Drifting

[Greg F]

I understand that, in general, the fastest way around a paved surface is not to slide the car. I also understand that the reverse is true for a loose surface, such as gravel.

Does anyone know why for certain corners on paved tracks, it is better to drift the car through them?

Why does this work for certain corners at Formula Kartways as well?

[StewPiddass]

speaking of which Greg... check this out...

http://members.home.nl/watermulder/Naamloos.WMV

that's talent!

[StewPiddass]

Ok, so driving around in circles in a parking lot is not drifting... that, on a one lane ramp, in the rain, with a guard rail is drifting!!!

[Nissan Racer]

What kind of times have you run at Formula Kartways?
Sliding there is not the best way around, there will always be a bit of slip, mostly because its smooth cement that you are driving on and grip is tough to find. Go out one day in a cold kart on a cold track, or when bad drivers have been on the track and the heat is off line, and see how it affects your lap time. We were there on Wed. (New years eve.) We went out in cold karts and out lap times were a pretty sad 36.7 range. Next time out we were getting down to 34's with the same karts, on our last run we were in the low 33's...not great but much better.
In each case we were sliding less and less. in corners 2 and 3 (the back-to-back hairpins) you need it to slide a bit more than most corners, mostly because you need to keep momentum up, similar to rallying, otherwise the kart bogs. For pretty much the rest of the track, less slip (as long as the car turns in and doesn't tend to understeer on exit) is better.
For that track I like a kart that tends to be pretty loose, then drive it in such a way that you try to keep the back end in control. If you can keep it from sliding, and be smooth about it, you can turn a fast lap. If the kart does not turn in well, then using the brakes to get the back end out may help. If it understeers on exit...you can try to balance it with the throttle.

[Greg F]

Yes Tod, that is some serious drifting indeed!! And they weren't using some cheap car either.:eek:
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I've only done two days with the present configuration at FK, so I'm only doing low 35's. :rolleyes: However, when I was there with the VW guys, who were doing 33's, I was clearly faster in the double-hairpins, by not sliding.

But they were clearly much faster than me by drifting around the right-hander before the last hairpin for the lap. Personally, I think it would be better to not drift around there, but I need more seat time to find the correct, non-drifitng line.:)

[Nissan Racer]

Thats a tricky corner and I'm not sure my line is great through there, though I do carry a fair bit of speed. More and more I try to open up the line and get less slip and I am faster. That last hairpin is tougher for me, but I am going wider and wider on it...the problem is that newbies and non-racers usuall pull horrible lines through there so you either have a case of no heat where the proper line should be, or, if there are others on the track, you get t-boned by some moron who is riding the inside wall of that corner (if he's behind you) or have to avoid them when they stop the kart in the middle of the corner...then turn...then accelerate off again...
Come out on Wed. night...usually some good racing

[ADAM]

it is sometimes faster when "drifting" is used on VERY tight corners where it is used to change the direction of the car quicker than steering inputs could...this would only be seen in rally racing...i am not aware of any road tracks that would have tight enough corners to warrent this type of driving