Is This What Drifting Needs In Order To Progress?

I think it was Henry Ford who first said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” He was pretty much on the money I’d say. Sometimes change is needed in order to facilitate progression, but it almost always brings with it at least some controversy.

If you think about it, the tried and tested formula of competition drifting is pretty much the same world-over. What’s more, it hasn’t really changed much since its inception, despite the sport coming on leaps and bounds.

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In order to operate as viable businesses, drift competitions have had to change their approach over time, not only to attract fans, but also to appeal to sponsors and the essential financial backing that they bring, motorsport authorities and the power of being recognised officially and, of course, drivers – because without them, there is no competition. It’s a delicate balancing act, and you aren’t going to please everyone all of the time, it’s simply not possible. Actions taken to appease sponsors might end up wearing thin on the fans and turning them away. Decisions made to keep governing bodies on side could prove costly, or prohibitive for the drivers.

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Changes in safety regulations, how events are run, judging criteria – every little alteration to what we’ve become accustomed to as ‘the norm’ in competitive drifting is almost always met with resistance from one or more angles. Running a successful series is an unenviable task, because through all of the hoops you have to jump through, hurdles that you have to overcome and different parties that you have to keep happy, your ultimate aim is to make the series and, on a larger scale, the sport grow as much as possible. I think a lot of people forget that.

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The Drift Allstars series, which runs large-scale competition events across Europe, recently put forward to its driver base (albeit not publicly, yet) an upcoming change to its rulebook which struck me as a bold move. It was certainly one that made me contemplate the different reactions that it would have across the many facets of the competition. As of the upcoming 2016 season, the proposal is that cars made in 1996 or earlier are to be phased out of the Drift Allstars rulebook. It doesn’t matter if production of said chassis continued on past 1996 – if your specific car was built before then, it won’t be allowed in the competition. The change is to be brought in gradually, so that next season the series will allow one-time or part-season entries in pre-1996 chassis, but no full-season campaigns.

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As of 2017, all pre-1996 cars are to be ruled out. When you consider that the vast majority of cars used in competitive drifting around the world fall into this bracket, I’d say that’s a fairly ballsy move. Most S13s would be out ruled (with the exception of some late model, Japan-sourced 180sx Type X), as would any S14 zenki chassis, regardless of whether you undertook a full kouki conversion. The beloved AE86, a chassis many accredit to the foundation of drift culture, would be long regulated to the annals of competitive drift history. Granted, they are becoming more and more coveted world-over so fewer are used in competition, but consider purpose-built race-spec machines, such as the Driftworks DW86. Although that essentially only remains an AE86 in exterior aesthetics, it doesn’t matter, it would no longer be allowed.

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The ramifications for any driver currently running in, or contemplating entering the series are huge. If you currently run a pre-1996 chassis, and had no plans to change it, then you won’t be able to compete. Ultimately, newer chassis cost more money to build and maintain too. Parts are trickier and more costly to source, modifications often need to be bespoke rather than off-the-shelf, adding to the cost and time involved in preparing the build. Not to mention the inevitable repairs that will be required throughout the year. Many drivers operate on the absolute limits of their budget already, so this represents a curveball of massive proportions. In a sport which, let’s be honest, is highly unlikely make you rich any time soon, it’s a lot to consider. But maybe that’s the whole point, sometimes you really do need to speculate to accumulate.

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If drifting in Europe is ever going to grow to reach the levels of say, Formula Drift in the US, then there needs to be some form of change. Making any kind of income from drifting in Europe is incredibly tricky at present, gaining worthwhile sponsorship just as difficult – only a very small handful do so. The majority are either selling themselves short, or making promises that they can’t fulfil. Wouldn’t we like to see this all change? A rule to implement newer, better-built chassis has the potential to bring about an increased interest from more prominent sponsors with bigger budgets. It could even open the door for manufacturer factory backing, something that hasn’t really happened to any extent in Europe yet. As demonstrated by the likes of Mad Mike Whiddett, Fredric Aasbø and Vaughn Gittin Jr., there’s a huge market open to manufacturers when it comes to competition drifting. Here you have a fresh and exciting, young sport that appeals to a very specific demographic who enjoy spending their money on their cars. Drivers investing in their campaign and using newer chassis that stand out from the rest could be in good stead to attract these big-name backers, certainly compared to someone sliding around in a tired ’80s or ’90s sports coupé.

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The automotive customisation industry would undoubtedly benefit too; with more drivers running newer and more diverse chassis there would be an increased demand for off-the-shelf tuning parts. This, in-turn, would lead to more choice and better aftermarket products for these chassis for the drivers and the rest of us. The S13/S14 chassis is a prime example. If you want a set of suspension arms for your ’90s Nissan chassis, then not only are there endless applications for suit any number of needs, but there’s something for every budget too. Demand brings about research and development, which in turn leads to choice.

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Furthermore, the fans would undoubtably benefit from the increased spectacle. No matter how much of a hardcore grass-roots drift fan you are, it’s infinitely more enjoyable to watch high-powered, purpose-built shiny and fresh automobiles sliding inches from each other than revamped and reworked 25-plus-year-old Nissans and Toyotas. Sure, manufacturers don’t make the types of cars that they used to; the heyday of the powerful rear-wheel drive sports coupé was pretty much done and dusted by the year 2000. However, there are still countless options if you’re building a drift car from the ground up.

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As an extreme example, take Daigo Saito’s R35, or his crazy Lamborghini Murciélago. Youichi Imamura’s Lexus LFA springs to mind too. The Internet went into meltdown for these builds and they received a ridiculous amount of media attention – a sponsor’s dream. It’s been a long time since seeing two cars sliding inches apart has stopped me in my tracks, but holy sh*t, seeing two supercars drifting at the recent D1 Grand Prix final in Odaiba did it! There is, without a doubt, a desire for more high-end machines in drifting.

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Is something needed to shake up drifting in order to attract new fans and a higher level of sponsor to the sport in Europe? I say yes, definitely, without a doubt. Is this the right move? Despite all the theoretical benefits, I’m not fully convinced yet. The biggest stumbling block is initiating a shift in perspective that more investment in the sport could attract more investors, but it is going to price some very good drivers out of the sport. As with any major change there are numerous considerations from various angles to take into account. It all comes down to that fine balancing act.

What are your thoughts?

Jordan Butters
Instagram: jordanbutters
jordan@speedhunters.com

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1

i always loved drift allstars because it was the only "big" series which wasn't ruined by stupid rules, and then they go and decides to implement the stupidest rule i've ever heard of. if they really decide to do this then the series is totally ruined for me :(

2

Stupidest rule I've ever heard. Taking the variety out of drifting.
What's more stupid is you can be sure most of these 'modern' chassis will be running old engines anyhow, non-vvti JZs etc from the early 90s.

3

BMW Allstars! With guest appearances from the occasional GT86....

4

Suddenly BMW's everywhere

5

J45ON Not forgetting Supras, S14s, S15s, E9X BMWs, JZX100 onwards, late 180sx, 350z, 370z, s2000, mid-to-late JZZ30, mid-to-late R33, R34, R35, mid-to-late FD3s, NB and NC MX5. There's actually more choice than you'd get with a lot of race series when you list it out. That's not even including all the BMW permutations and muscle/American options.

6

Bizzare rule, and really kills for me the freedom and no limits that partaking in drifting was. It now makes it even more about money. Drifting was the the only other motorsport, apart from drag that you could see say an e30 beat an r35 or an ae86 beat an s15. This David vs golaith wide palete of vehicles is what I, and obviously so many other people loved because they are so many of 'those types of cars' competing. If this rule comes in,which it sounds like it is, I will have little or no more interest in drift-allstars, which was my favorite series up to now.
I completely disagree with all your justification arguments for this rule. You have instantly now towed the line that all pre 96 cars are 'tired old clapped out, reworked coupes'. so what, a January 96 car is a concours and enginnering masterpiece in comparison. I am very suspiousious that this apparently random year is because the current champion car is a 97
And no, I am a hardcore grassroots drift fan, and '2 new cars sliding inches from each other' is not infinitely more enjoyable, it is infinitely less enjoyable! If I want to see new cars racing I watch any touring car championship in the world.
'newer' is the mindset of mass consumerism.
Drifting(and drag) is the last place that newer didn't matter, but the far purer ability of engineering and then driving skill was the importance.
Will this really appeal to a wider and bigger audience? There is currently about a 30 year spread of vehicle age in the sport. Does the average fan really not want to see the older cars?
Are they offended or something that an 'old' model can beat a 'new' model. From my observations it is the contrary. Even the most light hearted event attendee got up that morning and went to a drift event because they have some automotive interest, and then enjoys seeing the many types of vehicle that they inevitably know. In my years of drifting I have never heard someone say, 'look at that crappy old 93 m3 that beat that lovely new 2011 lexus'. ( struggled there to even come up with a post 05 example)
Of all the ideas and refinements that could be made to continue to improve and develop drifting, this is not one of them, because it was not a problem

7

@teddybeaver A lot of drivers in Europe are shifting over to LS motors now. I can't see that trend dying down.

8

skunkworkssr71 You appear to have quoted me on something that i didn't write.

9

Jordan_Butters J45ON Yea, but they're expensive, and parts are not as common. Especially for anything American. R33's wouldn't count as they were made before 1996. Same with FD's You could turn up with a 2000 FD and it couldn't compete because the chassis was in production before the cut off date. Same applies to the Supra.

10

J45ON Second gen R33 ran from 1996 to 1998. FD3s were made until 2002. The rule is, to my understanding, that the chassis date of the car in question is the one that they run off, not when that chassis production started. So if you have a 1997 FD, you're all good.

11

So people have to prove via chassis numbers or something their S13/S14/RX7 etc etc is a post 96 one rather than pre 96, despite to anyone watching it makes no difference?

Not like I agree with the rule, but it'd make more sense, if you trying to just push 'new' cars, to just not allow models first made before the cut off date no matter how late they were made.

12

Jordan_Butters J45ON Ahhh i see, i had it that if that chassis was produced before 1996, then that was the car out. I still think this will have a detrimental effect to the number though, as the reason these cars are so popular is the cheap initial purchase and the plethora of aftermarket parts already available which helps the keep the initial costs down.
I can see a lot of people taking they're perfectly good car somewhere else, as making small changes to fit another set of regulations will be much cheaper than building a new chassis from scratch.

13

@teddybeaver The rule has to have a cut off, it's inevitable that some production runs will be cut I guess.
There's still time so maybe the rule will be amended before it's implemented – it would certainly make more sense to me that if the cut off interrupts a certain chassis production, say the FD3S, then that chassis should be allowed – like you say, the fans know no different.

