Can't drive yet? Here's what you should do to gain experience.

[malcolm]

There are MANY people on here who don't drift. Too young, too poor, not enough time to spend working on a car, or a combination of these and more... Well, there's an alternative to making assumptions and trying to learn from videos and watching other people.

The secret is indoor karting. DON'T go to those silly outdoor ones where the karts have 1 bhp, and go slower than a 90 year-old using a cane. Indoor karting facilities have faster karts, with relatively slippery surfaces, so you can learn how to control the kart. Look at almost every F1, Le Mans, Champ Car and IRL driver. 99% of them started in karts. If the best racing drivers in the world started in karts, and people say the Japanese are better drifters because of their racing experience, then it should be obvious that if you want to start improving your technique, but don't have the budget for a car, then go to an indoor karting facility. Why not get that elusive racing experience before you can even step into a car? Learn the basics, and it will be a lot easier when you go out on a track in a car for the first time...

You can learn an incredible amount for a minimal price. Also, when the learning curve is the steepest (ie. when you are most likely to crash), you are in a kart that has less than a 1% chance of getting damaged in an accident. It's well known that when karts spin, they usually stop before they leave the track, let alone hit anything. Some of these places even have electronic timing, so you can go experiment with lines, and see what effects it has. Learn how to make the kart do what you want it to do. In this case, it will be making it go fast. When you can make the car or kart do what you want it to do, then it doesn't matter if you are racing, doing a time attack, or drifting. If you want the car to go fast, you can make it go fast. If you want to drift, you can make the car drift. You just need to learn the basics, and karting will provide you with that opportunity.

Stop complaining that you can't do anything because you're only 15, or that you can't afford a car. Get a job flipping burgers, and that will more than cover your rental-karting expenses. Then get your a** out of your computer chair and into a kart, and start learning.

[iownju]

this is a very true thing. Karts in indoor buildings are very fast, and depending on your age, they probably have 2 different sets, some of the younger kids and some for the adults. I go to andretti speed labs and that place has some good karts, and if you go late at night, like around ( there is no one on the track, so you can get out there and play around a little bit. But this is a great way to learn because you are in theroy drivigna real race car and all the same principles exisit, go to fast in a corner and youll spin out, etc.

So i would consider going to one of these places to do some learning. its also a work out and very fun

[rage2]

Agreed! But you should clarify that karts are a good way to learn finding the limits of adhesion and driving at the limits. They're way too twitchy and too little throttle response to learn how to drift with.

But the experience in learning car control definately helps in drifting, especially the quick thinking reactions needed to recover from oversteer in a kart. Learn to walk before you learn to run.

Shifter karts, a totally different beast. You'll learn a LOT more that will apply to drifting with these bad boys.

[Parry]

I don't know how many times I have told kiddies to get into karts.

I will be rocking them this winter myself

[SidewaysGts]

Outdoor tracks suck?? man u must have some bad outdoor tracks.. even the pros u brought up mostly learned on outdoor tracks as children didnt they?

Anyways i fully agree with everything else. One of the biggest things you can learn while doing kart racing is line taking.

Its aweful seeing these peopl go right into drifting, their line is just crap.

Te charecteristics of a kart and car are as different as it comes, but the learning experience is well worth it.

[malcolm]

****Outdoor rental karts suck, for the most part. I was referring to the outdoor facilities that don't have any actual racing on them, and are too small for anything but those underpowered kiddie-karts.

actual racing karts are an exception. I did five years of karting, all on outdoor circuits, in events ranging from local kart club events to North American Championship events. It gave me a lot of experience, and taught me a lot. However, it does get quite expensive to compete at the sharp end of the field, so that's why I didn't recommend it for those who have low budgets.

[SidewaysGts]

^--Good points

Ive only done it a few times myself before i got my 86, but i find some of the most important things you can learn by carting is control, proper line, and patience. Know how and when to pass is very important... Most everything else was a little extra though, as the charecteristics of a gokart and car are so different. Acceleration, breaking point, traction loss, handling, time to stop... all in a class of its own.

[sukimoto]

electric karts, or gas? or does it not matter? we have a lot of tracks by where i live.

[malcolm]

anything that has enough power that you can be right at the limit of traction for almost all of the corners... I have never driven electric karts, but I am sure there's some quick ones. A good indicator is if you're fatigued at the end of a session. If you're not, then the karts are too slow (or you're in damn good shape, one of the two)

[sukimoto]

there are some electrics around here, and we can get the traction to break pretty easily, but usually they have to run them pretty slow because of little *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored*ing kids, we were on like the third speed setting once and my friend spun out right into an 8 year old, and after that we had to run them too slow to do anything.

[JackyAtVivid]

what a coincidence. i was planning on going carting tonight with my buddies. it will be my first time so hopefully i will learn something and get some experience.

thanks

[rakeron]

Heh, this sounds cool. Always thought karting was for kids though until I saw on Raceway Park's website that adults can participate as well. Unfortunately it doesn't say anything on the website about renting a cart, only competition info. Does anyone know if Raceway Park in NJ has rental karts for non-competition races between friends during the weekdays?

[UberSpeed]

Originally posted by Initial_X
IF U HAVE NO MONEY OR SKILL DO THE FOLLOWING:

You can do if you are around 14-15 like me is ask ur parents if you can borrow their car if it is a stick and have them take you to a parking lot in a remote area (cops) and just practice driving with the manual and if i can handle it after a while try drifting.

Try the video made by drift king heard it was good

Um...what idiot parent would let their kid throw the car around, ruining the tires, hurting the parking break, and wasting time. What parent would care about their kid learning how to drift? I mean, its good to learn how to drive a stick and all, but when ur 15 you can just get a learners permit, and learn to drive it anyways on regular streets. And when you're 14, ya just go out to the farmland in your state and drive if your parents allow. Its legal in Minnesota at least.

[Wickdmarz]

Hehe...Well Karting is awesome inside/outside tracks whatever. Get something with some speed, check out dromo1.com for indoors and Storm Karting at Irwindale Speedway for outdoor. Storm has faster karts I think and 12 bucks a race, but you need a liscense or at least parent premission. Karting helps with learning the racing line and race "drift" corners correctly, its takes a little getting used too but its fun. So check it out if you can!

[RipOff]

You're a very angry young man... so do you guys have "rest areas" along the highways? In New Zealand you basicly go drifting there... they have quite a lot of rally type tracks... hehe and events like rally of New Zealand go down them as well!!

So I was wondering dont you guys have like rest ares or areas along highways for people to stop?