Road Surface Inspection?

[clarksteiner]

Before you start drifting, do you get out of your car and look at the road surface or do you just start drifting?

[_PG_]

Sweep off all dirt and sand. Turst me. Carry a broom or 2 in your car. You'll end up like me: In a mountian twice in one night!

[Drift For Food]

I'd say it's a good idea to check out the road condtions if you haven't driven on the road before or recently. Just take a drive through and see if there's any debris or anything you might want to watch out for. If it's a road you drive on daily or have been on 1000 times, you may not need an inspection. During the winter, I find knowing exactly what's there is extremely important. A fresh covering of snow can hide patches of ice. It all looks the same unless you know that ice was there beforehand and adjust to it prior. The same applies for any road - sand/gravel on a paved surface for example. Know what's there or be very cautious and conservative when drifting. I usually drift on the same roads I drive on daily, so I'm pretty safe. However, if I ever went to another area, I'd drive the course normally a few times first, know the layout, what to avoid, etc. You can even keep outside factors in mind, traffic, pedestrians, wildlife, old trees that could fall on the road, etc... anything that is dynamic. Also, make note of how far you can see around each corner. On very blind ones, you may want to be extra cautious, a little slower, and prepared for what could be there...kind of an expect the worst mentality. Be safe - use your head.

[scirocco]

stay in the correct lane on those corners^^^^^

[malcolm]

of course, you're talking about a TRACK where you drift LEGALLY, right?

wherever you drift, use common sense. if you are smart, then just drift on tracks, or during legal events.

[NismoSigma]

Watch out for transistions in road surfaces. If 1 corner is asphalt and the other is concrete, be careful, there is a huge diffrence in handling when your trying to drift at 50mph! Also be careful with natures creatures, no one likes roadkill!

[Hubert Young]

Just like autocross, you should walk the course. Check for debris, bumps, road surface, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, you see the line better when not in motion.

I was so glad that the "Docta" Todd from NCDA (guy driving the almost stock FC with only shocks and springs upgrade) took me out to walk the course at Irwindale in the morning of Formula D round 4. I could see the line a lot better and that got me into best 16. I was struggling to get the correct line during the 2 practice days before the event.

Hubert

[jasonaries]

walking and sweeping....

I can't imagine sweeping a road. I hate sweeping. I had to sweep a parking lot at my first part time job. Never again. I can imagine walking it.

I do recall in my travels as a child, that I could more easily remember how to get somewhere if I walked there with my Dad, as opposed to riding our bikes there. So, I can see how more info is hitting your brain if you walk the track to spy the line.

I prefer to gradually speed up over several repititions on the same course, then compensate for weather as needed. I really prefer to memorize the road. I want to be able to visualize the next stretch before I get there.... if I know the road that well, and know my car from 8+ years of driving only that model, then I have a lot more brain juice available to handle anything else that requires my attention.