Judging Regulations @ Drifting Events?

[KristianAE86]

are these to be found on the net ?

I need them for the Swedish Motorsport Federation.

They are trying to get drifting as an legalized motorsport in Sweden in 2005 with racing licences & insurances for the drivers.

So I need a list of how judging takes place & also how
drift-track set-up´s are allowed & Not allowed...

guidelines - is the word i´m looking for.

please help me.

D1 is mostly an organization that makes money - their regulations are different i think.

regards/
..............Kristian

[INFO]

From D1 Productions

Judging

What are the judges looking for?
Drifting is a sport that is judged similar to ice skating or Snowboarding. Just like any sport, there are criteria to look for. There are minimum requirements to a good drift that everyone must understand such as:

Entry speed-This is part of the criteria that will be met very easily with the use of a radar gun with speed display. Entry speed is one of the most visible aspects that judges will look for because it will determine the other parts of a driver?s drift.

Line clipping-This is another part of drift that the judges will be looking into. The "Clipping" line is often judged by how well the driver take a drive line. The line itself should always involve the vehicle hitting the right apex of a corner. Judges prefer to see a driver take a tight line around a corner, putting the nose of the car as close as possible to the apex of the turn. Getting the back end of the car close to the outside of a turn also demonstrates car control and can score the driver additional points.

Angle and counter steer-Driving angle of the vehicle is the angle of rotation of the vehicle relative to the direction of its travel. Basically this means that the farther the back end of the car comes around (without losing control), the more points a driver would score in this category. Angle also refers to the length of time a drift is maintained as well as the average angle of the vehicle during the turn. This means that getting the back end to come around for a short period of time won?t score the driver many points, even if the angle of rotation was significant. A vehicle that exhibits extreme angles without spinning out will be awarded high points.

Presentation-How a driver puts speed, line and angle the best will score very well with the judges. There is also another factor and that is how the driver presents his or her drift technique. Just like any other form of competition, there will be an individual with a certain spark or energy that makes them stand out during competition. When a competitor puts that extra flare or energy into their run, the judges may pay more attention to the individual. The most universal component of this category is smoke. The more tire smoke generated by a vehicle while drifting the more points a driver will score. This category previously included the driver sticking hands/legs out the window or opening the door in a turn, but D1 now requires windows to be rolled up and prohibits door opening, demonstrating a shift in emphasis to more technical aspects of driving.

How is "Tsuiso" Battle Judged?
"Tsuiso" is the Japanese term for "Twin Battle Drift". This head to head style of drifting is judged by the same principles as a solo round. However, there is a high level of strategy behind it that provides for a competitive level and an awesome show for the spectators. The exact judging of this event is difficult to explain because the judges rely on their many years of track experience and knowledge of the vehicle dynamics when issuing the exact points.

Offensive: Generally the chasing driver has the offensive when in the Twin Battle. An easy analogy is Cowboys at a rodeo competing in the round up or two jet pilots engaged in a dog fight. They chase their prey and do what ever they can to get their target into a dead zone where the prey cannot maneuver from. This same principle is used in the Tsuiso style. Driver use their vehicle and its drift to position into a space that minimizes the running drivers ability to keep a good line while staying in a high speed drift. The chasing driver MUST at all times demonstrate a superior drift in order to A) Keep the pressure on the lead driver B) Steal and block a line that may allow the lead driver a good opportunity for a drift. C) Be awarded a superior number of points If a chasing driver is unable to keep up and maintain pressure on the lead driver this will not be good when the time comes for points to be awarded.

Defensive: When a drive takes the lead in the Tsuiso battle the ideal strategy is to perform a drift a a much higher speed, good line, and a greater angle than the chasing driver. If a lead driver can shake off or intimidate a chasing driver many times the chasing driver will make a mistake when trying to compensate for what seems like erratic actions of the lead car. When a lead driver can pull away with a good angle, following the ideal line while maintaining a controlled drift, the chasing driver has all the pressure to increase performance. The lead driver at this point is winning. Lead drivers many times demonstrate superior skill by suddenly entering a drift at a great angle and going directly to the inside of the corner. TO the following driver it appears as though they will T-bone the lead car so they back down and take measures to avoid the lead car. Many times that will cause the chasing car to loose a great amount of speed and not be able to properly execute the corner in a full drift… or even worst they may spin out or hit the barriers. This is a ideal outcome for the lead driver in Tsuiso battles.

