Thanks, glad it can help .

 

Yes--thank you very much EvoCorp! -Chris

 

This thread is sending cold shivers down my spine. I highly recommend one of the numerous drivers education events you can find in Texas. There is one may 7-8 at TWS and many others.
Texas Motorsports Club

 

I also agree with Scottybob on this notion. Unless you know a very large open area with plenty of freedom to advanced driving techniques (like an abandoned parking lot or airport runway or something), it's not really a good idea to practice this on your own on the streets. Yes, people do it, and you read about pros starting out like this, but those are just a few handfuls that became successful. Most aren't that lucky, trust me.

Take it from me, don't start out the same way I did. I am fortunate to not have gotten into a major accident, but I've had "a few" close calls here and there when I first started teaching myself. Unless you have deep pockets and persistance of a cockroach, don't start doing it in a non-guaranteed environment.

If you can save up a little cash and get into an advanced driving school or some driving camp, PLEASE do so. It's in a controlled environment watched by instructors, and if you insist on it, most will even let you use your own Evo. Just check out local car events and shows and ask around. Also try joining a local car club (like Texas Motorsports Club in Texas) that I'm sure can provide you with plenty of info. These days they even have rally drift schools, so it's very much open to you to learn as much as you want.

Good luck to you all .

 

I would also highly discourage the use of the ebrake for a couple reasons. First of all, the e brake is a puny set of shoes on a drum within the rear discs. On hard driving you can cook the shoes to the drum since the brakes are so hot. Secondly, with a viscous lsd (03-04) you're putting a lot of wear on the viscous coupling which is designed to limit speed differences. Eventually you'll cook the goo and lose any locking. I second the driving event recommendation. I've done TWS, Gingerman, and Mid Ohio and each time came away a better driver for it, more careful and conscientious on the road and faster on the track.

 

Good advice there as well. Even though I have mentioned the use of the e-brake for turns, I also mentioned that it should be use for low speeds, mainly for the reason that nsnguyen gave. The e-brake isn't meant to take abuse, so if you abuse it, it will fail on you. If the e-brake is indeed used, professionals only "tap" the e-brake to initiate a loss of traction. Most amateurs make the mistake of trail braking with the e-brake (holding the e-brake too long).

Another reason why you should avoid using the e-brake for drifting, since this thread calls for such a reason, is bad habit. Using the e-brake frequently will make you depend on it more and more to initiate certain slides and tackle corners. Doing it this way will never get you to learn the fundamentals of weight transfer and direct lines of approach.

 

Good points! However, there is no harm in doing both: attending driving schools as well as exchanging driving tips over the forum....in my opinion. Those of us who have little performance driving experience nonetheless probably have enough general life experience to understand the dangers arising from "experimenting" on occupied public streets. Sometimes when posting information one must hope that we recipients will use our common sense.

 

Hear hear, lol! After all, common sense isn't common .

At any rate, anyone willing to drive their car for any reason should know of the dangers and risks. Please drive with discretion, and best of luck!

 

true word!

attanding more events only means you richer than some of us, had more control environments to practice, doesnot really mean you are the best,
even you think so, there is no harm to share some technique with us.

 

i would approach it like this.

brake hard before you turn your steering wheel, keep on the throttle (you could left foot brake or heel toe before you turn to get into a lower gear or be in 2nd gear as you turn in)

then keep your throttle on 15% through the whole way without leaving it off. then when you get to the middle of the turn, start applying throttle pressure.

this will keep you in boost, and give you a smoother transaction in turns without loosing your boost or slowing down.

this also prevents you from understeering or throttle steer to the left on left turns.

But from what you ask, this works for me.

when you feel your oversteer coming on, I would brake hard while off the throttle (jap the brakes) then full throttle all the way through the corners. while you're doing this you want to countersteer but steer quickly toward the oversteering direction while jabbing your brake, then countersteer while on the full throttle...

countersteer really sucks for evos, because if you brake you're off the boost. also, the power distribution is setup like a FWD based AWD car, where you can't have more on the a ss like the STI guys...

but that's my take on this. I don't think if he's getting timed, he's doing a drift. Drifting is slow anyway.

