It had been a month since the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) fell silent following the successful hosting of the first ever MotoGP Indian Grand Prix last month. But the country’s grandest motorsport facility once again woke up to the sound of roaring engines and smell of burning rubber last week. Only this time not even an inch of the 5km track was used.
Surprised? Understandable.
For the first time in the history of Indian motorsport, an official Drift Challenge was organised by JK Tyre, held in the parking lot of BIC last week. Organised in a controlled environment, the one-day event, backed by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), was won by Chandigarh’s Sanam Sekhon.
Normally associated with youngsters trying to show off their skills behind the wheel, drifting is a driving technique where a driver intentionally oversteers yet maintains control over the vehicle without traction control. This is done while encountering a turn, corner or an obstacle on a purpose-built closed course. The techniques involve the rear of the car to slip at an angle that exceeds the front slip with the wheels rotating, burning rubber but the vehicle going sideways instead of forward to create the ‘drift’.
While this was the first formal event in India, drifting is quite popular in countries like the United States of America, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan – also inspiring the 2006 action film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The sight of cars, balancing on a knife’s edge, sliding around a corner with their wheels smoking is a spectacle to behold and that has made drifting popular among the younger generation.
“Drifting has been happening in India in silos. However, with this competition (and) with the help of FMSCI, we will formalise norms of drifting in India and try to match it on par with global standards. This challenge will not only provide a platform for the country’s talented drivers but also delight motorsport enthusiasts who are hungry for a new thrill,” said Sanjay Sharma, JK Tyre’s head of motorsport.
Driving a specially prepped Lexus GS 300, Sekhon slithered unopposed to victory in two out of three categories (D1, D2 and Open differentiated by tyre width) while experienced drifter Mudit Grover (BMW E46) finished on the podium in all three as 20 others showcased their skills on the twisting drift track in Greater Noida.
Points were awarded by a three-member international expert panel who judged the drivers on four parameters – line, angle, style and speed. In drifting, judges normally brief drivers about the ideal line. Drivers who stick as precisely as possible to the line, score higher. Similarly, the angle at which a driver drifts also counts towards their score. A shallow angle earns a lower score while an acute one is given higher marks, considering it requires more control as the driver has to carry more speed to not lose momentum.
A driver loses style points when he/she has to make too many corrections on the steering wheel while the really skilled ones are able to carry a lot more speed than their competitors around the corners. The more speed they carry, the more difficult it is for them to hit the right angles and stick to the ideal line.
Overall, the judges reward those with not just good driving skills or car control but also those with maximum precision and outright speed, usually the primary parameter in traditional racing.
The participants were largely former racers and rallyists who are skilled at the art of drifting, using rear-wheel drives. “You don’t have to spend millions to get the cars ready. It is relatively much cheaper. You just have to activate a differential lock to make the cars drift,” said Sharma.
Interestingly, many of the participants used 10 (diesel) to 15 (petrol) year old cars that are disallowed on the roads of Delhi NCR but can be used on track. “It is the same logic that applies to formula cars and other (racing) cars. They are only eligible to be used on tracks. These cars are not allowed on roads in any case. This is how it works globally too,” said Sharma.
Having successfully hosted the first event in front of an audience of approximately 2,000 – mostly college students, more such events have been planned in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad as the organisers plan to develop an official championship next season.