Can anyone be a judge?
No, D1 productions takes pride when it comes to judging an event for two reasons.

1. The judge must have a solid driving background in many forms of motor sports. This is because the judge needs to understand various techniques and skills a driver might bring to the competition. Credibility is everything in sport of drifting especially when the judging can be so subjective.

2. The judge must also keep the energy alive during a competition. Remember, this is a high energy sport and the judges must know how to entertain the spectators as well.

Individuals who are allowed to Judge any D1 event must be approved by D1 Productions. Judges must have a extended background in professional motorsports both on the track and in the garage. As to say their mechanical knowledge must be as sharp as their ability to understand driving techniques and theory. Our judges must be able to listen to a car competing as well as look at it and understand the condition, the performance as well as a multitude of other dynamics involved.


Judging a Drift Event - Presented by Go Drift

Here at Go Drift, we get asked about judging at drift events all the time. Drifting is a subjective sport, true, but there has been a push lately to justify judging decisions with specific numerical judging guidelines for fans and competitors to understand what makes a winning drift.

The finer points of drifting detailed below represent the american approach to judging, which is very similar to what the Japanese judges look for in their competitions. However, the point systems for each of these areas can differ and should not be seen as hard rules for scoring drifting competitions.

Speed/Driving Line
The faster a driver goes through a corner the better. This applies to entry and exit speeds as well as speed maintained through the drift. Although speed guns are not used at drifting competitions, the use of tandem runs makes an advantage in speed more obvious.

Driving line refers to the path the car travels through the corner. Judges prefer to see a driver take a tight line around a corner, putting the nose of the car as close as possible to the apex of the turn. Getting the back end of the car close to the outside of a turn also demonstrates car control and can score the driver addtional points.

Angle
Driving angle of the vehicle is the angle of rotation of the vehicle relative to the direction of its travel. Basically this means that the farther the back end of the car comes around (without losing control), the more points a driver would score in this category. Angle also refers to the length of time a drift is maintained as well as the average angle of the vehicle during the turn. This means that getting the back end to come around for a short period of time won't score the driver many points, even if the angle of rotation was significant.

Showmanship
This is the most subjective area of scoring in drifting events, and it's value relative to the other aspects of drifting varies from judge to judge and competition to competition.

Basically, this category refers to the driving style of each driver but can also include considerations for the vehicle. The judges in D1 are accomplished drivers in their own right and are familiar with all of the vehicles used on the circuit. They are able to use this knowledge to isolate driver skill from handling characteristics of the vehicle when judging events.

The most universal component of this category is smoke. The more tire smoke generated by a vehicle while drifting the more points a driver will score.

This category previously included the driver sticking hands/legs out the window or opening the door in a turn, but D1 now requires windows to be rolled up and prohibits door opening, demonstrating a shift in emphasis to more technical aspects of driving.

Tandem Runs
It is important to discuss tandem runs because the judging changes and tandem runs are used in later rounds to ultimately decide who wins an event.
In tandem runs, each driver of the pair is given a turn at being the lead vehicle. The chase driver must then prove to the judges that he or she is better able to drift by getting as close to the lead driver or better yet passing the lead car in a turn. Conversely, if the lead driver can pull away from the chase driver, he or she can score additional points.

Tandem runs also demonstrate which of the two drivers can perform better under pressure. Drivers often use intimidation to throw off the other driver causing them to lose a drift.

When a driver spins out on a tandem run, he or she loses that run. In case of contact, the driver causing the contact is ruled to have lost the run (usually the chase driver).

By running close together, judges can easily compare the aspects of scoring for solo runs discussed above. Numerical scores aren't as important as judges can simply award a winner based on comparative judgments.

Its important to understand that the concepts discussed in this article are general guidelines for scoring drift events meant to educate the general audience. They do not provide a guarantee of results and should not be used to compare to results from drift competitions. Drifting is still a subjective competition and the judges at an event are the final authority.

This article is currently in the latest issue of the Go Drift newsletter. For more information about Go Drift, please visit www.Godrift.org.

[slideways2004]

so how are the swedish drivers compared to the Japan and the U.S.?

[CJCJCJ]

Samuel Hubinette is Swedish, ask him if he knows