How Chris Smith drifted into drifting
STAR driver Chris Smith says he has always felt at home behind the wheel of a car without grip – which is just as well as he is the current Drift Kings champion.
Chris will be defending his title this year when the first Japfest event moves to a new home at Silverstone next month.
Professional drifting competitions are held worldwide and are judged on elegance and style as much as speed.
He said: “For me, style is more important than speed, though you’re measured on both.
“You know when you’ve got it right as the car feels at home, it feels settled and you can see the wall of smoke that you’re building up as you go along.
“There’s a kind of connection there, you just know when you’ve got it right.”
He went on: “For some people, the feeling of drifting is a bit disconcerting but, for me, it’s very much the other way round.
“Drifting is all about car control, and a controlled drift is a very skillful and difficult thing to master. But when you get it right, it feels great. It does take a lot of practice, though.”
The 27-year-old, from Lichfield, Staffordshire, only started drifting three years ago when he wasn’t getting enough thrills drag racing his Vauxhall Nova.
He bought a BMW E36 and, on his first time out, put it into a wall. After that, things just got better, leading to his Japfest title win last year.
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