Irish Prodrift Series - Keep it on the track!

Motorcheck

Was anyone at Citywest last month for the Irish Prodrift competition? I've put some footage of the event up on our blog which was really amazing for a first-timer like me to attend.

If only we could keep this kind of skill on the track though. I spent the weekend on the motorbike up around western Donegal and the amount of black circles caused from donuts, etc. on the road was frightening.

Is it something that's going on nationwide or is limited to Donegal? If anyone has any pictures of examples on roads nearby I'd like to collect them for a future article.

Cookie_Monster

Motorcheck wrote: »

Is it something that's going on nationwide or is limited to Donegal? If anyone has any pictures of examples on roads nearby I'd like to collect them for a future article.

Plenty of tyre marks along the Sallygap road, particularly around the Kippure Mast entrance

Beta Ray Bill

Motorcheck wrote: »

If only we could keep this kind of skill on the track though. I spent the weekend on the motorbike up around western Donegal and the amount of black circles caused from donuts, etc. on the road was frightening.

Is it something that's going on nationwide or is limited to Donegal? If anyone has any pictures of examples on roads nearby I'd like to collect them for a future article.

If Only...

It's a nationwide problem, especially in rural Areas.
I think part of the problem is that for young men there is Sweet F.A to do out there in terms of recreation (Unless you like GAA)

So at night time and on the weekends where as most of the people that live in built up areas would go to town/do something adventurous/partake in some recreation activity, the people that live in the middle of nowhere have nothing to do so they (especially young men) will go out in the car for a drive. And being young men they like sports cars (I know, I am a young man and I LOVE sports cars) and the messing starts...

I really think if they had another low-key / low budget track over the west of the country somewhere it might reduce this kind of behavior (might not though).

This lack of activity also in my mind attributes to a lot of suicides among young men in rural areas.

A lot those single car "accidents" you here about throughout the country side where a young man has died, are actually suicides.

It's quite sad really.

KamiKazi

Am I the only one that doesn't see the point in this drifting craic? There are faster, more skillful ways to get round a track.

Midnight_EG

KamiKazi wrote: »

Am I the only one that doesn't see the point in this drifting craic? There are faster, more skillful ways to get round a track.

But no other motorsport can provide the elegance and beauty of a car sliding sideways through a corner with a ton of smoke and still come out in check.

Ever watched Touge?


You should

KamiKazi

Midnight_EG wrote: »

But no other motorsport can provide the elegance and beauty of a car sliding sideways through a corner with a ton of smoke and still come out in check.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one :pac:

Midnight_EG

KamiKazi wrote: »

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one :pac:

Particularly 00:36, 00:50, 1:10, 1:33...basically the whole thing :P

KamiKazi

Doesn't even come close to the skill levels of these guys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R7ws741KpE

djimi

I would argue that there is an equal level of skill involved in rally and touge racing. Im not knocking rally for a second, I love watching it and those guys are insane geniuses behind the wheel, but the level of skill involved in keeping control of a car when racing drift touge is immense and should not be knocked.

Cuddlesworth

Midnight_EG wrote: »

But no other motorsport can provide the elegance and beauty of a car sliding sideways through a corner with a ton of smoke and still come out in check.

Ever watched Touge?


You should

Interesting.

"Stemming from this surge in popularity, the term has been pirated and misused by overzealous enthusiasts (often incorrectly as a verb) to erroneously describe almost any event involving street racing, even when there are no mountain passes involved.

Another common mistake is the association of drifting with touge, implying at times that the words share a common definition. While drift is considered a style or form of driving, touge does not necessarily have any binding relationship to motorsports. Drifting can be used on the touge to prevent the chaser from following their proper line. For example if there was a chaser and one were to drift the drifter has now eliminated about 60 percent of the chaser's possible lines forcing them to choose slower lines that can be predicted. Also in doing this one can cause the chaser to slow down in order not to crash into the drifting car in front, which might cause complications due to keeping rpm's high and traction and all other variables to consider in slowing down for a corner."


