If you have any interest in motor sports at all, you will surely have heard of stock car racing. The term 'stock car' simply refers to the fact that the cars used to be stock items at local garages. Therefore, stock car racing includes NASCAR and dirt track racing. These are the most widespread forms of stock car racing, but there is another that is far less well-known. It is called Formula D or Formula Drifting
Many people imagine that because Formula D uses similar cars to the other stock car races, then Formula D is a form of racing cars too. Even though these sports do have certain things in common besides the kinds of cars they use, they are in fact quite different. however, they do all come under the heading of motor sports or auto sports.
In the majority of motor sports, the car's ability to go fast and the driver's talent to encourage it to go fast are what are the most important considerations in winning a race. However, in Formula D or Formula Drifting, it is the driver's ability to control a skid or a drift which is the most important, although the cars can be really awesome beasts as well at between 200 and 600 bhp.
Drifting and stock car racing normally take place at different types of locations too. Stock car racing nearly always takes place in a stadium, racing around a track. Formula Drifting often takes place on asphalt, but sometimes on dirt as well, but it can also take place in a parking lot or a deserted street. If Drifters use a stadium they are unlikely to use the full length of the track.
The winning driver in conventional stock car races is the one who passes over the finishing line in the quickest time. This is not the same in Formula D as there is no finishing line as such. Drifters are judged on their ability to drift or skid and their ability to control that drift. They have to accomplish it at speed and stay on the 'track' too.
This means that a drifter has to have a very high level of control over his vehicle, just like any other racing driver, but the set of skills is slightly different. All drivers have to be able to control the occasional skid, particularly the accidental ones, but drifters have to be able to do it with style and panache.
The only stumbling block from the spectators' point of view is that Formula Drifting meetings are fairly infrequent when compared with stock car competitions. This is a pity because Formula Drifting is an exciting motor sport to watch, and you can see world professional champions in action for a fraction of the cost of watching stock car racing.
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Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on many topics, but is at present concerned with thinking about the
Poconos International Raceway in Pennsylvania. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at
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