14

I totally understand the rulemakers mindset, yet I disagree. Drifting is an very expensive sport, so why make it even more expensive? Maybe seperate divisions like in Formula D would be a better option. But then, a class with big money and one more towards grassroots and lower budgets. Don't exclude drivers, just stimulate newer cars instead. Then the sponsers will come for the higher class, where the drifters with a lower budget can still compete. And for the audience it's the best of both worlds. More cars and more smoke!

15

jordanbutters ballsy to say the least

16

jimmydrama1 I'm so on the fence I've got serious splinters right now.

17

Less BMW e36's... I'm in.

18

jordanbutters I'm all for development of purpose built drift cars but to lose the likes of driftworks AE would be such a shame - gd debate

19

I have described your article by the impression it made on me. But here, I will root out the exact quotes that formed this impression:
'a rule to implement newer, better built chassis' why does newer mean better built?
'sliding around in a tired 80s or 90s sports coupe'
'no matter how much of a hardcore grassroots drift fan you are, its infinitely more enjoyable to watch high powered, purpose built shiny and fresh automobiles sliding inches from each other than revamped and reworked 25 plus year old nissans and toyotas'
Please don't turn this into an exact quote tit for tat. These are the parts of your article that formed my vision of your opinion, And I countered this by quiet closely addressing these parts.

20

I_AM_DAVE_COX and replace them with E46's...

21

Great drifting will end up like wrc and formula one, a sponsors dream and a spectators and drivers nightmare, Nothing but little rich faggots showing off who can spend the most money,
                                            The reason drifting got big so quick is because it was within reach of a normal human that could actually drive, I hope none of the rest of the series are going follow this ridiculous rule and I hope drift allstars ends up in the bin over it.. Trying to make a judged sport too big will end in disaster, manufacturers need solid proof like lap times that their car is better than the next not what some dopes in a tower think is best or who they know the best, Drifting is drivers having fun, people need to stop trying to cash in so much on that, we dont need manufacturers sponsorships as that will ruin it.. No manufacturer is going to want any of the mental engine swaps we have now, It,ll end up like group b and we,ll all be sitting around remembering when drifting was proper. But at least the fans get to look at a few water damaged supercars with the wrong engines in em skidding around, slowly.

22

While I can understand why they might introduce a rule like this, I can't say that I am in agreement with it. It is going to be a struggle for many drivers who would like to continue to compete in the series, especially those who don't have an unlimited budget. If I were a driver and I had to scramble to build a competitive car with a low budget, I would be really bummed out knowing that a more competitive car could have been built had a different chassis been acceptable to base a build on. Many components which are absolutely necessary for a competitive build are simply unattainable for many drivers because they have not been available for long enough for the cost to decrease. That is a huge part of why the 240sx is such a fantastic car to use in the drift world, having so many years of R&D as well as multiple manufacturers competing with one another results in high quality components being available at a lower cost.
Does the 1996 rule also apply to the engines that are swapped in to the car? Maybe the reason for the change is to require all cars to have an OBD2 port available, so that a system like the "Drift Box" used in D1GP can be implemented.. I am a huge fan of the drift all stars series and that would truly bum me out.

23

skunkworkssr71 You picked parts of those quotes to form a new quote, which made it sound like I implied that all pre-96 cards were junk, I did not – I countered this elsewhere too. Regardless, some of the above are indeed exaggerations, added to emphasis a point.
Newer doesn't mean better built – the two should be mutually exclusive, however from my experience in drifting they aren't always. There's usually a direct correlation between the initial cost of the chassis and the quality of the final build. I said usually, not always – the DW86 is a prime example.
Not all pre 96 cars are 'tired 80s or 90s sports coupes', that goes without saying, you've missed my point. The first half of that quote is the important part – it relates to the theory that drivers piloting newer chassis will appeal to sponsors more than drivers driving old 80s or 90s sports coupes. I've tried retyping that to make it clearer, I can't.
The last quote above is an opinion – I stick by that one. Give me the choice of seeing an E30 battle an S13 or an E92 against an S15 and I know which battle will look more aesthetically pleasing.
I'm really stumped on whether this is the right move on Drift Allstars' behalf or not, I'm not sure. Am I fed up of seeing half-assed old cars in competition drifting? Hell yes. Do I think all older chassis half-assed? Of course not – I'm sorry if that's what you took from this.

24

You list 180sx's. They were designed in 1988/89! So its ok to have an 80s car once the design ran all the way to 96. So someone who propbably by complete chance has they're 180 drift car a shell from that last batch is ok but someone with the exact same car from 94 is excluded because its an old fashioned car.
In that case I have seen very late registered e30s, sierras and merc190s that should be perfectly eligible.
If such a big statement was to be made about old cars I actually agree that it should have been only cars designed and introduced after 96. The current method is a contradiction of its apparent purpose and is going to be a big administration ordeal which is like something the local vehicle tax office comes up with.
I realise that the bigger purpose of this is to push people away from these vehicles and in 5-10 years time have a grid full of new cars with manufacturer teams.

25

robbieiddon Firstly, let's keep this civil. Secondly, drifting didn't get big quick, certainly not in Europe. I can see what they're reaching for – if you see the likes of big FD drivers with manufacturer backing, you're going to want a slice of that pie.

26

Ekoumvak Someone who sees both sides of the argument, congratulations! I'm not sure on the engine ruling – when did OBD2 ports start being introduced?

27

I apologise for my lack of accuracy with the quote. I definitely wont become a political historian or something:) I was just immediately replying from reading the article and that was the impression formed even if it was unintended. Yes it is a big question to ponder. I too am trying to grasp the whole point of it. Please keep thinking about it and if you think it is a good idea

28

Maybe the next step will be to require the engine in the car to be produced by the same manufacturer as the chassis as well? Or worse, to disallow engine swaps altogether? It would certainly be interesting to see how the choices of cars would change to accommodate for that change, but I think it would ultimately take away too much of what makes drifting so unique.

29

Jordan_Butters robbieiddon It did get big quick 1st competitions were only  10 or 11 years ago around europe and considering there was 4 years of recession in the middle I think it got big very quick, But what would I know, , Leave FD get ruined by manufacturers sponsors and all the rules that will bring first then, They,ll realise how a judged sport is not a measure of which company is better,Even falken gave up on fd
                                    It,ll end up all the people that spent every penny they,ve ever made on their tired 80s or 90s coupes turning their backs on the sport and selling up, Why dont they ban all the mk2 escorts and stuff out of rallying in case some poor spectators have to endure looking at 30 year old clapped out fords driving around? I know maybe its because people like it! Next they,ll have a drift car scrappage scheme going.

30

Jordan_Butters And another thing, remember touring car championships used to be soo cool to watch because all the cars looked like the ones you could go out and buy, and some had massive engines and some were little light weights, And as more and more rules came in now theres about 2 manufacturers left all the engines are the same and its so tragically boring to watch it would bring a grown man to tears. Dont leave this happen drifting.

31

robbieiddon The rallying point is a good one, but look at WRC – all new chassis. I think that's what Drift Allstars are aiming at, rather than being another drift series, they want to be the premium one. There will still be other series for those who this rule doesn't suit.

32

Part of the attraction to drifting would be lost, a lot of people see these "tired" 90s nissans and think "Damn, I could have a go at that" part of the allure is tied to the spectators "I drive one of those too/I could be a contender factor. By moving to newer machines, it becomes even more of a money sport... Other sports have major changes to rule books constantly and its damaged them: look at the mess F1 is in.
However something does need to happen, but I'd say it's the format not the tools of the job that are to blame. Look at the Shifters event MM put on in NZ last year, sensors, multiple corners, multiple lines... And it blew people away. It has more real world attraction/reference then one or two big corners... It's not the cars that are the problem.
I get that the sport needs to stay (or become) more attractive to sponsors, but it's going to be a field of Beemers and a spattering of ISLexisususususususussses - how is that actually going to help? It's taken almost ten years to get a R35 to drift correctly (and even then....) Nobu was meant to be getting a Drift R35 a decade ago, it never showed up and was sold -albeit very quietly at a TAS one year... That 35 became the Ben Sopra car I believe, and how well did that drift?
This is a move that will turn "Drifting" into a bigger "BRO" sport then it is already becoming. No one really wants that.

33

Also, it would probably have been a good idea to mention this earlier, as i'm sure there are a few people building pre-96 builds, hoping to get 3 years minimum use out of them who are now looking at only one year. 
I can see this working, but i think it will have to be phased in over a couple of years, to allow everyone to get a build together in a time-frame and budget that suits them.

34

Jordan_Butters robbieiddon I dont see how they could describe the likes of the dw86 anything other than a premium car, Its a serious kick in the teeth for people like that, The fact that they would even mention a cut off year makes me mad thinking about it, 
                                  Without the cars and drivers there is no series, People are so worried about  spectators and how much money organisers make that they,re gonna drive all the good drivers out on principle if nothing else. Whats next years rules gonna be if they,re pulling this shit now, Anyone that come to a drift event is there to see the expert driving not just some un affordable new ball of scrap, Its already one big advertisement this will only make it worse and eventually no one will want to come see it or even watch it online.

35

Jordan_Butters Ekoumvak top of my head OBD2 was around 2002 but a lot of JDM cars up till about 2004 use a different version, same size socket but wired differently and a different protocol.

36

Amen to that!

37

I've done a quick tally up and of the 30 top ranking Drift Allstars drivers' chassis from 2015…
14 are within the new regulations
13 fall outside of the new regulations, but 2 of these were written off this year
3 I'm unsure of the exact chassis age and are borderline
Make of that what you will.

38

Obd2 was brought in in 96.

39

Jordan_Butters So basically Drift allstars thanks for nearly half the top 30 drivers is, We dont want your old cars back in our big fancy competition.

40

Mixed feelings on this. I can understand them trying to take the sport forward and what they are trying to achieve with this rule I'm just not sure it's right for this side of the Atlantic. My gut feeling is that generally there isn't the cash around in the sport in Europe for it to work. I hope it helps with sponsorship and the premier image I assume they are trying to achieve on live streams but time will tell

41

J45ON That's the biggest repercussion I think. Builds for 2016 onwards will already be well underway.

42

If it means that there is more creative builds, such as a rwd Scion tC, or a Passat, then great, I'm all for it. 