So drifting came about because it was a valuable blocking technique while going down a mountain road in a race. And while doing it on a mountain road, downhill, with different cambers and a guy driving properly behind trying to overtake it would be quite valuable and incredibly difficult to pull off. Instead of two tools going round a car park with their feet glued to the floor. Thank you for affirming my belief that drifting is a retarded method of putting a car around any track.

Rovi

Midnight_EG wrote: »

<snip YouTube video>

Particularly 00:36, 00:50, 1:10, 1:33...basically the whole thing :P

Looks like a great way to dispose of tyres to me.

Seeing as the great Ari got mentioned above, here's the real deal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-K1B4sTX4o

Atomic Pineapple

LIGHTNING wrote: »

I have said it a thousand times before but once more wont hurt

Drifting isnt motorsport.

I always hate working at the track when its on, it attacts some of the worse type of motoring fan i.e the boy racer.

If its all about elegance and beauty then its more a form of dancing.

I dont see the point in it myself, sure there are some very skilled drivers at it but going around a track slowly just to "show off" just doesn't compute in my head.

I'd much rather see proper all out racing.

I mean looking at this is the most boring thing ever:

gofaster_s13

LIGHTNING wrote: »

I dont get it either, I have found most people who have raced have no time for it either. I will watch pretty much all forms of motorsport but drifting, no thanks. Plus it doesnt help that half the clowns that leave a event think they can do it on the backrounds themselves. Hence all these AE86`s going into poles/ditches all around the country.

The same can be said about all the clowns racing around the backroads in Impreza's or Evo's thinking they're Seb Loeb or the clowns on their GSXR's or R6's thinking they're the Doctor. The same messing goes on after all motorsport whether its Drifting, Rallying, Superbikes etc. I dont think drifting is exciting to watch put to actually partake in it is a different matter and it's addictive(try it), driving skill has to (in my eyes) be appreciated no matter what the discipline. And as for the doughnut marks on the roads, try going up to the Wicklow gap early on a Sunday morning and wathing the antics of the bikes up there, scary. Basically a skilled driver is a skilled driver no matter what motor sport hes doing. Just to prove that some of these drifters are skilled drivers, here's a vid of Mike Deane doing the Dungarvan hillclimb in his Drift car(9th overall).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRXdrbW1A_Y

Or a drift video showing the ability(and commitment) of some of the drivers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1si1-pqH6VE&videos=8P0RWwyEDEc

pajo1981

paralympics with cars

Ferris

Drifting isn't pure motorsport as its not about ultimate speed, brilliant engineering or consistant fast driving. Its all about car control however.

Its pure entertainment, at least to me anyway. Now watch this backwards enty drift.:D

KamiKazi

Car control eh?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3U7NktNj1o

gofaster_s13

KamiKazi wrote: »

Am I the only one that doesn't see the point in this drifting craic? There are faster, more skillful ways to get round a track.

KamiKazi wrote: »

Car control eh?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3U7NktNj1o

If you don't see the point of drifting, how can you see the point of Autotest, handbraking around the place in a McDonalds carpark:D

I don't understand how people can't just appreciate a skilled drifter the same way as they appreciate a skilled rally driver etc.

And as for saying autotest requires great car control(which it does) try pulling the hanbrake and entering a bend fully broadside at 100mph plus in full control of the car, then try doing it consistantly for every bend on a track.

As for saying that drifting doesnt have great engineering, it doesnt compared to rallying or F1 etc, what it does have is people trying to get the most out of their cars on a budget and with great ingenuity.
http://www.driftworks.com/forum/drift-car-projects-builds/29908-driftworks-s15-silvia-2jzgte.html

djimi

Drifting relates to motorsport in the same way that WWF relates to sport, but thats not to say WWF isnt entertaining to watch (or at least used to be many years ago!)

