Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle

Wow, this video is so good I had to take the time to post it here. First off, the idea of drifting a motorcycle is pretty crazy--crazy in a cool sense, and crazy in an insane sense. And putting that motorcycle up against a car is even more crazy. That's enough to draw you in, but the video is so good you have to keep watching... the slow-mo is so choice, and the RC video chase car is just genious! All around this is incredibly well done, check it out and share it with your friends. And check out Hell For Leather and iconmotorsports on Youtube.

Welcome to How To Drift!

My name is Paul Morton, and I wrote the book on Drifting. I love to say that, tongue-in-cheek, but the truth is I am an enthusiast and continual student of the art form known as Drifting. I actually did write a book about Drifting however entitled How to Drift: The Art of Oversteer. And I did this for a couple for reasons: 1. Because over the past 12+ years I have made a career out of bridging the gap between those in-the-know and those who want to know, and 2. Because I think Drifting is the most exhilarating, intense and exciting motor sport ever devised.

For me, drifting goes back to my earliest driving experiences. Right off the bat I understood the concept of counter steering, or turning into a slide. As a teenager with a license I didn’t have much of an urge to go fast, or race, but every time I got the opportunity I would slide the vehicle I was driving sideways. Of course at the time I had no idea that on the other side of the world the pioneers of a sport that didn’t yet have a name or a following were doing the same thing I was (on a much grander scale, of course). I can’t autocross. I would suck at drag racing. But there is just something about sliding a car sideways that I get. I can anticipate the arch that the car will travel in as I enter a drift and I have a feel for feathering the throttle and finessing the steering wheel just enough to keep the car going that way. Call it intuition, gut feeling, or just dumb luck, but the only performance driving skills I can stake claim to involve over steer at maximum slip angle.

Make no mistake; I’m not claiming to be the best drifter out there, far from it. I have a lot to learn—as I know many of you out there do as well (even the ones who don’t want to admit it.) This is why I spent a year of my life writing a book for which there was no reference material (I can’t read Japanese). My goal? Write a distinctly American book on the distinctly Japanese sport of Drifting. I wanted to dispel some of the myths (Drifting is driving out of control and only Japanese cars are good for drifting) and I wanted to give those learning to drift, and those expanding their skill set, a larger frame of reference than what was available on the street and the Internet (which is why my book is written from a racecar driver’s point of view). My goal was to create a good starting point for people to learn, and further define, the various elements that make up Drifting. I also wanted to create an interactive element to the book where we could both (me and the rest of you) take part in discussion on what we know is the best motor sport ever.

Well, here it is. I know, it's not much--at this point anyway. But I have a feeling that together we can turn this humble blog into something much more than just an Internet page with a bunch of words. Note that I said, "We." Hey, I've done my part. I have researched written and photographed several hundred pages worth of book. I will soon be posting some information, images and even lessons from that book here on its companion Blog (which means this is a good time to actually get your hands on a copy and read up). The rest, well, that's up to you. I need input. I need to hear from all of you out there that have made Drifting the greatest thing since sliced bread. I am not here to preach, I am here to expand my knowledge just like you. So let's see where this takes us, shall we?