Drifting 101: How Controlled Chaos Works

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Drifting looks like a car out of control. It’s actually the opposite: a driver holding the car right at the edge of grip, on purpose, for as long as they want.

Step one: break the grip

The rear tires need to lose traction. Drivers do it by shifting the car’s weight:

• Lifting off the throttle to move weight forward
• A flick of the steering one way, then the other
• A burst of power in a rear-wheel-drive car

Step two: countersteer

As the rear slides out, the driver steers the front wheels into the slide. Too little and the car spins; too much and it straightens up.

Step three: balance with the throttle

The throttle becomes a second steering wheel. More power swings the rear out further; less lets it come back. Holding a long, smooth drift is a constant conversation between hands and feet.

Practice it only on a track or a closed course, never on public roads.