I would agree that this could just mean more of 2 or 3 chassis with big ported LS engines up front... which is more like watching NASCAR or Funny car. Do you go to the events to see the 3-5 big soft drink sponsored drivers, and their $500K buiilds, or are you going to see them get punked by the Danny George's of the world in a NA Miata? 

I watch drifting for the variety of builds and the skill, but watching a set of runs that was clearly won by one driver, be called for "one more time" has become ridiculous. If your judging is indecisive, you should change how you judge an event. This is what keeps me from wanting to watch more.

43

The Drift Allstars series are a bunch o super cool and super friendly drifters and I wish them all the luck with the new rule.
I myself drive a 25 year old Toyota as a drift car, but I can understand the need of rebuilding something new within the professional sport. But, for the grassroots drifters will always be cooler to drift a 25 years old Toyota or Nissan than a brand new BMW.

44

Anyway most of the DA regulars drive 96+ cars(Nigel Colfer and Luke fink drove s13, and Weicek had s14 as his backup to his r34, Karkosik is switching to 350z from his s15, Waagaard already F32)
Mostly locals who will compete only one round when DA comes to their country will bring out their old e30 and e36

45

Jordan_Butters J45ON In which case, they'll just modify what they've already sunk a load of money into so that it caters for someone else's regulations, and they'll go and skid there. I personally know one BDC drive already building their 2017 car. If something like this had happened, it would have been a major problem.

46

alot of QQ in the post.. DA is going where no one else have the balls to do so, people get complacent . Scared money dont make no money.

47

robbieiddon the issue with the Touring Cars, notably the BTCC in any case, was that manufacturers were paying several hundred grand per car (if not millions) out of their marketing budget just to be anything approaching competitive, let alone win. It was getting more and more expensive with more and more bespoke parts, such that manufacturers decided not to play the game any more and stopped racing. We saw the same problem with WRC a few years later. BTCC is growing again in the UK (indeed, there's plenty of cars used now) but there still aren't a great many manufacturer-backed teams like in the 90s and early 2000s. You're right about it being diluted, compared to how it was. I just watch old recordings on youtube instead.

48

I feel that all this will do is push drivers out of the sport because they can't afford to build a new car from a more modern chassis.

49

Omnigear No one else is stupid enough ya mean, I have to use the DW86 as another example, That car  looks roughly like a twincam It looks like a car from the 80s, but it is the furthest thing you can get from a car from the 80s and now its gonna be banned! The lowbrain car fink drove is far from just an s13 now it even has a front off a newer honda??What about the likes of that?   Its  basically trying to ban a certain look based on your chassis number, And drifting is gone hard enough to get into as is without this rubbish.

50
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51
Street_Drift_Only

FUCK DA, THATS MY THOUGHTS.

52

I think this is a great idea for several reasons.

The first being the drivers. For too long, the elite guys at the top of the game in Europe have had to fund their own programs or if they are backed, they're not getting even close to the amounts that they deserve. I've seen too many good drivers dig themselves into a financial black hole trying to create a career in drifting. People just don't see the sacrifices that these guys and girls make to remain competitive. They deserve a shot at picking up a manufacturer deal.

It also creates a much needed clear divide between pro and grassroots in drifting. In isolation, both are great. But for years the die hard grassroots guys have been holding back the pro level. I've wrote about this before (if you're interested: http://www.drifted.com/feature-we-need-to-talk-about-the-future-of-drifting/). 

So, this is a VERY GOOD thing. There's nothing to say that these new DA rules will affect the grassroots side or even most national championships. They can both exist in harmony with one feeding the other. It's the rare case of being able to have your cake and eating it.

53

Now is a good time to sell my BMW powered Mustang :D

54

@Street_Drift_Only What an intelligent and thought provoking contribution to this discussion.

55

@Street_Drift_Only I don't think this rule is enforceable in street drifting, so you're safe. And thanks for your eloquent addition.

56

While certainly there's a few top names in FD making a living, I feel like this article somewhat over-estimates the income potential of drifting in general.  I know tons of dudes spending big bank of builds who will never recoup that money.  Dudes winning pro-am level events and never making it into the big show because they can't get the backing, or have already spent themselves into too deep of a hole.

As others have said, I think this mainly squeezes out the local competitors that are filling out a field, not actual competition drivers who are the life blood of a pro level program.  I don't keep up with DA but in general I think people need to put an emphasis on cool liveries and cars that aren't missing half their body work at the event's start.  If you can't keep your car in one piece, GET GUD.

57

JoshuaWhitcombe I don't see how it's going to push anyone out. There'll still be grassroots, there will still be national series'. We'll just also have a creme de la creme pro championship with the potential to feature major car manufacturers running factory backed teams.

58

RIP drift spirit.

59

Paddy McGrath JoshuaWhitcombe Keep diluting drifting until we,re all sick of looking at it.

60

robbieiddon Paddy McGrath JoshuaWhitcombe Most people are sick of looking at it anyways. The sport has been stuck on repeat for the best part of a decade. New ideas are required if it's to progress.

61

MikeMorey "I think people need to put an emphasis on cool liveries and cars that aren't missing half their body work at the event's start.  If you can't keep your car in one piece, GET GUD."
This. I could write a book on my feelings towards this.

62

This is a horrible idea and I hope it does not spread to any other part of the world. Who wants to watch a bunch of BMWs drift around. Seriously sans the one or two jzx100, s15 maybe some er34 but being Europe I see this turning into bimmer fest. What about the Irish? They have a love and special connection to the old JDM machines. Any of Dmacs cars would have to go and I'm guessing a majority of the Irish guys would need something new. I hope this stays in Europe and does not give any other country any ideas.

63

Paddy McGrath robbieiddon JoshuaWhitcombe Ah Paddy stop , were you not at japfest no? Ya couldnt see a thing with the crowd, Idc breaking records every few minutes, thats how to run a series 
                              The cars are the only thing thats not wrong with drifting nowdays, Far from stuck on repeat
          , Drift allstars on about image and banning half the cars that compete because of the way they look,, meanwhile they ran round one this year on a banger track in the uk?? come on,Hardly something a premier series should be at, I know it was a last minute thing before anyone says it but it still happened.
DA is getting too big for its boots. You only have to look at f1 to see how sad thats gone, they managed to make the fastest technologically advanced cars on the planet boring.

64

If this is what will happen to drifting than it's goin' to be crap...That's why I only like grassroot or oldschool drifting.

65

It will either end up as an edsel or a gt40.

66

robbieiddon Paddy McGrath JoshuaWhitcombe

This is exactly where the problem lies, but you can't see it because you're only looking at it as a spectator. 

All of those drivers who competed at Japfest are paying huge amounts of money to put that show on for you and I. They're not getting anything worth mentioning back from the sport. Shouldn't they be afforded that opportunity? 

As it stands, pro level drifting isn't sustainable. You can't have a guy spending a €100,000 each season and not getting anything back. 

Nobody is saying that this rule should apply to all series' and nobody is forcing this series on anyone. But, there should be a series where if someone wants to make the step up, it's there for them to do so.

67

I get what they are aiming with this, but how they are trying to do it, is all wrong. How did they came up with year limit 96? Even it would be 2006, those model are has been and old. Having balls, and ruling it to +2010, and maybe it would start raising interest of manufucturers, if someone still would be able to compete. Basically this rules out S13 and E30 / E34 in europe, and part of beloved E36 bimmers. But what´s the difference to S14 and E46 to normal public :D Or even Z33 and E90, still old cars. 

For me it wasn´t good news, i´m running 1978 car, which i´ve converted to look like 1970, i was planning to run 1 DA event 2016 and maybe more in future, but rules me out permanently.

68

MikkoV James Deane the current champions car is 97 so they,d look silly if they banned that, Thats where I rekon they got the 96 from.

69

In my opinion, if they're smart they'll take this opportunity to allow the pre'96 cars to compete in a DA sanctioned feeder series that provides a means for developing drivers to build and compete in a more affordable and restricted series.  This allows the pre'96 cars to remain relevant in the sport which is important to the companies that are still developing and selling parts for them and it allows for a more affordable and defined path for anyone wanting to get into drifting or maintain a steady career. 
I'll admit that I don't follow the Drift Allstar series to know if they have something like this already or what regulations they do/don't have when trying to compete at the pro-level, but by implementing a rule like this I think it provides an opportunity to expand if thought out correctly...best of luck to everyone in the seasons ahead!

70

'most people are sick of looking at it anyways' is the wildest, most single minded and false statement I've read in a while. Is drifting a dying sport or something? It contradicts any recent events reports you have written like' driftallstars the best drift event I have ever attended' and idc5 with 20k spectators. Did they all go to see a sport stuck on repeat for a decade and then leave mumbling how half the cars are too old and they would much rather see a load of identical rwd converted ecoboxes instead.
We all know you've had personal issues with wether you like drifting or not but please don't say such sensationalist things as that that obviously are not true

71

skunkworkssr71 I love drifting. But, I'm also able to look at the big picture and the sad reality is that the vast majority of people have no interest in the sport. We need to do more to attract new fans rather than trying to appease the old ones. We need to do more to support the teams and drivers too, I just think this is one way worth trying. 

I want to see drifting thrive, not just exist.

72

Les.is_more It's a valid idea. The series has a formula for teaming up with various national series throughout the calendar so I'm not sure how they'd implement it.

73

Paddy McGrath robbieiddon JoshuaWhitcombe I competed at Japfest I know loads about what goes on and how things are run and the cars are the least of their problems. 
It would be fantastic if drivers got loads of money for it but can you ever realistically see that happening, People just use the names they,ve made for themselves to sell a product or a service.. 

Anyone I know thats drifting does it for the thrill and would still be doing it if no one was there looking, theres loads of series out there I know and a change in D A  rules wont affect me in the slightest but I used love watching it for the driving more than anything else, They,re gonna drive half their good drivers away with this stupid rule chasing a dream that will never come through.

74

robbieiddon Paddy McGrath JoshuaWhitcombe

Honestly, I don't ever see it happening in Ireland because as you'll know, motorsport of any kind gets zero exposure or funding here. 

I do think it can happen for Irish drivers on a bigger stage though. Wouldn't you like to see Jack or Tomás rewarded with a works factory backed drive in years to come? Imagine what James Deane could do with a manufacturer like Mercedes AMG behind him. It's not beyond the realm of possibilities because these manufacturers are very, very much aware of drifting. They just don't want to see their new, say, C63 AMG battling against a rough E30 with missing bumpers and a caved in quarter panel. 

I'm genuinely grateful for lads like you who do it for the love of the sport, but you shouldn't sell yourself short either or by removing a potential opportunity down the line.