Im not into drifting but I can appreciate it, proper drifting I mean. Just because every little dickhead with a twin cam and a wet roundabout is giving it a bad rep doesnt mean theres no merit to it. To watch the proper drifters going around the mountains in Tokyo is every bit as amazing as watching Sebastian Loeb ripping up a forest in a rally car.

Edthehead

Is Drifting a Motorsport? In my opinion it is, are the people competing in competition with each other...Yes, are the competitors briefed on what course they are required to run in order to achieve a high score..yes, do the competitors run to a specific set of rules...yes, are the vehicles full blown competition vehicles with full roll cages, bucket seats and five point harnesses...yes.
Just because drifting's competition rules are a little different to other forms of Motorsport doesn’t mean it should be looked down on. There is a lot of snobbery associated with some of the more traditional forms of Motorsport but I feel they should sit up and take note of Drifting's success in Ireland, Drifting have some of the highest Motorsport spectator attendances and have in excess of 100 competitors for each weekend's event.
I've always been a hardcore motorsport fan, I've sat on the top of mountains in the rain waiting for the first car to come through the stage, I've stood for hours at Formula 1 events just to get a good vantage point, I've gone to all forms of Motorsport and enjoyed everyone of them, I gave Drifting a try as a spectator a few years ago and once I understood the criteria enjoyed that too. People have asked me how I can sit and watch Formula 1, "its so boring" it probably is if you just sat and didn’t know what was going on but when you take in to consideration the cars, engines, drivers , teams and championship placing it makes it much more interesting. The same can be said of Drifting, it gets a lot more interesting once you know the drivers, the teams, the machinery they are running, the course they are required to run and the target speeds they need to achieve over certain parts of the course. The hardcore drift fans can Judge as good as the Judges and can usually tell the outcome of most of the battles. Drifting has allow people who could never afford to compete in motorsport an opportunity to build a car and compete, they can start out in the Amateur class with a budget machine and develop their car as their skills develop eventually competing in the Pro class.
A walk around the pits at a drifting event would also make you realise the talent and ingenuity of some of the competitors with all sorts of engine transplants and suspension setups and its great to see how other competitors wade in with parts and manpower to get a fellow competitor back running after he's hit a problem.
Every form of Motorsport has Judged criteria to it, someone is there to Judge if rules are broken or not! Jumped starts, cutting chicanes, etc. The winner of a Drift event is picked by the Judges, but the criteria the competitors run to is so strict the competitors and spectators usually know who has won a battle before the Judges make their call, the difficult calls for the Judges are when they have to decide the winner between two competitors who were very close or when deciding who made the biggest mistake.

KamiKazi

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

And as for saying autotest requires great car control(which it does) try pulling the hanbrake and entering a bend fully broadside at 100mph plus in full control of the car, then try doing it consistantly for every bend on a track.

A professional rally driver could do that every day of the week without batting an eyelid

gofaster_s13

KamiKazi wrote: »

A professional rally driver could do that every day of the week without batting an eyelid

With practice, yes he could.

ShadowHearth

djimi wrote: »

Drifting relates to motorsport in the same way that WWF relates to sport, but thats not to say WWF isnt entertaining to watch (or at least used to be many years ago!)

Im not into drifting but I can appreciate it, proper drifting I mean. Just because every little dickhead with a twin cam and a wet roundabout is giving it a bad rep doesnt mean theres no merit to it. To watch the proper drifters going around the mountains in Tokyo is every bit as amazing as watching Sebastian Loeb ripping up a forest in a rally car.

right....comparing WWF to drifting was the moust idiotic thing i ever seen here... i get surprised every day with boards.ie...

If WWF would be like drifting then everysingle human being would be able to drift like a drift king...

I personolly hate soccer, i think its the biggest scam and bull**** ever created for sheeps. I dont like it, and i dont care about it. no need for me to yell to people thats its ****, becouse i dont like it...

