Drifting at autocross, rain sucks! (Video)

[bmw318tiChic]

Nice.. I'd love to learn how to do that sometime.

[wirelessalpha]

eh...its fun stuff I agree. BUt dammit! I spend so much on tires.... If you are ever in the NJ area - let me know and we can hit some backroads!

[buddhajono]

I find the best way to get a nice long drift (in winter anyway) is to first of all make sure you got the right speed (very important in winter with snowbanks on sides of road) and then pull up handbrake while holding the button, get the car nice and sideways (takes a split second) and then push the handbrake back down quickly while getting on the gas right after to keep the drift going. Last winter I had some of the best times i've had in my ti in a parking lot of the restaurant I work at, it's a huge lot with all kinds of obstacles and it connects to 2 other different lots. My favorite is an enclosed parking lot that has only 2 entry points, I usually fly in one, do exactly what I said to do above, and drift about 220 feet until the other exit and go out smoothly, pretty much the biggest most precise u-turn I could find a place to do. We have a couple of serious racers here in my hometown in Canada but they rip honda's and cant even try to come out of a drift as smoothly as in a BMW. All my buddies from work and I close up the restaurant and every night, for about an hour I do circles around their pickups. Staying most of the time in 2nd or 3rd gear. Man these ti's, if I were rich, I'd buy 10 of them and head up north and just drift the rest of my days......such good times, can't wait for winter.


Anyone who lives around Montreal, Canada, PM me on the first snowfall cause my little town is drift central, we have drift comps every weekend, with plenty of cars and there's always some idiots with skis and snowboards wanting me to tow them up to a huge snowbank/jump(in their minds) and what am I gonna do....say no?

I'll post some videos this winter.

[HuGo]

Aren't you worried you might slam into the wall? What happens if you would have slammed into that wall dusten? Yes i know your car is going to crush in but what i mean is, you pay for your expensives right?

Is it even possible for your car to just flip over? Its weird when i see people drift cuz they go very fast and start skidding, and im scared to go 40mph and pull the ebrake and just flip over.

When you auto-x, do you race alone or do you have like 2 or 3 cars with you at the same time?

So alaska says you cant drift (well where he goes) so im assuming in those turns you have to really slow down and shift down to 2nd and keep going right?

[wirelessalpha]

1. Slamming into the wall happens - and WILL happen if you are serious about getting your skills up.

2. E-brake drifting...is well.."technically" a drifting technique - I will agree that...but its really a basic technique. That said, there are times when it is needed. I usually just use my ebrake to control my angle...but alot of it has to do with reaction.

3. It is very possible for your car to flip over...it happens....even to pro's. Funny thing: At the last FormulaD event I was at, the announcer goes "hey man..that racer (insert name here..b/c I forgot)...man, at the last event we were at - the dude flipped it and kept drifting! now thats gangsta!". I kinda got a kick out of that one...

Hey Dusten, what kind of diff do you have on the 318ti? I'm very curious as to peoples current setup's on this forum. Also, ever try any Gymkhana? Would love to get my 318 out there on one of these events...hone some skills...etc.

[HuGo]

so if you slam on the wall, you pay for your damage, of coarse i would assume so, but i know they have insurance, but what does the insurance cover?

[1996 328ti]

Originally Posted by 1996Bmw318TI

Aren't you worried you might slam into the wall? What happens if you would have slammed into that wall dusten? Yes i know your car is going to crush in but what i mean is, you pay for your expensives right?

Probably. Insurance usually does not cover a timed competitive event.

Originally Posted by 1996Bmw318TI

so if you slam on the wall, you pay for your damage, of coarse i would assume so, but i know they have insurance, but what does the insurance cover?

Who is they?

[DustenT]

Originally Posted by wirelessalpha

Hey Dusten, what kind of diff do you have on the 318ti? I'm very curious as to peoples current setup's on this forum. Also, ever try any Gymkhana? Would love to get my 318 out there on one of these events...hone some skills...etc.

3.45 small case LSD. Waiting for it to explode....

I don't drift, this was at an autocross in the rain on a 1/4 track completely covered with tire rubber. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't keep it in line. I drive in the snow so I know how to hang the car out, this was just like that, just seemed to be the fastest way around the course that day.

[HuGo]

They = Whoever is hosting the event.

[1996 328ti]

Originally Posted by 1996Bmw318TI

They = Whoever is hosting the event.

No. The hosting organization has insurance to protect them and to cover damage to the facility. It really buys legal counsel if someone sues them. You are on your own when it comes to your car.

[HuGo]

Originally Posted by 1996 328ti

You are on your own when it comes to your car.

Thats obvious. Thanks for the info.

[wirelessalpha]

Originally Posted by DustenT

3.45 small case LSD. Waiting for it to explode....

sweet! lol. I have the same anxiousness with my stock diff in my 240....

[Panzer_M]

Btw, I drifted(on Roadcourse tracks and in rallies on 90' turns) with a 140hp(120whp?) and a LS. you do not need 180 or 340whp to drift, the back of the Ti in a turn is already loose compared to a coupe or saloon. I've also ended sideways on the track in turns when I messed up and I'd 360'd once into the grass when the rear end decided it wasn't going to game with me with crap tires.

Saturday I have a Hill climb with a bunch of e24/28s...I'm odd man out along with a M coupe. Depending on the route, if we do the new pavement it could get interesting.