75

What strikes me after reading what Jord has wrote about the new rules is just the sheer expense of producing an obd2 era car as opposed to something a lot simpler, All that fly by wire throttle business, electric steering  and masses of electronic sensors on everything means that you either have to retro fit parts from older models to overcome issues like engine swaps and the like, or be a smart arse with a bundle of cash, After hearing horror stories for when nissan 350z engines go wrong and the ecu has coded every other sensor to work i despair. 
For guys to be competitive it'll take some serious backing from manufacturers and that's not even a certainty. What if bmw and the like just don't want to get involved in a judged motorsport? You can't really blame them if you don't, coz the average drift enthusiast tends to be dirt poor and and has ADHD from too many energy drinks - Not what you call brand new M4 coupe customers!

76

Paddy McGrath robbieiddon JoshuaWhitcombe No they dont want to see their million euro investments thrown away due to some dodgy judging decision, Which is wayy to common so they steer clear, has fuckk all to do with a lad that can drive around them

77

robbieiddon Paddy McGrath JoshuaWhitcombe The same could be said for any motorsport! That wasn't a hypothetical either, that's a genuine reason why one particular manufacturer is hesitant to get involved.

78

This can't be happening............ Well I guess its time to find another Motorsport to follow. To much political garbage going on with drifting.

79

J45ON Jordan_Butters If BDC mattered that would be an issue ;) TBH if people are planning builds with cars older than 96 they are generally doing it wrong  and not helping push the sport further in the wider public eyes.

80

im for it 100%. People fail to realize that this is ultimately a business and until big money starts to pour in, there will be broke drivers. Drifting (in the US too) needs to aim at the BIG names and the big names dont care about how JDM Tyte your S13 is, they want a relevant (to them) vehicle to better broadcast their products and names. Ive been saying that drifting needs to be a SPEC series for years (A La ALMS/FIA GT). Set parameters and let the drivers go wild, build teams instead of privateers and then the big money will be climbing over each other to get into the sport.

81

Paddy McGrath robbieiddon JoshuaWhitcombe Not really no, if a car sets a time on a stage or around a circut its there in stone no arguement, the reason I think manufactures shy away from us is because the judging is  basically someones opinion on who was best and thats not good enough with that kind of money involved ,but its the all they have. And I,m pulling my hair out trying to figure out how banning pre 96 cars will do anything except cause trouble.

82

I get the idea, but this is thought up by people who can afford big budget cars.
Like Bill Gates saying you need to spend 10k on a pc to enjoy windows and games to the fullest extent....sure the logic is infallible, but for 99.99% of the people a 1k pc will do pretty much the exact same thing.

For my what ruined Formula D in the US is the fact that it evolved from a game of skill into sideways dragracing, only accesible for people with big sponsors and/or their own (large) shop.
Drifting started as a "motorsport" EVERYONE could do, that's what made it big, but it's is slowly becoming too cluttlered with sponsors and manufacterers and thus killing the sport.
If you want to start a >96 drift cup go ahead, but most drifters will probably give up on trying to compete in the cup because they simply cant afford it, eventhough they'll drift circles around the 96+ cars

83

smeck Everyone can do it but they can go and do other competitions, no one is forcing them to do DA

84

Sorry to say that but this is the greatest garbage ever posted on this website! I really hope that a lot of Drivers in KoE will stand up against such a change. 

There are other ways to push European Drifting besides to force Drivers into cars they maybe dont want to Drive just that they still can compete and keep on going. First stop the backstabing attitude that a lot of people in EU Drifting have! 

And to hope that such a move will help the development of Factory backing for drivers is absolutely unrealistic. Drifting needs to grow to a certain level first in Europe on a lot of things we here in Europe are still 5-10 Years behind FD.

85

robbieiddon Paddy McGrath JoshuaWhitcombe It doesn't matter if it's drifting or F1, there will always be politics and controversy. It's been a long time since I've seen any really sketchy judging calls at the top level (at least in IDC and DA).

If the cars used are more contemporary, it's going to make drifting more relatable. Most people have no idea what a 180SX or a JZX is. If you can make it more relatable to your average Joe, you can pull more sponsors. More sponsors, more money for the sport and the better the sport becomes. IDC has been so successful these last two seasons because they've pumped huge amounts of money into the series. 

On the other hand, I would hate to see this rule applied across all series'. I just think there's room for one ultimate international series where it's the best of the best with top of the range modern cars. It has to be good for the sport. When you look at how far drifting has come with guys building cars in their back gardens, imagine how much further BMW Motorsport could develop a car with all of their resources behind it.

86

@Driftzilla What has KOE got to do with it?

If you think that drifting in Europe is 5-10 years behind FD, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

87

Sorry my fault i mean JDM Allstars not KoE of course.

88

Reuben Rodriguez It will just be a another organisation that does drifting so that the old cars can compete. Happened before and will happen again.

89

Paddy McGrath I dont think so of course you have the big series in the UK,Ireland,KoE and JDM Allstars. 

But nobody talks about the rest of Europe look for Example at germany these guys trying hard for many years and for many Reasons (sponsors,politics,enviroment) there are big Problems with developing the Sport or France same thing because of Politics. Switzerland not a chance because Motorsport is Prohibited.

90

smeck Everyone can still 'do' drifting, surely? It's not like Drift Allstars is an option for everyone as it is. Grass roots and national level drifting will still keep on doing as it's always done. But surely it's worth the risk for one series to try and push for something more?

91

Also - where the hell do these guys practice, coz apart from Driftland in Scotland and wednesdays up the pod i can't think of any other venues that do affordable drift practice days. Part of the appeal with drifting i had waay back in 2004 was it'd open up the chance to drive some of the countries best tracks for an affordable price, much like trax do at Silverstone and donny, but in 11 years it just seems that it's become more restrictive and there are less places for a days worth of sideways now. Would be lovely if Driftland expanded regionally, but it would be equally lovely if i won the euro millions eh! I just hope that the gap between a once cheap and accessible motorsport doesn't widen to unobtainable levels and people lose interest in getting into it. No DW86 sucks a fat one too :/ Boo hiss

92

rich_driftworks J45ON Jordan_Butters Or you could look at it this way. Some of the most talented drivers out there have the smallest budgets. By making the initial outlay for a car that much more, you thereby price the talent out of the field. The quality of drivers then drops (not helped by people not wanting to damage their expensive cars). This makes for a boring show, so no one watches, so less money comes in, there's less outreach, so sponsors leave and then the series/championship folds. 
Like i've said, i can see this working, but i think a hard cut with little warning isn't the way to do it.

93

robbieiddon MikkoV Or that it's 20 years from 2016 ;)

94

Paddy McGrath robbieiddon JoshuaWhitcombe No one knows what make most of the f1 cars are either and people dont watch rallying coz they love vw polos and fiesta? think about it? I know it wont affect most but this is the beginning of the end for the freedom thats allowed nowdays

95

And how are 'big manufactures not wanting to be shown up by old cars' going to see any difference in being beaten by a 19 year old car built from a 500quid shell than a 23 year old car. Both models are completely irrelevant to such a company. They should have had the balls to say 5 years old max, cos that is what they want

96

robbieiddon Paddy McGrath JoshuaWhitcombe

Both F1 & WRC attract massive sponsors and huge funding because they have modern cars with relevant technology. 

How can you not see that both can quite happily exist alongside each other? This 'beginning of the end' crap is melodramatic nonsense. Drifting isn't going to die because DA introduce a 20 year rule.

97

skunkworkssr71 Seeing the drama that's been caused by a 20 year rule, I'd hate to see the meltdown if it was a five year rule!

98

there killing the fun and all inclusive sport drifting is today #keepdriftingfun

99

I think that it could help the sport as a whole. But it will affect up coming drivers. The issue then is the drivers that have just gotten their license and started into the series will have to absolutely break the bank, and then some, to be able to compete. Now, I think that you also have to keep in mind that the guys who are competing in these events are spending tons of money anyway. It's not like its going to increase their costs sooo much that it won't be obtainable. If you're worried about new comers being able to make the dream happen because of funds, you're behind anyway. That ship sailed 5 years ago. It's already to the point where you have to be financially "packing" to make it anyway. It's just not something most average joes are going to hop into.
The next thing is that I don't necessarily see factory backing happening so easily. If you notice there are brands pulling out of Motorsport because of the lack of money made. It just becomes expensive advertising for them that gets little return. Food example is NHRA drag racing in America. A top name driver, John Force, drove for Ford in a Mustang liveried car for 20+ years. Then without a heads up, Ford pulled our last year I believe and doesn't run anymore. Why? Because it needs huge amounts of fans to get the required return on investment. NASCAR is the best motorsport example in America of this. It's the #1 spectator sport in America. It makes money because it draws people in. That's where drifting as a whole needs to go. They've got to come up with a way to draw larger crowds in. There are still news channels doing reports on drifting like its something new to the world. Until you can get it relevant enough that people everywhere know what it is youb won't have huge crowds which means you won't get factory backing. There has to be a large market for them to want to drop millions of dollars into cars and teams. It's just not there to me
Overall I think this can benefit the level of competition as a whole but it will come at the cost of losing potential new talent due to costs of getting in. So it'll be interesting to see how it plays out for them

100

I like the idea of having new chassis infused into the sport, but not at the expense of some of the classics. Drifting desperately needs some way to make some money for its drivers. I know in the US there are a few drivers that are big fan favorites that have walked away from the sport because they barely break even (or end up in debt) just competing.

101

Paddy McGrath robbieiddon JoshuaWhitcombe I never said it was going to end drifting, Its just a very unfair and restrictive rule and thats the start of a whole world of shit, and its an insult to the drivers that made the series that suddenly their cars are useless to them, And saying they can fuck off to another series doesnt make it ok,, How about they run a new series alongside the successful one thats there already?? A series for rich people that dont want to be seen to associate with all us ruffians in our 20 year old worn out cars, If they,re so sure it,ll work i dont see the problem,,

102

Teesside, 3 sisters, Birmingham wheels all do drift days through out the year

103

Jordan_Butters ?? No, BMW engines...LS's are still rare in EUR

104

J45ON Jordan_Butters My impression is that they are trying to take the cheap, sketchy backyard builds out of competition. Which I'm sorta on board with.

105

skunkworkssr71 You have no clue about Drag homie, I know teams that are spending close to $10k PER RUN.  (fuel, valves, heads, complete engine teardown each run, crew of 8, etc). Drag racing is so high-dollar it makes you sick.