You like drifting or you dont. You ned skills to be able to drift. There are profesional and amature rally drivers who do drifting aswell. So if they can live with drifting and see some fun in it, then you should be able to live with it aswell :eek:.
to be honest i newer ever watched drift competitions, i wouldnt even know who is best in ireland now, but just becouse i dont know much about or dont watch it, i wount say that they are drivers with very bad skills of driving...


People do bitch about seeing donut marks on main roads, but did anyone did anything about it? there are so many abandoned old airfields or big carpark alike spaces. Why not just to make something out of it for people who whant to mess around a bit? I can bet, there will be way less donut marks and messing on open roads.

I love how people are sricking "boyracer brand" on drifting now lol.

Edthehead

Donut's at crossroads, silly stuff really but I'd prefer them to be doing that late at night not bothering anyone than messing in built up areas where they could knock someone down.
I do think these boys are just as likely to follow Rallying as they are Drifting.

I may be wrong but in my opinion boyracers are a different breed they are often not even motorsport fans their cars are more like fashion statements, more likely to cruise up and down town main streets where they can be seen. Probably more likely to mess in built up areas there would be no point in messing where no one would see them.

The Irish are held in very high regard worldwide in Drifting circles and have been very successful abroad. At the moment there is three drivers competing full time in FormulaD in the US, Darren McNamara, Eric O Sullivan and Dean Kearney, James Deane has also contested one round this year and is hoping to do a few more before the end of the season.

Darren drives the Falken Tyres Saturn Sky, Falken built this car in right hand drive especially for him, he has 720bhp under his right foot and was leading the series last year until an engine failure put him out of contention, he's in a battle to win this series this year.

I think it was Chris Meeke who did a round in Mondello about two or three years ago, he did quiet well as would be expected but he didn’t qualify (I think he had car problems) but when he was asked in an interview what was it like to pull the handbrake at 100mph on the first corner he replied "I grew balls today" ha ha brilliant!!
.

Tea 1000

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I personolly hate soccer, i think its the biggest scam and bull**** ever created for sheeps.

Ah now! You say you're always surprised at replies on boards.ie and you come up with this gem? I'm not a big soccer fan, I don't watch the Premiership or anything, but to say it's a scam created for sheep? That's just silly.
All sports demand a level of skill, whether you like the sport or not. Drifting at the top level does demand a healthy level of skill and practice. I'm not a big fan of it, and there's no way I'd compare the number one drifting driver in the world to the number 1 F1 or WRC driver in the world, but that's not to say he's not skillfull.
I admire the skill of drifting, it is good fun to watch! But at the end of the day I just don't take any sport fully seriously that the outcome has to be judged. Too much opportunity for the same old favourites to shine.

JimmyCrackCorn

LIGHTNING wrote: »

I have said it a thousand times before but once more wont hurt

Drifting isnt motorsport.

I always hate working at the track when its on, it attacts some of the worse type of motoring fan i.e the boy racer.

If its all about elegance and beauty then its more a form of dancing.

I never understood drifting i wont knock it but i just dont get it. I understand the feeling of an occasional power slide but the rest i dont get.

I will say i have been iv been in Mondello for the time attack championships on a number of occasions and one in perticular had drifting between runs.

The crowd it drew did it no favours. I honestly would not go to a drifting event after that experience. I have friends who love it and compete.

Motorcheck

Just been reading about the X Games Rally Event. Turns out the medal winners are Drift guys

1. Tanner Foust - two time formula drift champion and also now has two X Games Gold medals after winning at the weekend - has also represented the USA in the FIA "Race of Champions" in Wembley alongside the greatest race/rally drivers in this era.

2. Samuel Hubinette - also a two time Formula Drift champion - first time out in X Games rally and took home bronze medal.

