I wonder if you know how they live in Tokyo?
I went for a drifting course courtesy of Rexona last Sunday. My entry snagged the first prize so I woke up bright and early to drive to Bangsar. I had to meet PPC and Kalai (who was there on Official Business (TM)) before tailgating them to the venue coz I wasn’t familiar with that area (it’s about 45 minutes away).
The full day car drifting course was held at MAEPS in Serdang and I arrived just in time to see Tina and Carmen working on one of the cars that was provided. I took Tina’s car (coz my car’s suspension is too fucked up for that kind of driving) for the drifting session, which I inadvertently overheated. >.< I guess I can’t do the same things I do in my driftcompany online games that I play in preparation to these drifts.
The first part of the session (AM) started with a briefing by Sean and was more about defensive driving and emergency maneuvers. We also did a slalom course with traffic cones as obstructions. I was a little apprehensive about running down the instructors since some of them had the appalling tendency of standing in the middle. My driving history is not exactly pristine. 😉
I used my car for one exercise though; coz I figured it would be useful considering the unusual amount of accidents I’ve been through. This is the first part – it involves driving at high speed towards a cone barrier (without prepping yourself by letting go of the gas or brake anticipation) and jam the brakes after the last cone while swerving to avoid the barrier into the side lane before moving back into the center.
Joe-Han was instructing me most of the time. I like the guy, and he can drift something awesome! The basics were covered in the morning and we had a one hour lunch break at the nearby (which is 15 minutes away) mamak before the afternoon session.
The afternoon (PM) session is the drifting course and the rain during lunch caused the track to be a little bit slippery, but it was a lot of fun. It was really hard to drift with a car that I’m not very familiar with, and most of the time, I didn’t make it at all. However, I managed to drift once without losing control and I was really pleased about that.
Next up is the various methods you can use to do doughnuts. Watched Fast and Furious 3: Tokyo Drift? It’s the technique where one car goes around the other car in a circular motion, using understeer (or izzit oversteer?).
There are three methods to do that and the easiest is the e-brake method followed by the clutch pop, and I managed to somewhat perfect the technique with Tina’s car. It kinda overheated after that though, and I was told that I’m very “persistent” as in I go all out and wouldn’t quit until I have it right. I know…its part of my personality. 😉
Things I learned:
Always steer to the left while avoiding a probable collision – this is so you don’t run into incoming traffic.
The 9-3 position is the best way to drive long distance coz your heart won’t have to work as hard to pump blood to your extremities.
Do not drive with your thumb(s) inside the steering wheel; you’ll break them in a collision.
Push and pull with your hands mirroring each other when you drive. Don’t cross over coz if the airbags deploy on impact, the force will drive your arms towards your face, a Very Bad Thing (TM) if you like how you look. 😉
Other interesting things about Tina’s car:
She has this really nifty e-brake which doesn’t engage per se when you pull it (it goes back down) but it works for drifting, perfect for rally driving.
I sure hope Tina doesn’t see this but since I added her on FB I seriously doubt it. I was having a rather crude discussion on MSN with a friend and the gist of it is replicated here:
trust me
when she’s drifting
fu yoh
damn
i nearly jizzed my pants
Tina, it’s a compliment! Racer chicks are hot. 😉
I got a cert for…er, Advanced Course Driving. I’m not sure I deserve it, so don’t look at me weird the next time I get into an accident. :p
How much is the course?
good luck bro…
Even though it was really interesting to watch but i was there sunbathing from 9-5pm :S you owe me 1!
While you’re having fun on the road, I had mine in the river lol.
The course seems interesting, i wanna learn too
i just love the sound and the scene of drifting, its so so wicked and totally cool. and i know that its extremely hard to master it as it needs combination of gear and brakes control.
TOLANIC: I’m not too sure myself, I won this one from the Rexona contest. 🙂
Cweelee: Cheers buddy! 🙂
pinkporkchop: Sunbathing is good! 😉
Okay, I owe you more than one. Thanks for staying to teman me. 🙂
Simon Seow: Yeah, I heard about that. 🙂
Jan: I’m not sure if it’s a regular thing though…will ask Tina. 🙂
cindy khor: Yeah, it easy to go into an uncontrolled spin if you’re not familiar…have to possess a certain amount of skill. 🙂
Did you leave the jizz’ed’ on purpose?