 

A few thoughts:

If you are off the gas and still pushing through a turn (understeering), you entered too fast.

Quite simply, if you want to counteract understeer, you need to increase traction at the front tires, or lessen traction at the rear tires.

If you are understeering, adding throttle will simply transfer weight to the rear tires, increasing their contact patch, and worsen the problem.

Ideally, all of your braking and shifting has been done before you initiate the turn. Braking is most effective in a straight line. Once you initiate your turn, you should be in the proper gear to negotiate the turn; maintain enough throttle to keep your speed. Once you apex, apply throttle as you unwind the wheel.

Trail braking can be an effective but also dangerous technique. It works because when you brake, weight is transfered to the front tires, which increases their contact patch and therefore the amount of traction present to use to turn with. If you chose to trail brake into a corner, your foot should be coming off the brake at the same rate that you are turning into the corner, so that when you have the wheel turned as far as you are going to turn it, you are completely off the brake. Trail braking does let you dive deeper into corners and brake later... but what happens when you plan to trail brake into a corner and then go in way too hot? Nowhere to go but off road...

Another technique that may be helpful (but seem counterintuitive), is to turn less when you understeer. Lets say the wheels are turned at a 45degree angle and you are understeering. Reducing the angle to say 35-40 degrees will allow the front tires to recover some of their traction and allow you to negotiate the turn. If you watch some people at the track you may see them wiggling the steering wheel back and forth through a turn. This technique is what they are doing.... turning-understeer-unturn-recover traction-turning... etc.

A third technique is to lift off the throttle a little during the turn. This can be a dangerous technique as well. I dont mean lift completely off, but just a little. If you need to use this tecnique on the street, you are driving too fast. Lets say you are on a neutral throttle as you come through the turn. You hit your apex and apply throttle as you come out of the turn. Our cars have a tendency to understeer at the limit in this situation. There are two problems here; first of all, the front tires are using up some of their traction trying to turn the car. Also, by accelerating, you are transferring weight to the rear tires, further reducing the traction at the front tires and increasing the traction at the rear. The natural result is understeer. To counteract this, you can lift off the throttle a little bit (10-20 percent?). This will transfer weight back to the front tires and increase the amount of traction they have to turn with. By getting on and off the gas (a little), you can "walk" the car around the turn. Dont lift completely off the throttle, doing so can cause you to lose too much traction at the rear and result in a spin.

Anyway, good luck, drive safe. Track time is probably the best investment you can make! Sorry for the length of my post. I tend to get a bit verbose when I cant sleep and dont have anything else to do!

 

+1! You should check out the Driver's Edge - they host clinics at several different raceways near Austin. I'm going to save up a little $$ and go to one. If you get the chance, I highly recommend you talk to Bill Kim. he's a Driver's Edge instructor, and also works at SoulSpeed off N. Lamar. Very very cool guy and very knowledgable. He's also won a bunch of awards for his fancy-pants driving or some ****. haha Just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

Thank you so much for posting this Dyuyeno! This is the most helpful advice I've read to date! I want to read over it several times and perhaps doing so will generate quesitons. Thanks again!

 

I second the TDE recommendation, back when I lived in Austin I went to a TDE event at TWS and Rick Schwalenberg (who runs the show) made himself my instructor, as it was the first Evo they had seen. I remember when he brought me and a couple friends out on the track during an expert session and he was passing 993 turbos in my evo, imagine the look on that driver's face as he's passed by a red sedan with four helmets in it... pure gold.

 

This depends on your set-up...the car stock requires al sorts of driving compromises..the right bars braces and springs/struts/coilovers (depending on budget) transform the car...Just ask dyuyeno about his car "before and after..."