Drifting: The art of shredding rubber

Roopak Ramachandran Nair

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Mix together adrenaline, bravado, a sense of adventure and a love for speeding cars, and you get the art that is drifting

DRIFTING IS FAST BECOMING a popular motosport in the Philippines. All photos by Roopak R Nair

MANILA, Philippines – I’m a full-fledged automobile enthusiast, inside and out.

That’s why one of the things that I checked out when I realized I’d be based in Manila for work is the automobile scene in the country, especially in Manila.

Memories of attending and capturing moments of the European Drift Championship 2010 at the Knockhill Drift Circuit in Scotland were still fresh in my mind when I arrived in Manila in December 2011. Researching on the availability of drift schools in Manila was on the top of my list.

Fortunately, I got a chance to meet Ian King and Paolo Arespacochaga of Car Porn Racing. Ian was to be featured in one of the local society magazines, and I tagged along the shoot held at “Kings Playground” — Ian’s very aptly-named drift space — in FTI, Taguig.

I was excited to meet him in person since I had read about him and watched videos of this “barefoot” drifter drifting around in his BMW M5.

It was when I met Ian at the magazine shoot that I found out that he and Paolo actually conduct weekend drifting classes. After only a few weeks, I was back in the playground, a drifting student for my first class.

Paolo taught me the basics, including tips and tricks that beginners like me should know. His passion for drifting was infectious; his dedication to promote drifting as a sport was crystal clear.

What is drifting about?

DRIFTING KEEPS YOUR HEART pumping blood like nothing else can

Do a quick search on ‘drifting’ in Google and you will find all sorts of information on drifting and the technicalities surrounding it.

If you ask me, I would define it as “the art of gaining full control over a vehicle while it is slipping and losing traction in motion, all the while getting your adrenaline pumped so high it feels like your heart will jump out of your chest anytime.” 

The thrill and excitement you experience while drifting is enough to get you addicted to this sport.

The best part is that even the spectators feel the adrenaline as their souls seem to move and drift along with the vehicle that’s burning rubber, going around and around. 

Drift Fest Manila 2012

DRIFTING IS FOR WOMEN, too

Struan Wallace of Car Porn Racing invited me to their second Drift Fest event in June this year. I knew I had already missed their first event in Clark, so by no means was I going to miss the second one. 

The event was, of course, held at Kings Playground. The competition had two categories: 1) ‘Novice’ for budding drifters and 2) ‘Pro’ for hardcore drifters.

The novices were given points based on how well they drifted across the clipping points placed across the drift circuit. The pros were given points based on another style of drifting called “tandem drifting.”

Tandem drifting means there are two cars on the circuit and they take turns: one is the lead car and the other is the chase car, then vice versa. Scoring is based on factors like how well the chase car follows and imitates the drift of the lead car, among others.

The novice drifters struggled a bit in the beginning. It was a challenge to get a feel of the circuit and to run without being disqualified.

The professional drifters put up a tight and exciting fight, making the scoring a tough job for the judges.

The cheers from the crowd in the bleachers added life to the event. Ian and his team made sure that it was not just the drifters who had fun, but the spectators, too.

He even gave some lucky spectators shotgun (passenger seat) rides while drifting, and displayed some excellent maneuvering techniques in between the actual competition.

THE NEXT DRIFT FEST is on September 22. Would you dare join?

Jesus Romero Salas bagged the championship in the Novice category, while Raymond Ronquillo bagged the championship in the Professional category. Female drifter Tin-Tin David garnered 3rd place in the Novice category. Alvin Dayrit, who flew all the way from Hong Kong to participate in the Drift Fest, won second place in the Professional category.

To make the event more exciting, Marc Soong of Jaguar Cars Inc. brought a couple of brand new Jaguar XFRs and an Italian beauty: the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale. Only in events organized by Car Porn Racing does one get to see brand new and super powerful cars like these spinning around, burning rubber and doing donuts (spinning and making the “8” shape on the ground with the black mark of burned rubber).

Booths by DC Shoes, ROTA Wheels and food stalls from Victoria Court kept the crowd busy and entertained before, after and in-between the drift sessions.

When the sun set that evening, I went home with the music of V8 engines echoing in my ears, racing action in my camera and the satisfaction of watching a whole lot of rubber being shredded.

RIDE SHOTGUN IN A drifting car and experience the thrill of the sport

Here is the list of winners:

1) Pro category:
Champion – Raymond Ronquillo aka Cole Jack
1st runner-up – Alvin Dayrit aka Wheel Art
2nd runner-up – Boodie Dabasol

2) Novice category:
Champion – Jesus Romero Salas
1st runner-up – Radrich Albano
2nd runner-up – Tin-Tin David

– Rappler.com

For inquiries on drift lessons, visit Kings Car Control Clinic in Facebook. The next Drift Fest is on September 22, Saturday. For updates on the event, check out Car Porn Racing on Facebook.

Roopak Ramachandran Nair is an IT professional whose client is a multi-lateral development bank based in Manila. He is also a gadget and motoring enthusiast who blogs in www.gearheads.in and www.teambhp.com.

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