"Drifting was the the only other motorsport, apart from drag that you could see say an e30 beat an r35 or an ae86 beat an s15."  Maybe in Europe, VERY few people are serious about drag.

106

Jochem ANYTHING with modifying cars is expensive.

107

J45ON rich_driftworks Jordan_Butters This is a PROFESSIONAL sport now, as so many of you seem to forget. Leave your backyard builds for the lower-level series. If you want to drift in the professional world, the be a goddamn professional and have some standards. No, your beat to shit 86 you've been repairing for 8 years will NOT qualify next year for DA. Nut the hell up and decide what you want to be.

108

Said much more eloquently then I managed!

109

Speedhunters plus it'll be much harder for people to get into the sport

110

First ban pushrod engines created in 1950...

111

Reactions from the sheep reading this article are making my blood boil Not for the article, I will be thinking for a  whil;e about it...but for the knee-jerk reactions from the dips that still seem to think they can compete at a professional level in their personal-budget car. This rule will not "ZOMG THEY ARE KILLING DRIFTING", you can still go drift your old shitbox wherever you like. Just not at THE TOP TIER IN EUROPE. 

Criminy you guys, can you stop buying $2000 cars and thinking you are going to win FD in your first year? As one of the last posters said, that boat sailed LOOOOONG ago. As someone that has been exposed his entire life to professional and amateur motorsports of many forms, there is ALWAYS a large gap between the locals and the pros. And for most long-established sports (now drifting is about 15 years of professional comp?), its made it so that if a driver wants to take themself out of the lower level and join the pros, its a serious effort. 

I'm still in the air about this, but you guys are seriously reacting to the stupidest things. You act like drifting is your personal definition of whatever, and any change just rips its soul out. Well, note to yourselves, nobody is asking you what drifting is, or going by your definition. Drifting is evolving and if you aren't, you are being left behind. Cry me a river.

112

@LMF rookie troll.

113

Les.is_more intelligent response, thank you.

114

I like the idea of the 1996 cars, though I believe there is another direction for drifting to grow. 
That's major media coverage for the pro-am/am qualifiers/am cups. 
Smaller drift events contracted through the FD used to funnel competitive drivers into higher levels and prevent them from competing on lower levels. 
Also I believe that having vehicle classes could create a more accessible to privateers while still maintaining a level of control and marketability for sponsors. 
Classes could be based off:
-vehicle weight 
-original drive type
-engine type/size
-horse power

115

Paddy McGrath Why can't others see this???? Pro series keeping old rulesets so they can field as many drivers as possible, guaranteeing that you have 3/4 field of uncompetitive cars. Drivers that can barely complete a coherent run against top pros! IF YOU WANT TO BE A PRO, GO PRO. Wanna cut corners and pay outta pocket for your dream? Thats not pro.

116

what a BS rule, I personally would like to see more pre 1996 cars than any newer builds. This will be the death of grassroots drifting and cement the sport as a rich mans game.

117

dangina This is a ruling in a single premier series, it should have no effect on grass roots other than give people more to aim for. UK and Ireland we have two major national series,half a dozen smaller national ones along with local competitions and drift events, all of which happily allow cars of any age which meet their build rules. DA are trying something that I'm guessing they hope will make the series more appealing to large sponsors and spectators. I'm not convinced it will work but good luck to anyone willing to take risks to push the sport forward

118

Like many orhers have said, I think that's a step backwards for european drifting, but not because of killing the grassroots spirit and banning iconic cars or things like that. It's because of trying to compare to FD standards when we can't for a simple reason: there's not enough street car market in Europe for manufacturers to step in compared to USA. I mean, the average twenty-something year old joe in the USA can afford a brand new 370z or mustang, while the average twenty-something european joe can't afford a simple 150hp fwd grocery getter, so it's obvious that the big manufacturers won't step up their game because they will be promoting cars that the majority of european drift fans won't be able to buy in 3 lifetimes,so it will be money thrown directly to the thrash can.
They should try other options to get to a broader audience, like trying to team up with other popular motorsport events like european touring car or rally championships and get their competitions done at the same time and place, so that way they could get a little more tv coverage and things like that which will get to more "profane" audiences, because let's be honest, if people doesn't watch drifting right now they won't start doing it just because there are a few spanking new factory-backed cars competing.

119

D1RGE EXE Maybe if ya see some of the cars that will be banned from one of the biggest competitions on the planet you,ll see why some people are pissed off. It has fuck all to do with rookies not being able to enter their shitboxes.. Theres loads of series for that, 
                     Basically calling these people unprofessional because they prefer and have done years of R and D on these older chassis is a bit silly. I think anyway. All these cars new and old at this level are built from the ground up for drifting and now because the shell they started with some aren,t allowed back into a competition that they have actually won at in their "shitboxes" 
                                                    Theres loads of room for old and new in that competition and forcing half the grid to spend a tonne more money to maybe get a 97 s14 like the current champion has??wont help the sport or the fans... Its like something someone who works in the tax office and has no idea about cars would come up with..

120

D1RGE EXE J45ON rich_driftworks Jordan_Butters But the freshly built S13 with a professional cage, LS engine, wisefab, and awesome livery won't either. Which seems a bit of a kick in the slats for someone who just spent a lot of time and money building it. No?

121

I don't have a clue about drag 'playa', i'm european..the point I was making is completely about car age. Am I right in saying many top bodied drag cars(obviously not ladder chassis) are based on 56 chevys 69 mustangs etc.? These old fashioned vehicle styles are not the main barrier of the sports progression, or whatever this 1996 rule is trying to imply. Please tell me how a load of late 90s cars are going to completely professionalise the entire image of the sport? It baffles me how severing down the production of 90s cars is going to do anything for it. Save completly eliminating the 80s versions..

122

I'd be more attracted to drifting if the runs lasted longer than 20 seconds apiece on the same few corners.

123

Paddy McGrath skunkworkssr71

Yes, it may be 20 year rule, but my point was exatly the same than skunkworkssr71. If point is to freshen up the sport, why still allow 20 year old cars, which are terribly old from general point of view. it doesn´t basically change anything else that forces few guys of from series, and few to make new chassis.

My own personal choise driving old car isn´t based on budget, if i can´t compete with car i like, i rather dont do it at all.

124

It is thriving, It has been for the last 10 years, even with 1994 scrapheaps holding it back..
I know where you want it to go(world touring style cars Drifting) it is annoying that an excellent series has to sell it s self to the big corporations as they say in the music industry because of it and they have to bring such 'rule's' to the least ruled motorsport there is

125

robbieiddon D1RGE EXE Sorry buddy, I'm pretty sick of S13s and S14s and sucking the nuts of old JDM steel just because, well, DERP. Those chassis are getting so old and rare on the streets that it has very little to do with the common person. And I live in SoCal. I love my old cars from everywhere but I am not so blind as to think they are somehow just "better" than a modern-engineered chassis simply because the Facebook Army has Tokyo Drift in their mind.

  I am completely onboard with trying to modernize the top tier to try to make this a truly professional series. Nissan and Toyota and BMW have nothing to gain from spectators watching pros drift 30yo cars, or 20yo cars. It won't sell more ISs or Maximas or M4s. Maybe you are mostly familiar with drifting and not other long established forms of motorsport. Ever heard of the FIA? Or GT cars? Every few years or so they phase out cars from competition. Why? TO KEEP THE COMPETING CARS RELEVANT TO WHAT MANUFACTURERS CURRENTLY SELL.

   You guys again are all crying over "your drifting sport" and looking at it as a damn spectator. Try looking at it as a SPONSOR. Try looking at it as an INVESTOR. Try looking at it like a BUSINESS! Drifting at the pro level is NOT all about the style, cool, and spectators, Its a damn business and it needs to finally act like one. Again, if you want to be a pro, don't bring your rookie attitude to the game. Knives and gunfights, dig? STEP THE HELL UP AND GET A REAL SPONSOR OR IMPRESS ONE.
    If you want a series for your old tacked-together 86 and KE70s, make your own. Impress us. Take it back to 2000 with ancient cars, 3 competitive drivers, 300hp max and shit equipment, forbid anything within 20 years of the current date and go have a ball. But stop hamstringing the pros and the pro series with your selfish drifting standards.

126

Going purely from your username and a vague recollection that a guy called rich works for driftworks, what is your bosses view on this?. He is a da driver and his ultimate build car is now irrelevant because it is too old.
Apologies in advance if you actually have nothing to do with the company driftworks..

127

skunkworkssr71 None of the top cars use those frames. they are completely spec cages with a plastic car-shaped shell around them. the sheer competition of going fast has taken the pro cars far beyond anything automakers make so thats why you don't see them sponsor the cars. 
The only real cars you are losing are what, FCs, old 86s, S13s, E30s, the ONE RA22, the ONE KE70....
ZOMG IM SO DUSGUSTED IMA NEVER LOOK AT ANY DRIFTING AGAIN IN MY LIFE ESPECIALLY HOW THIS IS STABBING MY IDEAL IN THE NECK

128

I wanted to dive into the subject of manufacture backing a little bit. I remember reading about Micheal Essa's transition from his M3 to a Camaro. When asked why he made the transition, he mentioned that BMW had no interest in sponsoring him or Chelsea DeNofa, even after winning the FD championship in 2013. BMW went as far as asking that Essa and DeNofa to remove the BMW badge from their cars. Now, I'm not too sure if phasing out pre-96 cars would open up the doors for manufacture backing in Drift Allstars, and the sport altogether. Those who have shown interest have already been in the sport and those not interested don't seem to want to jump in. Going off the top of my head, Dodge, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan, and Toyota have all backed drivers in drifting one way or another. That's a pretty hefty list of some of the world's biggest car manufacturers and it seems like European car manufacturers are the only ones not on that list. Oh, and Honda, but that's okay. We won't really know for certain whether these manufacturers are going to change their ways or not but I sure hope they do and only time can tell us what will happen.

129

The current multiple championship winning car is 97, one year off being old and irrelivant. It beat many new cars to achieve that. This makes everything you say about new technology rubbish.
I do understand all you say about make it brand market relevant to the masses ect.
I have no interest in all that which is why I'm in to drifting, a niche, different sport which is how da were actually marketing it up to now

130

20 something year old Joe from the US here - I can assure you that there are not many people my age driving a 370z or any equivalent car. The few that do are sponsored by mom and dad 90% of the time.

131

to progress, drifting simply needs to become interesting....it's a yawn fest as it stands.

