $50.00 9AM - 6 PM :shock:

Isn't drifting easier when it's wet? My "drifting" experience has been screwing around when it's wet or after a snow in a parking lot.... Could this even improve the event (except for the spectators in the rain)?

I just got back from watching drifting. (15 minutes was plenty). All I can say is :? . It's definately a ricer event. I'm guessing they were loving the wet parking lot. I don't know what it would be like in dry conditions. I counted 10-12 cars, and saw 2 Miata's. A white NA, and a silver NB. It's kind of like trying to do donuts inside cones. I must be old, cuz I don't get it! :roll:

I stopped by for about 20 minutes this afternoon, once the parking lot dried up a little bit. There were probably 15 cars running, and another 20 or so cars in the parking lot. It looked a lot like a "clapped out 240SX" convention. :P

I think sammm's reaction summed it up the best. I didn't see any gratuitous displays of stupidity during the short time I was there (which is mostly what I'm worried about - other club's bad behavior costing us an event site), but nor did I see a whole lot of great drifting. I saw more spinning than drifting during the time I was there - looked more like a group of novices at an autocross trying to go too fast for the course. :)

All in all, it looks harmless enough. It's certainly not how I'd choose to spend my tire budget, but the people participating seemed to be enjoying themselves, and they seemed to be behaving themselves for the most part.

Iain

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Originally Posted by altiain

It looked a lot like a "clapped out 240SX" convention. :P

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bwaaaahhhaaaaaaa :lol: :lol:

It was fun to watch. There was a Supra that was doing some MAD drifting and Marty (the white and CF Miata) and the silver Miata did pretty good too.

Everyone there toasted their rears and some where swapping front to rear to keep going.

I was incognito in a Land Rover. ;)

so when's teh next event?

According to the calendar, there's an event the end of April... Shoot Kestrel if it's wrong...

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Originally Posted by droptop

It was fun to watch. There was a Supra that was doing some MAD drifting and Marty (the white and CF Miata) and the silver Miata did pretty good too.

Everyone there toasted their rears and some where swapping front to rear to keep going.

I was incognito in a Land Rover. ;)

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Welcome to the board, droptop. :D

Yeah, I saw Tuner MaRty out there - honestly, he and the two Civic hatchbacks looked by far the most capable drifters out of the group I saw (didn't get to see the Supra, though). There was also a T1 Z06 out there on Hoosiers, but the one run I saw him take, he seemed a little confused on the whole concept of drifting. :wink:

Iain

Ummm... Civic Hatchback???? RWD conversion? Do tell...

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Originally Posted by tailchaser

Ummm... Civic Hatchback???? RWD conversion? Do tell...

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No, I think they were doing handbrake turns, and must have had some ridiculously stiff rear suspension setups.

I thought it was weird, too. But the two of them looked much better than the dozen or so clapped out Silvia wannabes that were out there with them... :P

Iain

I'm thinking about taking the wheels off my dads Scirrocco and using them on the rear for some drifting, no sense burning up the rear azenis :D

Were there any large rear wings? Maybe the massive downforce was giving too much rear traction, and they couldn't get the drift?

Just come and check it out. I had fun. My tires had lots of fun too :shock:


http://home.comcast.net/~jmartinwrx//tire1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~jmartinwrx//tire2.jpg

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Originally Posted by Marty

Just come and check it out. I had fun. My tires had lots of fun too :shock:

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Dang what did they look like when you showed up? :shock:

They were down to the wearbars. So they pretty much had to go

Dayum!!!

What a way to go though! :lol:

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Originally Posted by Marty

They were down to the wearbars. So they pretty much had to go

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So how did you do on Sunday???

I think I held my own. Like Iain said, most of the 240s out there had no idea what was going on.

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

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Originally Posted by Marty

They were down to the wearbars. So they pretty much had to go

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So how did you do on Sunday???

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More imortantly, how did you like drifting the Track Dog after you wore your tires out???

Hmm... somone needs to tell Flyin96M that he may have found a home for his old S-03s as cheap dorifto tires! :D

Honestly, it looked like fun, but it also looked like a sport that tire companies could have dreamed up in their laboratories. All of the people bitching about having to buy R compound tires ain't got nothing on these guys - I could easily see someone with a lot of skill at getting high drift angles burning through a whole set of tires per event. :shock:

Iain