3. ACP or Andrew Comrie-Picard is competing his first year of Formula Drift and has been an established Rally USA driver since 2005 and is the current North American Rally champion

http://www.eurotuner.com/news/eurp_1008_bfgoodrich_dominates_2010_xgames/index.html

http://www.wreckedmagazine.com/blog/2010/07/31/tanner-foust-takes-home-second-gold-medal-of-today-in-superally-at-x-games-16/

http://www.wreckedmagazine.com/blog/2010/07/31/tanner-foust-wins-gold-medal-at-x-games-16-rally-car-event/

http://www.rallybuzz.com/hubinette-x-games-16/

Edthehead

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swy7qcsDSYA&feature=player_embedded

LIGHTNING

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Why dont the use those cars for actual racing instead of prancing around the track like a bunch of Ballet dancers? They are on a race track in high performance cars and they take turns going around the corners sideways????

I have to say I love drifting! It takes a lot skill and is a hell of a lot of fun. I think holding a car sideways around a long corner is one of the most elegant things to watch.

They don't actually race as drifting is too much fun. I watch a bit of F1 and rallying but even when watching rallying sliding around corners is the most exciting part.

To sum up, I like sideways.

Racing and drifting are two different things, I like both.

Old Skool Cars

Clipping point for example - full throttle commitment towards a wall and proof of getting any clipping point or clipping zone is by removing some bodywork, a spoiler in this instance by our very own Dean "Karnage" Kearney who was a Prodrift Irish Champion and is now applying his trade in the most premier drifting series in the world - Formula Drift.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUoMxQUT8qU

Another quality video for all to enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWjYHhXvfXc

mini mouse

I think two of the biggest problems regarding drifting are .........
1. people associate it with doghnut marks on the local crossroads and
2.people don't actually understand what it is.

Prodrift is about serious competition, learning and improving skills and keeping it on the track and off the roads. I know a lot of drivers in the irish pro drift series , and most of them learned how to drift on the back roads. prodrift has allowed them to take it off the roads and blow off their steam on a track. The dedication the drivers have is unbelievable, i have seen the effort that goes in first hand. And the team spirit that is present at the events is amazing to see..... if you crash out or have a problem with your car at least 5 drivers will be there in a flash helping you to sort it out in time.

I think we all agree that messing like that on the roads is unacceptable, but as with every form of motorsport be it drifting or rallying you will have a number of followers that want to mimic what they see...but I don't think its fair to blame prodrift or the drivers that take part in prodrift ( the peope who actually have the maturity to keep it on the track) for this.

Personally I feel drifting is more of an extreme sport than a motor sport and alot of people don't understand what its about. Its a very hard thing to explain without actually seeing it. And unfortunately most people see it for the first time in Mondello, which granted is the fastest track of the season((up to 100mph entry if its dry), but has no concrete barriers as clipping points as the other tracks do#( which believe me is entertaining to watch), and if it rains in mondello then its awful to watch altogether.
How can you enjoy something that you don't understand. It was not until I really understood what I was looking for and got to know the different drivers, there styles etc that I really started to love it.
So i think thats probably one area that prodrift need to work on..... promoting and explaining clearly exactly what it is.

ToxicPaddy

one word "marmite" You either love it or hate it..

But technically Drifting is a motorsport.. I cant see the appeal of it myself

But its a motorsport, you need a car to do it, its usually modified to a certain degree and guys who do it have a skill.. add to that its got a wide appeal to a fairly large audience and you have fairly big name sponsors involved in it..

I think we will just have to agree to disagree on this one..

Edthehead

Mini Mouse..Very well said!!
"prancing around the track like a bunch of Ballet dancers? " If you ever went to see a top level Drift event the last thing you would compare it too is Ballet dancing! it is extremely aggressive with cars being pushed to their limit. I'd compare it to Rallying, the corner you picked out that you hoped would be a good action filled spot and instead of 4wd / Fwd machines arriving at the corner a load of lunatic driven MKII Escorts arrive on full lock.....

djimi

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Why dont the use those cars for actual racing instead of prancing around the track like a bunch of Ballet dancers? They are on a race track in high performance cars and they take turns going around the corners sideways????