132

I think phasing out older/cheaper chassis' is a bad move. Pro drifting in the US is already very high dollar and hard to relate to as is. If FD got rid of 96 and older cars there would be no cars on the grid that I could afford the same chassis. I think it's cool that I own the same chassis that many pro drifters run, it makes it relatable. I like seeing that underdog who's putting everything on the line to be here and try to make it happen. Very relatable as a fan. Factory sponsored teams with infinitely deep pockets are not much fun to watch, because you know they can run the wall and if they wreck they have the cash to build a whole new car and it doesn't matter to them, they just throw money at the program until it works.

133

smeck With the amount of sold out events, it's definitely not killing the sport. Professional drifters of 2004 can't compare to the professionals today. The level of competition has grown to the point where Pro1 isn't something anyone can do. That's why Pro2 exists. Top level Pro2 drivers are at or even above the level of pro drifters from ten years ago and it won't break wallets in order to compete in the 4-round feeder series.

134

skunkworkssr71 And its been 4 years since FD had a pre-2005 car win the championships and 2 cars in top 3 in last 5 years. Look at the D1 grid and the FD grid and tell me where professional drifting is heading, its almost ALL newer cars.

135

D1RGE EXE skunkworkssr71

the sheer competition of going [sideways] has taken the pro cars far beyond anything automakers make so thats why you don't see them sponsor the cars. 

very applicable phrase to this sport also, thank you.


the only cars we are loosing are half of the top 30 of the grid as jordan worked out.


yes I know they are not the actual shell but its still '56 chevy vs 69 mustang' in top bracket funny cars

136

How typical lol :. SH throws a hot-button issue out there, the knee-jerk fools freak out for the fist 100 comments. Then the opposing views come in to correct the scared ninnies. It's not until like comment #130 that you get intelligent discourse and not just fanbois going apoplectic.

137

skunkworkssr71 D1RGE EXE it's not 1980. Go watch an event from this year. It's not 57 chevys and old mustangs. Google is your friend.

138

D1RGE EXE skunkworkssr71
to settle our argument i would PAY to see the 97 car(and its driver obviously)  go against all these suddenly better new cars! we all know it is at least completely equal to them. and if a 97 s14 is equal then an 89 240 is equal because they are the same car in reality.
lets just leave it at that until this happens:)

139

"it’s infinitely more enjoyable to watch high-powered, purpose-built shiny and fresh automobiles sliding inches from each other than revamped and reworked 25-plus-year-old Nissans and Toyotas"

Not really lol. I reckon it'll scare a lot of new drivers off, because like Jordan (Butters) said, sponsors will be more attracted to a newer car, but if you can't get sponsors, you mightn't be able to afford a new car, because you cab't sponsors because you can't afford a new car etc. etc.

140

D1RGE EXE robbieiddon Oh well if you,re sick of em then fair enough ban all them immediately, because you,re taste in cars is obviously superior.. 
Theres not one standard chassis in that competition, every last one has been gone through back to front largely re engineered for drifting, so making out that a newer chassis makes any difference at this level of builds is silly,
                     Vaughan Gittin Jnr is so sponsored by ford that he cant even drive any other model, he has a 1969 mustang drift car? Seems Ford dont mind their old models anyway
    , Mad Mike is sponsored by mazda even in his RX7 FD which started production in 1991, Mazda dont seem to be so ashamed of their old models either, Has anyone actually talked to any of these big sponsors to see what they want or is this just being done to see what happens? 
                    Drifting is doing just fine as is,its selling out all over the place,Livestream views are bigger than ever , Big sponsors will come drinks sponsors already play a huge part, they dont seem to mind older unusual cars that are doing well,  What do they think is going to change? Where do ye stop, Will it be all electric in a few years IF WE WANT TO KEEP WITH THE TIMES?? Saying they want to bring it up to date by limiting it to 20 year old cars is a huge contradiction anyway so the whole discussion is a waste of time.

141

D1RGE EXE If Nissan keeps cars relevant with what you're suggesting, I'll stick with old cars. (please excuse the quick photoshop job)

142

skunkworkssr71 skunkworkssr71  that is me :) Tbh I can not really speak on behalf of Phil, im sure he will comment if he wishes (my views are also my own and not Driftworks fyi)

Its a difficult topic to discus as you you will never please everyone and trying to do something different especially in europe will be very hard as to many people try to stay loyal to its roots.

What would you rather compete in? FD where most of the cars are fresh factory builds or D1GP who have stayed loyal to the same cars for 20+ years

143

miataguy No they dont, stop being so close minded. How is a single drift competition going to affect drifting as a whole? Why are you even bringing KDF into a drift competition debate? Smfh.

144

smeck But isnt that what is necessary for a competition to grow? Did you witniss how awful the competition was in FD pre-2012? I mean I dont know how you're saying that it evolved from a game of skill into sidewways dragracing when in fact it takes even more skill now. FD was laughably a dissapointment back in the day but it progressed for the better. People that define FD as Sideways Dragracing really dont have any knowledge on how much it progressed.

145

HeadB81 EminenceStance noooooooooooo

146

HeadB81 good thing I don't drift competitively U0001f60aU0001f60a

147

You pose me a dream scenario:)
I will say fd.... Driving the get nuts lab silvia:-)
The age of a cars model means nothing to me. New old 90s whatever. I'm into cool cars. This rule has eliminated half the extremely cool cars that make that series so interesting(and possibly many drivers). Evidently we are already denied the spectacle of an awesome 70s camaro competing equally in a current motorsport series.

148

i'll stick with Japanese roots all others chassis are boring to watch and sounds boring, i personally run a Japanese 
chassis with a 25 years old motor 2jzgte in it has being race proven, i could change to newer chassis but i would never use anything other than 2jz as power plant !
good luck to you with newer unreliable car

149

As an Australian I don't seen any issue with cost. We have many post 96 rear drive powerful cars that are now as cheap or cheaper than s13-15 silvias, skylines and old toyotas. I really wanted a nice s15 (~$15000) but for a third of the price I can get good condition LS1 powered, manual commodore (~$5000), that's a 4 door GTO for $5000!

150

I also want a pre-1985 competition. A whole bunch of vintage stuff sliding around would be awesome

151

For professional drifting IMO moving into newer more improved chassis will benefit them. However, for drifting to progress, they need to go back into their basic roots. People forget how it was to start drifting as a young 15/16 year old and taking those corners. (I still remember taking those corners in my neighborhood in my AE86 a little too fast and wiping out.)  My father always told me, when you get stuck in any situation, go back to the beginning and you will learn where it is that you went wrong and how to fix those problems.

152

Jordan Kneebone D1RGE EXE Not a single time is "better" really referenced in anything. I love cars from many eras and love Japanese cars as much as anyone else. But this isn't about what YOU want, this is about modernizing a sport to try to be more professional. Completely different things.

153

skunkworkssr71 D1 has hardly any old cars anymore....at least not the competitive drivers.

154

this is such a backwards move.
Its as simple as this, if the sport is to grow, more people need access to it and to understand it and its intentions. They see how fun and pure hearted it is, and they want to try to. 
Then other tracks see the growing popularity and seriousness of the crowd and want to hop onboard too.
All this is doing is taking the dream of drifting out of the hands of kids and putting it in the hands of companies. THIS IS DRIFTINGS WORST NIGHTMARE.  Pro drifting should be about THE MOTHER FUCKING DRIVER, not how new and shiny the car is. 
The sport will continue to grow to a point where pro driving is more easily and heavily backed but this is NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT the way to do it If you guys kill driftings spirit in a country im actual going to write you a wicked long email. Ive been in the sport over a decade, competed in different countries and all over my own country. I know what drifting is and what makes it fun in and out of competition formal, and im promising you this is a bad move. Just smells of corporate decision. No one who enjoys driving would ever suggest this.

155

Everyone that says that requiring new cars will push new drivers out of the sport need to realize that a competitive car will need to be built from scratch. You're not going to take an old thrashed on car and win with a rebuild. It would take a car built specifically fpr that seasons rules to be competitive, and its not like they have to buy a $40k loaded car. A lot of manufacturers sell body in white cars for this purpose. I'm sure you could start with a light damage car thats been totaled as well since the car ends up being mostly tube chassis'd and none of the suspension components are factory units.

156

My thoughts? You need to stay away from drifting.

157

Somehow the argument to prove that this rule is "for the good" seems contradictory: if you say that you don't make much money out of this sport, then ruling out pre-96 cars from the top tier and relegating them to the lower tier feeder/grassroots series wouldn't help the cause of drivers on tight budget. If they can't afford to get a new car, then they'd be stuck at the lower tier for good even if they have what it takes to compete at the highest level.
If the idea for this rule is to get manufacturer backings for team, then it's a stupidest idea I've ever heard of.
Drifting has always had difficulty in attaining the kind of attraction level in Europe that grip racing competitions enjoyed. Those are more profitable to manufacturers over there.

158

LouisYio vw is the only one i think

159

I'm guessing this stems from an older car not having good side impact ratings for if something goes horribly wrong in a tandem drift. They should really just add in stricter requirements for role cages that have to meet a certain spec for side impact. Just like the NHRA rules change as a car goes down the 1/4 quicker and faster. No need to phase older cars out at all. That's the lazy way to solve problems and scale the sport.

160

I don't see the problem with this.  If I had just invested a bunch of time and money into building a pre 96 car specifically for this series (like Driftworks AE86 for example) I'd be more upset, but from a spectator/drift fan point of view it's pretty irrelevant. 

You don't need a post 96 car to do drift practice days, you don't need one to do entry level competition, heck there's plenty of other drift events you can do in your pre 96 car.

However, pro drifting in general seems to have forgotten one of the fundamental aspects of drifting is that it's all about looking cool, putting on a show.  
James Bond would be able to fight the baddies much more easily if he wore shorts and a t-shirt, but the clean cut suit is a crucial part of the character.Similarly a technically superior drift car that doesn't look cool is missing the point.

161

Ekoumvak I'm pretty sure that's one thing that won't change.

162

This isn´t cost issue for anyone who is building new car and want´s to run multiple DA races. Building DA competitive car that can get you to podium (and is built to last) is in my mind 30-40k€ build, atleast mine is. Building it from 75, 85, 95 or 2005 shell, wont affect more than few thousand. Pretty much everything will be changed afterall.

Offcourse sucks for those whose cars this rules out, and worse in my mind is that it just takes away freedom of choise for what you want to compete with. There´s not much pretty cars built after 70´s ;)

163

I myself as an E36 driver, don't see a problem with implementing age restricting rules. I think it is a rather good idea, coming from a entrepremeneur/marketing background. It would be way easier to feed newer cars to the media and potential sponsors. But I see a huge problem with this happening suddenly. It's the end of November and there's still no official announcement about 2016. 