Looks like fun. But i think you’ll need a safety driving course more! Lol..
crappy booze: Yeah, it’s a reference to the Jizz In My Pants music video. 😉
eiling: The first part of the course is about driving safe. 🙂
so jealous!! I’d love to have a drifting course!
KY: Yeah, it was a lot of fun! 🙂
Ha ha! Finally some training! Maybe from now onwards, I’ll see less accidents with your Vios on sixthseal.com! More chicks tho, HEH!
Marlboro Guy: Haha! I wish. I’m using the push-pull method to drive now, takes some getting used to since I usually drive with one hand (coz I smoke).
Less accidents? I hope so too buddy. 🙂
Tokyo drift!!! Hihi^^ Cool.. Even more cool if with sport car.. 😉
Shirley Snow: You know, I am a bit tempted to get a Mitsu Evo. I would be able to afford the installments if I don’t spend so much…but alas, my spending habits do not allow it. :S
haha hmmm now that u said it, hell yeaa, you definately owe me more than one 😛 i shall start thinking what i want…hehe
pinkporkchop: Heh! Of course. Thanks for being with me till the end. 🙂
Things i have learned. Thanks for the laugh, HB. Except fot driving on different sides of the road, ( damn, dude, you all got it wrong- just kidding) I think everybody is pretty much the same. When you say “drift” do you mean about to go airborne? I am glad you nice time, HB. Personally, I hate it when I am not driving, my self. Talk about tense, I can usually open a two liter botle of soda with my ass !! I guess I gotta get over that. God bless, tom
At the risk of offending A bunch of persons, I will add this: 9-3 is ok, but in summer time, always maintain one hand 3 ( or 9, dependng on where you are driving) so you can give the finger to other drivers. Do not drive with your thumb(s) inside the steering wheel; nor up you ass, or clutching a cell phone. ( I was passed, while doing 75 mph, with a car load of family, ( 5) by a bunch of young persons going 85, the driver talking on her cell. I’d a Killed her, but more so her parents, for endangering MY Family, If I would have caught them. Also, Don’t be picking your nose while driving. Hey common, nobody wants to see that, its not a freaking elevator ya know. plus if the air bags deploy, You want that on your death certificate? Death by a finger jammed into the brain? I guess the last thing is to ease off. Some persons tell me I drive like old people fuck. Actually i drive 9 mph over the posted speed limiit. Any thing over that, around here, will set of the radar on cop cars. Thats ok. MY insurance rates are pretty good. tom
sorry for the preacheness, Hb. I think the thing was “wonder If you know how they live in Tokyo”. I have never been there, but a cousin and his wife and kids, live there, and my sister went to visit. She just said it was rather close quarters for persons not used to crowded conditions. ( we- well a bunch of us- live in NC, US) But she loved it there, and the people.But I,Myself would not live there if could help it. That is not a down thing. I have lived in Sacremento Ca, San Antonio Tx, Atlanta, Charleston and visited London, Rio, and other places. I would not live in LA or NYC, or for that matter Paris, or KL. I just dont like big cities. I have friends in India, but also cousins in Packistan. I want to visit Isreal and NZ. What a waste, we are always fighting. But I still keep some loaded guns in my bedroom night stand. Trust, but verify. old habits die hard, i reackon. But What a nice thing, that there are 13 or 14 persons on the space station, right now. Mayhap, some day the human race will quit this junk, But I would not hold my breath. Change comes slowly. I am not a fan of Darwin, but I will admit that. Tom
tom r: Drifting is big in Japan (sounds like a song) and it basically involves oversteering (or understeering) to go around a corner at an eclipse, producing a distinctive sound. It can get you through corners faster than just hugging the road. I can’t explain it too well coz I’m not very knowledgable about cars. You and I both are more of experts in the pharmalogical and chemical world. 😉
great stuff, why not check out my driving lessons information website…www.adidrivinglessons.com
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