Drifting races ahead as fastest growing driving experience - News

The booming popularity of drifting, fuelled by computer games and blockbuster movies, has resulted in it now being the fastest growing driving experience, even more than supercars.

Indeed, the rise of drifting, which originated in Japan and where the driver intentionally oversteers going around a corner while maintaining control has exploded in recent years and there are now numerous competitive drifting events at circuits across the country.

We've seen a huge increase in bookings for drifting experiences, where drivers learn basic and advanced drifting skills, up a staggering 59 per cent over the last year, and it has added more drifting experiences to keep up with demand.

Imran Malek, operations manager at TrackDays.co.uk, said: "We teach all levels of drivers how to drift, where driving by looking out of the side window is just as crucial as looking out of the front windscreen.

"Importantly, though, learning how to drift in a safe environment, such as a race circuit, can boost the confidence of drivers and can give them better overall car handling skills, so it’s not just about burning rubber."

The most popular cars to practice drifting in include Nissan 200SX, Skyline and 350Z, plus BMW M3.

Circuits to learn drifting at include Brands Hatch and Goodwood in the south, Three Sisters and Elvington in the north, plus others across the UK.

In practical terms, drifting involves driving at high speeds with the rear tyres of the vehicle sliding, whilst maintaining control. Basic skills learnt with www.trackdays.co.uk include power slides, drift control and drift braking techniques.

Imran added: "The popularity of learning to drift shows no sign of slowing down. While we provide many driving experiences where straight-line speed is the order of the day, it is interesting to see that the skilful art of drifting is the fastest growing driving experience, actually just nudging ahead of the supercar sector for growth by 3 per cent."