So, let's say that there's a driver with an S14, E36 or whatever the chassis which pre dates 96, has the sponsorship to do 2016 season. But all of the sudden the driver is being told that now you have a few months to extend the budget, build and develop a new chassis and be competitive whenever the first event is going to be.

So, there should be a longer phasing period, right now is the time to announce 2017 changes, not create new build rules for 2016...

I have been building my car, keeping in mind the DA rules, just in case if I want to contest in the events nearby (based in Estonia, we have 4 which are nicely doable), but I would be really frustrated if my car built in accordance with the rulebook, is not accepted. And then there's a DW86 which I guess has suspension pick-up points moved or changed with different axles or a Low Brainer's S13 which couldn't find a new bumper for most of the season, allowed to drive the series. I am carrying spare bumpers and fenders even for the local events, on my own budget. I couldn't see how it would be impossible for guys who have bodykit sponsors...If there are going to be rules, please follow it for all the drivers, without exeptions.

164

NikkSquidBonnett Its down to taste man age has nothing to do with it, Theres as many people out there that dont want to look at a load of new scrap either? they preform the same its all about someone not liking the look thats all it is, so its a never ending arguement.

165

Impss400 gt86 is the only car you can buy body in white, Mad Mike is sponsored by mazda and I dont see him getting free cars either, It,s a stupid rule and I hope whoever came up with it stubs his toe real bad..

166

To me this is a pretty simple rule. Drift Allstars as an organisation wants to make more money, They want the manufacturing deals, they want to expand their sponsors reach, the media attention, maybe then be able to bring some guest appearances like Vaghn Gittin with his brand new Ford and not worry about losing to an old BMW E30 and such, I mean it's a brand new 2037 Ford, it's best in every way.

It is clearly a decision that was taken in consideration of the organisations best interest and NOT the drivers. Even tho DA wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for all those drivers spending sooo much money out of their OWN pockets to travel and compete and put on a show for them to make the big bucks. You can spin it anyway you want, "i'ts for the evolution of the sport", "its a more aesthetic approach", It's a slap to the face of half the top 30 LOYAL drivers that's what this decision is. 

Once people understand that, we can continue discussing this from a marketing/ spectator/ business point of view.

167

robbieiddon Jordan_Butters The DW86 is so highly engineered and built its not even fair :) I would happily argue that one car as an exception.

168

skunkworkssr71 D1RGE EXE On a separate note, NHRA just changed the Top Fuel Funny Car rules to include shorter wheeliebars and no hoodscoops, under pressure from the big three US automakers. Basically, they want the cars to look closer to what can be sold/bought, since what they have morphed into is too far removed. Chevy, Ford and Dodge are selling Drag Pack cars again, etc. 

I would love to see what a factory-built car from Toyota, BMW, Mazda or NIssan would look like and how they would perform. I would love to see someone like Ryan Tuerck actually get paid a factory contract.


Rules evolve and I think this new ruleset may do good, I'm willing to see instead of complain. It's not the first motorsport to do something like this. And the bigger professional drifting gets, the more grassroots there will be.

170

It's time for Lada to shine! :D

171

I think that is the stupidest thing to do to drifting. What makes dritfting popular to me is that it's cool, hardcore and ACCESSIBLE ! I can see myself building a drift car and driving it at a decent cost. Identification and inspiration is strong by this mean. Then if i can only lambos, ferraris and gtr i know i will never been able to afford such things for toys and i will loose complete interest for the sport as much as i can't gove a fuck about Formula1. Also the reason why i like rally, a built is accessible from car that i can identify myself to. Making drifting so restrictive to try to bring is new car is way too restrictive amd it will loose its authenticity. Appart from highly qualified guys who can work on latest generations of Bimmers ? Not many people so it will make the sport elitiste amd loose its base. Will certainly loose me, i mich prefer see battered ae86 full of cable toes rather than a shiny Lambo.

172

MikkoV why -96 and not newer? Because newer cars which started production from 96 to 2000 have their models built untill 2004-2005, which will mostly take out +/-50% of the driver field from competing in DA.

173

Reiniitzs MikkoV But, even those are still old cars for general public, 2 or 3 generation old models. And especially for manufacturers point of view. And pretty much dont differ from those what is wanted out of competitons by this rule.

Meaning that this seem fairly unneccesary rule, that just makes few competitors life difficult, without giving anything back. 

And if didn´t state that correctly in previous post, i´m one of those competitors. I was aiming for DA.

174

MikkoV Reiniitzs As I heard - the idea is to take out the 1st and 2nd(most) generation cars.
I'm really wonder what the 2015 DA champ is going to do now, since he was driving the S14a which is now banned.
And I agree, this rule is kind of point less, but I guess by each year they will slowly up the ladder with the production year and their goal is to match the US Formula D standarts, so that most of the drivers have the newest production model cars.(I don't think this is going to work out..)
Yes, as was I, but luckily I am aiming to compete with a brand new E46, which might be banned after few years aswell..

175

It would be nice to know what kind of budget professional drifting teams have, to compare with other types of racing

176

Missing from the article was any form of explanation for the rule change.
Does this series have a manufacturer title sponsor? Could it be a small line entry on an endorsement contract?
Its alright, I lost interest in 'big competition drifting' when the cars entered the 6 figure range.
For the love of the art?
Or
For the love of the money?

177

Drifting is already dead. Any pro event in Europe or the US one can't even get back a fraction of what it costs to run a season without using there life savings or funding from mom and pops that shortly diminishes, why even priticipate in drifting on a pro level because its just a losing proposition unless your an elite big name with sponsors. This is the same mentality used to make this type of rule to support newer cars being used to gain the sponsors and big time investors they believe, but in all actuality the world thinks of drifting as a joke and it is. Drifting at that point and what it has become has already has no identy and i surely i can't identify with that. i would rather watch 90s and 2000s cars with real style and spirit for drifting than a couple of tube chassis nascars with 1000 hp sliding next to each other.

178

Justin Rogers exactly why i felt American drifting went to shit

179

I can see why they might do it and honestly I'm surprised that it hasn't been implemented earlier. Whether it's a good idea will have to be decided a few seasons after it's been implemented though. At least people won't be complaining about there being too many s-chassis'.

180

Whilst this is a great idea, it will literally be 2% of.drivers in something different and then the rest in BMW e46s... Yay new rule achieved nothing..

181

bluestreaksti LouisYio Mmmmm.... kinda yeah, kinda no I think. The only reason why Tanner Foust is using the Passat is because he's VW's driver in GRC and WRX. He can't just drive a non-VW car outside of rallycross so when he wanted to return to drifting, VW supplied him with a Passat. It would be nice if he ran a full season of FD with VW or if VW backed another driver (or two) for a full season.

182

Yeah. But then your driving a commodore.

183

My opinion put simply. Racing has always had a clear path for progression lead by the desire to be faster, to lower the lap time. In order to achieve that, vast R&D is carried out on every aspect of a car that determines how fast it's going to be round that corner, over that crest, down that straight, etc. There's endless room to innovate, and so many different results to be had in an attempt to be faster here, and reduce tyre wear there.
With regards to how the majority of competitive drifting is judged, there's a limit to that progression. People have already got as close to they're rivals door as possible without hitting it, people have already reverse entried that corner. Once that's been done, what are they going to judge next? A car can only increase a slide so much until it's inevitably backwards.
Racing was born out of a determination to be quicker than the other. Drifting was born out of a desire to be free and a have fun. If you were to sit a bunch of artists down to compete with each other within a set of rules that were an industry equivalent of a Formula Drift event, it just wouldn't work.
On the contrary, Skateboarding's worked. You cannot develop a skateboard anymore, but the consumer is clearly happy with it the way it is (as the format has remained unchanged for decades), and Nike is clearly making enough money off the consumer to be offering big name individuals millions to represent their company. Although in poaching particular individuals they are putting core and enthusiast run business into the red. You could counter attack that by looking at the BMX industry, which is debatebly going stale (again). Something to ponder on.
Regardless, I think this decision is a very risky push. Some valuable talent is going to drop from the championship, and/or category B/C/D insurance write offs are going to start becoming more difficult to get hold of (haha!).

184

To hell with big competition! Drift Allstars.... Die your slow death.

185

EvolveWRC at the highest level, still pretty small compared to say, Formula car programs, Drag racing programs or Touring car programs. Minuscule compared to NASCAR, F1, WRC or DTM.

186

As a drifting fan i would rather see DA die than see this rule implemented..
E36s' kickstarted drifting in Europe. S13s did it in Japan. Without Hachirokus drifting perhaps wouldn't exist.
Ruling these cars out would ruin the appeal of drifting for me as a fan, following the grassroots and the competitive side of the sport since before i could drive.

187

D1RGE EXE robbieiddon if no spectators are interested because they cant relate to seeing FWD v8 Passats drifting no sponsors will be interested either. As soon as it becimes about money it looses its soul, which it already has in the states, and is about to in europe.

188

Prepare for a BMW exclusive drift series in Europe! Oh how exciting...
It seems to me that if drift allstars just keep doing the good stuff they're currently doing then the wild tracks, builds and drivers are going to gain the recognition they deserve. A dumb ass rule like this is just going to have every driver sat in basically the same chassis with almost the same engine as determined by value for money. I wonder how excited the commentators will be commenting on teams aero or livery because the cars and engines are all the same?

189

I think the rule change is neither here nore there, and will have little impact in regards to attracting larger sponsors. If they're going to go the route of "newer is better", then the cut off should be 5 years from the year of competition. If DA is trying to be all professional looking like other forms of motorsport, then don't dick around with the rule. No other top tier motorsport around the world allows the running of old cars. Only thing that comes close is GT3 racing for old rich old grandpas.
All that said, I think a better route to go would be to put an end to all the engine swapping. I would say the engines need to at least come from the same manufacturer as the chassis, and if you are actually serious about getting manufacturers involved, then it should be the OEM block in the car. Engine swaps are what kills the connection between a drift car and a street car that most people can attain. People around here will claim "engine swaps are easy," but when you're talking about growing the sport, having an engine swap be the price of admission in 2015 is an automatic turn off for anyone contemplating getting into the sport.
The other thing pro drifting needs to change is the tires. These stupidly soft, stupidly low pressure tire set ups have got to go. Dumping R&D into tires that last for 1 battle is the biggest waste of money imaginable. Persuing soft tires only drives prices up for everyone involved. Ignoring this is blatant blindness to what other forms of motosport already dealt with 20 years ago, and in many cases are still recovering from.
In short, this is a poorly thought out change.

