DRIFT TRACKING
Photo courtesy of Macca Greene
THUMBNAILS OF A FEW FUN DRIFT TRACKS IN THE WORLD.
With the drifting motorsport now being several decades old, it’s safe to say, there’s literally hundreds of amazing drift tracks in the world for drivers to practice and compete at. Each one has its merits - and its pitfalls - and many of them stand out for these unusual qualities.
Over time, we’ll be sharing the inside dets on many tracks. But, right out of the gate, we thought it would be fun to profile a few of the most widely known and popular drift tracks we’ve learned about, along with what we think may be their best (or most challenging) features.
Photo courtesy of Brian Chin
Drifting at Ebisu Circuit
If you’ve followed drifting for any length of time, Ebisu Circuit in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan will likely come to mind when someone asks about famous tracks.
Ebisu is a large complex with seven separate tracks and two skid pad circuits. It was designed and built by famed drift driver Nobushige Kumakubo, and is considered one of the highest regarded drifting tracks in Japan, and beyond.
The most famous drifting section at Ebisu is the Minami (or South Course), which has been used repeatedly for years as the location for the D1 Grand Prix (D1GP) and many other high-profile drifting events.
The Minami course used to be a dirt rally course back in the day that was later converted into a paved drift track. The track is known for it’s very large drift-jump entry, which is one reason why it holds the reputation for being a remarkably challenging and extremely unforgiving drift track.
Photo courtesy of Reddit
Drifting Suspense On The C Course At Meihan Sports Land.
Meihan Sports Land is a popular racing circuit in Yamazoe Village, which is part of the Yamabe District in the Nara prefecture of Japan. It’s in a rural mountainous area, approximately 45 minutes east of Nara.
Much like Ebisu, this racing complex has a series of tracks, each distinguished by letters of the alphabet. The C and E Courses are the two circuits most often used for drifting, with the C Course offering some of the most challenging and merciless driving dynamics in the world.
In one section of the C Course, drivers speed insanely fast down the right side of a straight toward a hairpin turn. The left side of the straight is lined by a concrete wall and this is where a reverse-entry drift gets initiated just before the car enters into the turn. At this point, speed has to be continually scrubbed to get around the inside corner, then at the last second, the clutch is dropped and the power is thrown down again to keep the car from sliding into the wall bordering the rest of the turn. It can be easy to lose control if speed isn’t carefully scrubbed and the correct angle isn’t maintained.
The danger of this course is one reason Meihan has become infamous to those inside the drift world. And, if you’ve never seen the utter coolness of a drift train, check out the end of this Animal Style vid on YouTube.
Photo courtesy of Macca Greene
Fun At Archerfield Drift Park
Archerfield Speedway is fondly referred to by Aussies as ‘Archy’ and it’s known in the amateur circuit as Australia’s ‘grassroots drift haven’. Although it’s a short track, it still packs a punch, and it’s known to be one of the most preferred tracks by the up-and-comers down under.
As Macca Greene explains in a 2018 Speedhunters article, “Under the direction of Australian professional drifter Luke Fink, ‘Archy’ has undergone significant development and improvement since he took on the circuit lease early 2017. With close to $100,000 invested in just the last year to bring it in line with both his high expectations as well as that of the greater drift community, the track has been widened, extended and expanded. It now even has a Nikko-inspired drop through one of the corners.”
According to Greene, who is also an accomplished drifting and motorsports photographer, one of the track’s most distinctive characteristics is how friendly the layout is for spectators. This is a trait that has never been compromised, even as the track has been expanded. “Every single section of this track is visible from anywhere you may choose to spectate from. For better or for worse, nothing gets missed at Archy,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Larry Chen
The Streets of Long Beach
A staple on the annual Formula Drift circuit, the layout of the Long Beach drift track has one of the most unique configurations for drivers and their fans. Thereby, also providing one of the most exhilarating experiences for all concerned.
The track is set up along turns 9 and 11 of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach raceway and the entire drift course is enclosed by walls. The drivers start inside a tunnel, where the rest of the course is blind to them, and their thunderous cars can only be heard by spectators around the bend anxiously awaiting their appearance.
Markers on the side of the initial straight away are used by the drivers to determine the best moment to initiate into the drift, that frankly, seems to last forever but is actually over in only a few heartbeats.
Once outside the tunnel, both sides of the track are lined with stands of fans, all cheering wildly as they watch the drivers transition over and over until they reach the final touch and go leading precariously into an uber-tight, right-handed hairpin turn at the end of the course.
The difficulty of this track is only matched by the sheer determination of the drivers, who always show up at the first event of the pro season with exceptional moxie and skill. In fact, this track has reaped some of the best qualifying scores ever awarded at an FD event.
Needless to say, The Streets of Long Beach will always be a fan (and driver) favorite!
Stay Tuned For More Drift Tracking.
As you can see, we only had time to profile a few of the awesome tracks used by drifters across the globe. Be on the lookout for more articles about the tracks and teams that make it all happen in future issues of Drift Enthusiast. Please also take a minute to subscribe, so you’re in our queue for our announcements and new editions as they roll out. You can also get on board with the DriftEM community by following us @driftenthusiasmag. Thanks for your support!
