HOW DOES A DRIFTING COMPETITION WORK?
Where other motorsports determine the winner based on who crosses the finish line first, what makes drifting unique is that it is the only motorsport that is judged, not timed. Although speed is a factor in drifting, it is only one of the four judged elements. These core elements are: Line, Angle, Style and Speed
COMPETITION FORMAT :
Qualifying:
Drivers must demonstrate full control of their cars at all times. In qualifying each driver drifts the course twice, solo. Each run is based on the criteria above. Each of the three judges is looking at a different skill of the driver during their qualifying runs: Judge A watches the drivers Line and awards up to 25 points for a perfect line. Judge B is watching Angle and can award up to 25 points for extreme angle and Judge C is keeping his eye and radar on the drivers Speed as he goes through the course and may award up to 20 points to the driver with the greatest drift speeds. Now that only adds up to 70 points, leaving a total of 30 points (10 points per judge) for overall Impact of the drivers qualifying run. Overall a driver can score up to100 points for a technically perfect and super crowd pleasing run. The top 16 scores move on to the tandem tournament rounds, with draws in scoring broken by entry speed..
Qualifying Judging Criterias:
Speed : (2 Speed Trap for 5 pts each) Speed is a combination of the entry speed on the first corner as well as the amount of speed the driver is able to carry through the entire course. Drivers are encouraged to drive as fast as they can through the entire course, not just the entry point. Maximum points are awarded for fast entries and consistent speed through the entire course.
Line (30 pts) The ideal path a vehicle must take on course and is marked by Inner Clipping Points, Outer Clipping Points, and Transition Zones. Inner Clipping Point are reference points on the course where the vehicle’s front bumper should come as close as possible to the reference point. Outer Clipping Points are also reference points and scored by determining how close the corner of the vehicle’s rear bumper comes to the point. Transition Zones are areas on track where the direction of the line changes and vehicles must change the direction of their drift. Scoring will be based on the execution of the transition. The drift line will be given during the drivers’ meeting.
Angle measures the amount of counter-steer and relative rear slip angle a driver uses through the course.
Overall Impression (impact) is the general feel of the pass and how well the other three criteria were executed through the entirety of the lap. This is the most subjective criteria and judges will look for the most “excitement” that the driver can bring.
Drivers must be able to demonstrate full control of the car at all time. The highest score for each driver is the one that is counted. Spins, major under-steer or push, or having two (2) tires off-course at any point during the pass results in an automatic zero (0) score.
Top 16:
Once the top 16 are determined, tandem battles begin. This is the most intense and exhilarating aspect of drifting as the cars compete on the track side by side. For each pairing there are two runs. Each car leads one run and follows one run. The lead car is expected to drive the course error free, judged by the same criteria used in qualifying runs. The chase car must attempt to apply pressure and carry the same line or higher, while staying within a few feet behind the leader! After the two runs are complete, each of the three judges chooses their winner or call it a ‘one more time’, which means that it was too close to call for that judge. The winner is determined by the majority winner (2 out of 3 judges or 3 out of 3 judges agree on a winner). If there is more than one judge who calls a ‘one more time’ then tandem runs will be driven until a clear winner is determined.
Tandem Elimination Rounds
Tandem round are based on two (2) runs, in Head-to-Head format, with competitors paired up based on seeding position. The higher qualifier will lead the first run and the second led by the lower qualifier.
The critical success factor is for the lead car to be able to run the course without error while being pressured by the following car. The trailing car's objective is to try and “out drive” the lead car. Driver consistency during a tandem battle is critical.
Lead Car must be able to clear the course without making any errors due to distraction or pressure by the following car.
Following Car needs to run the same basic line as the lead car but may also take a higher line in order to pressure the lead driver. Taking a lower line than the lead car will result in a loss of advantage. If the lead car is off line, the following car will gain advantage points by staying on the correct line. The following car should keep as close to the lead car as possible to gain the advantage.
Passing is not encouraged during tandem battles. Passing is only allowed if the lead car fumbles, is well off line or loses drift. Passing must be executed in a safe and professional manner. A safe pass is one that is done in such a way that the car being passed does not lose any speed after the pass is complete. Passing must be done while in drift, without the interrupting the line of the car being passed and in the proper line. If a pass results in contact, the passing car may be penalized.
Collisions occur during tandem battle and in the event of contact, the driver at fault will lose advantage points. Incidental contact is allowed but not encouraged. Drivers are required to complete the entire course, even if the other driver crashes, hits, spins, stalls or is not able to complete the run. Drivers are always being judged as long as they are on course.
Pace Zone can be marked with a cone or comparable marker and may be placed on the starting straightaway to keep the Tandem Battles fair and close together. The use of a Pace Zone will be specified during the drivers’ meetings.
Tandem Scoring will be observed by the (3) judges during the head-to-head battle. There will be no declaration of scores between the two runs. At the conclusion of the head-to-head battle, each judge will individually declare a winner. Judges will select from three options:
1. Driver “A” wins
2. Driver “B” wins
3. “Tie”
The same criteria is used as single drifting with the addition of :
1) The leader gains points by maintaining a higher speed, angle and better racing line than the following car
2) The goal of the following car is to imitate the leader while staying as close to him as possible.
The majority will rule will determine the winner. In the event there is no clear majority, a “One More Time” will be granted, and the competitors will begin another 2-run head-to-head battle. Multiple “One More Times” may be necessary to determine a winner.
All judging will be done from the judging tower. If a clipping point is not visible from the judging tower, a flag system may be used to communicate whether a driver properly scores the clipping point.
2011 DMCC Judging Panel
East Coast :
Marco Santos
Haig Kanadjian
Ben Alden
West Coast:
Chris Migalo
Mark Tshritter
TBA
DMCC Championship Points:
Points are awarded depending on the drivers' standing after every round. Refer to this picture to see how many points each driver can earn per competition.
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