190

Exactly. That car never has a bumper! Pretty silly.

191

Being that all cars in Europe, besides BMW and Mercedes, are front wheel drive, this is a stupid move. The cost associated with a rwd conversion will put many competitors out. Also there is no connection to the spectators then as they can't have or drive rwd Skoda Octavia or whatever else someone might use.
I hope FD does not follow this.

192

Twitch_6 5 years would eliminate most of the drivers, since new cars don't have off the shelf drifting parts. Which in turn means everybody should be capable of research, developement and fabricating parts like for example, Daigo Saito.

Unless the series is full of manufacturers or would allow complete fabrication and changes to the axle's pick up points, I don't see this happening. If they would allow other OEM axles to be used in any car, then using any chassis would be quite simple. 
I could see the tyre rule changes being a really positive thing. This is right now the main thing that makes drifting at the highest level very difficult for most of the teams. But if you would lessen the grip, that would mean less stress on the drivetrain and no need for such high horsepower engines. Could be the same show, but cheaper to run the cars. But well, how to write these rules, so that most of the drivers and manufacturers would be happy.

193

I want to know more about the exact wording of the rules.  Is it just the chassis that is illegal?  or the bodywork? driveline parts?  The way I see it, this rule is more about forcing creativity than anything else.  

There are lots of older euro cars that can fit the bill.  Any 4wd Audi or VW can be easily RWD-converted, or driveline swapped.  Half of these cars get tube-framed from the firewall-up anyway, so why not get creative?  For that matter, tube-frame a FWD car and drop it on top of a 2jz swap with old s13 driveshaft and diff.  You could probably cannibalize the now-illegal cars from last season to build it, if cost is a concern.  



Don't forget folks, the rules mean that any car built in the last 20 years is still eligible.  So yes, there might be a lot of BMWs, but there are still a lot of options.  There are quite a few japanese cars built in the late 90s and 2000s that fit the bill (Rx7/8, any RWD lexus, Nissan, etc). The Genesis is coming down in price and could be viable. There are tons of American cars too.  The new Mustang is offered as body in white.  Older cars can be imported, especially since they aren't going to be seeing much road use.  None of these are as "ideal" as an s13 or s14, but they haven't got decades of research behind those platforms.  Once teams focus on different cars for a change, there might turn out to be some hidden gems out there.

194

There is already a billion parts available for the S13-14-15.
Forcing teams to use newer chassis could expand the appeal of drifting to newer cars and expand performance parts libraries.
If you are in drifting to get rich, please leave.
Ford and Dodge have bee sponsors to Drifting in America.  BMW and Mercedes could wake up to this new window of opportunity.

195

"No matter how much of a hardcore grass-roots drift fan you are, it’s infinitely more enjoyable to watch high-powered, purpose-built shiny and fresh automobiles sliding inches from each other than revamped and reworked 25-plus-year-old Nissans and Toyotas." Completely subjective. I stopped reading here.

196

@Saint Mercedes??

197

Bold move indeed. Bold moves should be applauded in my book. At least there's strategy there. A lot of businesses waver and choose 'safe' when the industry they're in starts to feel loose and without a concrete future. Same like how whenever the economy dies, a lot of countries choose conservatism- the safe option. 

If there's anything the last 5 years of tech industry (start ups / silicon valley shit) has taught us, the best players in these industries do mad, disruptive shit and they'll either crash n burn or they'll change the whole game. How much better is that than simply dying a limp, shitty death because you were too scared to try... even though you knew in your heart that shit had to change. Huge applause from me, well played DAS. This has nothing to do with 'new is better' - this has to do with attracting OEMs. Bold Move.

198

Dalton Bedore Agreed. I'll take an AE86 Drifting over a Lambo...just looks goofy and out of reach for me anyway.

199

MichaelTPitt The attainability is what gets me. I love watching S14's, Starions, etc. driftin because it's actually possible I may own one. I will most likely never own a 2015 year car let alone a Lambo.

200

You've discovered the meaning of an opinion piece!

201

RBJKT Word!

202

You say that there are tons of parts for S-chassie.
Remember, back in 2007, there was no insane steering angle, no 1000 bhp engines and so.
This is a bold move, but it's a part of the evolution. 
There are many RWD platforms to start a build from, and when the drifters are building other cars, i know it will be a lot of parts for those cars.
K-sport already has coilovers for 98% cars
Wisefab will make New insane kits for New cars,  like 350Z, S2000.
BMW F-series can use E8/9X kitts ( very simulare suspension )

2Jz will always fit in a car, and the LSx the same.

This is a major step in the right direction.

Thank you Drift Allstars!

203

@Saint  this would be awesomme in DA / FD.

204

I have said many things and in retrospect stand by them all,
I will never be convinced that this is a good idea.


I as much as anyone want to see Drift-Allstars grow and
evolve. This new rule is at best a bad idea to achieve its apparent intentions,
and at worst idiotic as it will cause much turmoil to what drifting is, and to
itself.
This rule ignores and insults the very basis of why almost
everyone is into drifting;

We actually enjoy
seeing retro cars compete along with new cars in a relevant motorsport.


The argument from the ‘pro-ban-pre-1996’ camp that, it’s ok,
most of the favourites like Colfer (which I think is the slickest and actually
most modern looking car on the whole grid) and Dean are OK cos they’re chassis
is legal, is the biggest highlight of how bad the rule is of all. As a fan I couldn’t
give a flying f*** when the shell that those builds are based on was originally
sold 20 years ago. One is an s13 – so all s13s should be allowed, the other is
an s14 – so all s14s should be allowed. As for the loss of other drift car
masterpieces such as the roof chopped e21, the 800hp 2002, dw86, low brain
silvia(I think), this also show’s what a miss assessment this was, of why
people want to see and be involved in drifting.

Given the already bad reaction that this rule has got it is
certain that it is has so far only achieved one thing –loss of existing
spectators and elimination of almost half of the current top 30 machines.        Face-palm.

I genuinely think it is extreme promotions that are short visioned.
They obviously want it to be some fia type new car spec series. If drift fans
wanted to see motorsport like this, they would flock to wtcc and wrc type events.
They don’t, they want to see the wildly varied vehicles that compete in
drifting… and those vehicles do not excel in any other important motorsports,
so it’s the only place to see them.
Let it be what it wants to be. It has a huge following(undeniable
given this years attendances all over the world), and sponsorship will(and has)
come to appeal to that following

Not wanting to be accused of negativity and lack of positive
contribution, this is how I propose this step by the organisers to improve
the image of their series should have been put forward; 

Introduce a rule that all cars will be stringently reviewed on
they’re presentation. And the older the car the more stringent it will be.
(this will eliminate the shabbier builds that apparently exist in the series
and are bad for the image, and keep the aforementioned top tier , yet retro
vehicles, that every drift fan, even regular consumer joe, wants to see)

 A brand image associate
will be the sole decider and advisor on this. (cue appointing trusted ‘alf from
home and away voice of reason’ type from the organising team with preferably an
engineering aptitude and good overview of the drifting scene)
This imo would be much more positively inflating of what
already has been achieved and would be an obvious better understanding of the
subject matter.


Whatever happens, best of luck to all involved and thanks for
the great show that has been created.

205

@Saint Why? the skids who watch drifting are not in the market for a new BMW or Mercedes. And there is no incentive for those brands to attract the audience of those who have already bought their cars. 

Mercedes and BMW are too invested in real motorsports and would not risk their brand names on a judged (and often disputed) scoring system.

206

I ask from FD no more 1000hp bullshit no more twin turbo V8 and no more nitrous !

207

I don't know, I just think that seeing a Lambo drifing around a course is not as fun, one of the biggest reasons of why I enjoy drifting is because I might be able to buy one of those cars one day, or that I have seen them on the street. When they bring in things like lambos and supercars, then it feels like I am watching super GT more than drifting. Basically, it's just not going to be as relatable which is what brings in a lot of fans.

208

Justin Rogers 
Hi, name me 1 Motorsport where you dont need money to compete at the top Level? Isn't it the target and dream to reach the top (from driving and money point of view)? If you are willing to invest everything you have while trying to make it to the top, then it is just fair that drifting (or at least DA) goes the next step in the direction of professional motorsport.

209

i think that drivers want to expand their skills and try new techniques and or try new cars to improve both mentally and physically. But my honest opinion is that some of the drivers want to try and or use something the like and or pefer. overall just depens on preferance.... chrales sangollo you have a valid point but not every will agree because some people like having a v8 swap s15 and or a v8 swap (RPS13)-------->> 240sx

210

allow 4wd set ups

211

DanSantiago1 Pfftt, No.

212

Formula Drift US needs to do a couple things-

1. No car swaps during the season. 
2. Judges need to be very transparent and clear with the "expected perfect" line for fans know what they are looking for.

213

The way I see it is, they are changing the landscape of drifting essentially, but not necessarily in a bad way mind you. Look back on the past 20 years of drifting and you will see the common cars that everybody knows of; AE86's, S-chassis', Skyline's etc. Now fast forward into the present day and what do you see? Formula Drift is floooded by the 86/FRS/BRZ brothers and what else? Virtually nothing else has the same renowned following. What I want to see is team's and driver's experimenting with new chassis' and maybe one day cracking onto something new that sparks the imaginations of teenager's in the next few decades. While it is a wildly far fetched thought, I feel that this is the only way to progress forward, especially into the future with social media playing an even bigger role in sports than today.

214

1. NO CAR SWAPS ? Hell no ! I want 2jz vs LS spec engine war ! Like sponsorship from Chevy and Toyota type of deal plus cat-equipped cars and dolphin tailpipe for city restrictions and emissions
2 please judges we want to see scores, just like a boxing match ! Transparency at its best no bs !

215

DanSantiago1

216

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Justin Strickland

I think the best and most promising, yet expensive change is taking it to a whole new level. Instead of just curvy tracks they should make it more difficult with thinner roads with walls on either side, steep hills, and most importantly, spiral ramps. Yes, it will cost alot in car damage and building the tracks, but so many more people would watch it and they will actually scream when the commentator says "make some noise". Also to broadcast it more openly and advertise it more. If they did that id bet my bottom dollar they would gross at least 3x as much in money than they do now, and drivers would get paid more. With the right tactics i truly believe it has the potential to out-do nascar. Open to opinions.

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