I suppose its a bit like dressage with horses; you could ask why they dont get them jumping over the jumps like real horses but Im sure people love it so let them off!

Edthehead

Can you hint at what event and when?

Old Skool Cars

Edthehead wrote: »

Can you hint at what event and when?

I would like to know what event and where too??

and also, what is wrong with comparing any Motorsport genre against each other - i think even the simplest of minds will agree that man and machine vs one another deems it being called a Motorsport?? Yes/No??

challengemaster

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Dont compare it to Rallying,just dont!

P.S I have been/worked at a top level drift event in Ireland.

Just so you know, drifting in Ireland is absolute dire shíte altogether when compared with overseas stuff.

And the reason there's lads out practicing on public roads? There's like... 1 drift track in the whole of Ireland to practice on, and I don't think it's even that challenging.

As for the motorsport thing - It involves cars, and competition, it's a motorsport.

ShadowHearth

btw lads, you all talkabout rings on roads, how dangerous and stupid it is, how boy racish it is ...


i have seen hundreds of those rings, but i newer seen a car crashed near one of those rings. Ussually people who do a donut or two on public road, wount even be seen by anyone, they will be gone in seconds from there...

I wouldnt call doing a donut in the middle of the night on empty road so EXTREME dangerous, specially when it last just for few seconds... thought i do agree that empty car park is better suited for that .

And why would you call drifting a boy racer "sport", as far as i know boy racers drive 1.4 FWD cars. Oh, yeah, 2.0TD chiped diesels, but here again only FWD.

p.s. they might be using trays from mcdonalds on fwd cars lol

Paparazzo

Comparing drifting to proper rally is like comparing the grand national to dressage

KamiKazi wrote: »

Doesn't even come close to the skill levels of these guys

That Ari clip is brilliant! What a legend

Edthehead

challengemaster wrote: »

Just so you know, drifting in Ireland is absolute dire shíte altogether when compared with overseas stuff..

Your obviously an expert, so what do you base this hard fact on???

challengemaster wrote: »

And the reason there's lads out practicing on public roads? There's like... 1 drift track in the whole of Ireland to practice on, and I don't think it's even that challenging. .

Practice days are also run at Fermoy Marts Cork, Punchestown, and City West, there is a few other places, Caseys Yard in Tullow and I think some Kart track in the Midlands not sure where.

challengemaster wrote: »

As for the motorsport thing - It involves cars, and competition, it's a motorsport.

Paddy@CIRL

I worked for Prodrift for seven odd years as a photographer. During this time I literally watched it rise from grassroots to every event being televised on several major TV stations before it began to decline again.

Is drifting a motorsport ? No. It's more akin to an extreme sport like FMX, BMX, Skateboarding etc. No shame in that either.

Does it require talent ? By the bucklet load and in amounts you'd hardly believe. Kris Meeke (Reigning IRC Champion) competed at a PD event in Mondello about two / three years ago and told me how he could just not get to grips of it. Where his instinct was to slow down, the pro-class drivers were accelerating. Of course with practice, I've no doubt Kris would up there with the best of them but to say drifting is easy, you've seriously under estimated it.

Whoever said drifting in Ireland is some of the worst in the world, please just please stop talking. Prodrift has long been a source of drivers for Formula D, with five past Irish champions competing at the top level in the states.

I 100% agree that drifting does seem to attract a lot of the show and shine / 'boy racer' brigade but that can hardly be attributed as the organisers fault. If every scumbag in the country started showing up for Formula Libre would Mondello turn them away ?

AFAIK, with the exceptions of the BSB, Prodrift hold the attendance record at Mondello. We need more people to attend Motorsport events in this country not less. I could care less if they came out to watch autotesting (I don't particularly like autotesting but I'm aware of the talent required and this is just my example) by their thousands once it keeps our race circuit alive.

You don't have to like it, but don't dismiss it. To dimiss it is to be entirely ignorant of the appeal of motorsport and I'd question anyone who is that elitest.