1. What is drifting?
Drifting is a driving technique in which a driver breaks the
rear wheels out of a gripping position and counter-steers the vehicle around a
course or track.
Formula drifting
is
when you drift according to a line designated by a panel of judges, through a
marked course. The line is the best drifting path according to the judges as it
provides the highest speed and angle the car is capable of handling.
2. How do they qualify?
32 drivers can qualify and qualifying is in a knockout format. The drivers complete
one run on the track in order of their current rank in the Championship. The
top 16 divers are placed in the tandem bracket by qualifying rank. The bottom
16 spots are filled by the rest of the field completing a second run. The
higher of the two scores is the score the driver keeps and the remaining 16
spots are filled accordingly.
Qualifying scoring is done by three judges who
are assigned to three criterions: Line, Angle,
and Style. The maximum possible score is 100 points. Points are allotted as followed:
Line Judge: maximum of 25 points + up to 5 Style
points = max of 30 points
Angle Judge: maximum of 25 points + up to 5 Style
points = max of 30 points
Style Judge: maximum of 30 points
3. What is the format?
After qualifying the 32 drivers are paired in a
bracket according to Championship rank and qualifying round points and compete
in tandem elimination rounds.
The tandem elimination rounds consist of two runs
in head-to-head format. There is a Lead
car and a Chase car. The lead
car must drift the course according to the speed, line, angle, and style as
defined by the judges. The chase car must drift according to the lead car.
4. How are they judged?
There is a panel composed of three judges: Andy Yen, Ryan
Lanteigne, and Brian Eggert. The judges look at four criteria when judging:
Speed (measured at specific points)
Angle (the maximum drift angle the driver can maintain
and control their vehicle on the course)
Line (how close are they to drifting the ideal
line/path)
Style/Impact (the driver’s flair. how they exhibit their
personal driving style)
5. How do they win?
The
three judges observe both runs during the tandem elimination round. No scores
are declared between the two runs. After the two runs, the judges select from
three options:
- Driver
“A” wins
- Driver
“B” wins
- “One
More Time”
The
majority will rule and the winner is decided. If there is no clear majority a
“One More Time” will be granted and another 2 run head-to-head begins. Multiple
“One More Times” may be needed to determine the winner. The remaining driver from the tandem elimination bracket of 32 is the
winner.
6. How do I come watch?
Formula Drift Championship Round 3 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Friday May 30: 12:00pm
Saturday May 31: 7:00pm
>> Tickets will be available day of the event or
