Mostly relegated to the video game industry in India, drifting as a spectator sport is gaining traction across the world.
Sanjay Sharma, Head of JK Tyre Motorsports, told Mobility Outlook that this was the right time to bring this sport to the country. “It requires a smaller area to host, is an exciting sight for spectators and allows drivers to be flamboyant while showing off their car control skills,” he elaborated.
The scoring system is spread across three categories: D1, D2 and Open where the differentiation here is done by tyre width. D1’s is 215-255 mm while D2 has a maximum of 205 mm and Open is for everyone to compete. Judges observe the drift line, angle of the vehicle, style and the speed at which drivers balance their rear-wheel drive cars.
The inaugural session had a three-member jury comprising Taniguchi Atsushi from Japan, Tanakorn Lertyaovarit (Thailand) and Alistair Woodham from India. “A lot of people have rear-wheel drive Bimmers and Mercs which will soon run out their 15-year registration period, making them ideal tools for this style of racing,” added Sharma.
The calendar for the championship has not yet been decided by JK but the event will be hosted in other cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru. Also present at the inaugural round was Gaurav Gill, a professional rally driver and promoter of motorsports in the country. He did not compete but reiterated that he would be doing so soon.
The winner of this inaugural competition with 744 points was Sanam Sekhon in two of the three categories in his heavily modified 2JZ Lexus GS 300. His closest rival was Jugraj Singh Bhurjee in a BMW M3 with 476 points.
Representing Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) was Vir Raina, who has been a racer himself. “We are looking forward to drifting being accepted as a sport in the country. This will allow more people to compete in the sport with more rounds and participants,” he said.
As these are largely participant vehicles, considerable technical upgrades are needed to make them drift-worthy. This will include engine power upgrades like a supercharger/turbocharger with intercooler, ECU remaps, cam changes, exhaust changes, etc.
However, the key aspect is driver safety and a concerned Raina said, “The vehicles need to be fixed with roll cages to protect drivers as most of them will be amateurs. There should also be larger runoff distances between the track layout and spectators”.
These changes need to be cost-effective as well since participation could be otherwise affected. The overall outlook for drifting looks quite positive for India going by the cheering from the audience as participants warmed up their tyres doing doughnuts and slithered across the drift circuit.
Organising this competition would need a large and empty parking lot which makes it easier than most racing events. So long as FMSCI keeps the rules just compact enough to be safe — yet not squeezed too hard so as to discourage people from participating — drifting will surely expand and promote motorsport in India.
Also Read