Controlled Chaos

Sliding sideways toward the bushes while 23 cops watched, we all laughed in delight. Making quick, precise stabs at the throttle, Komatsu whipped the AE86 around—probably with his eyes closed. No communication except an exchange of smiles, this flat piece of land in the desert was better than any amusement park we had ever been to. With the muffler popping, Komatsu slid around, opened the door, and still managed to smile at the cameras. He was so far, yet so close, to home.

Last month, Signal Auto, the Super Street staff, and a few top-notch racers headed out to EVOC, a police training ground in San Bernardino, for a day of drifting. Not only did we get to witness star drifter Komatsu, who flew out from Japan, we all got a turn behind the wheel and see how lame we actually were (I’m speaking for myself). The guys at Signal showed up with a trailer hauling the Toyota Corolla GT-S that they built just for this event. After unloading the AE86 onto the skidpad, a sheriff asked us if we wanted the pad flooded. “Flooded? Can you dry it off for us?” we asked. The cop was floored. This was the first time anyone rented the skidpad and didn’t want water. The fun had officially started.

After a few runs around the track, warming up the engine and our excitement, Komatsu went to ask Jiro Adachi (of Mackin Industries) and Ryuhei Kida (co-owner of Signal Auto) about giving me a shot at it. “Me? Naw, man…” Then I thought about the opportunity and jumped right in. Strapped tightly into a red bucket seat, I slid the car into doughnuts and managed to stall it more than a few times. Realizing the fact that drifting in Japan is done on the street and surrounded by many obstacles, I had gained more respect for the Signal team. As I hopped out of the rumbling Toyota, a shiny black Acura SUV pulled up and Stephan Papadakis stepped out. Steph greeted everyone and waited his turn for some sideways action.

A few years ago, I remember watching racers drifting in an Option 2 video from Japan, but I never figured it would ever catch on in the States. Mesmerized by these “sliding bandits,” I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the screen. The theory behind drifting is to get your car as sideways and crossed-up as possible, but still maintain complete control, and look good at the same time.

Usually performed on a rear-wheel-drive car (it can also be done with a front), drifting is kind of like the demolition derby meets road racing. Using the same basic techniques as the ones in road racing, such as counter steering, precise braking, and clutch engagement, drifting lends itself to many real-life driving situations. There is no particular chosen car for the drift. Everything from a Toyota Altezza (Lexus IS-300) to a little Corolla GT-S can be seen tearing up the pavement for the title of King of the Drift.

While these little monsters slide around the track like metal demons, they’re not really taken too seriously. Smiles and high-fives take place over any ego or attitude that may exist. In competition, the drivers enter the corners with a look to the camera to give a huge smile—all this as a reminder that drifting is about having fun. Car parts fly off here and there and the occasional spin out into the wall are greeted with cheers instead of frowns.

That’s exactly what was going on at the track. Laughter erupted every few minutes as everyone got a chance to get behind the wheel and display how tough drifting really was. After some translated directions from Komatsu, we all started to get the hang of it. Steph was having such a blast that we couldn’t pry him from the driver seat. Even Cap’n Rich jumped in for a spin. After a few trial laps, Rich was drifting with the best of them (That’s right, I was.—RC). I managed to pick up his 10-foot spy camera and click off some shots of him in action. In the midst of the laughter and wailing exhaust, we were greeted by another officer of the peace who wanted some words with Mr. Chang. After half an hour of describing our intentions, Rich slipped him an autographed Super Street magazine and a handshake and we were back in business.

As the afternoon wore on, we were greeted by another pleasant surprise. A shiny new tricked-out Celica pulled up and out came John Hotchkis. (John is a big player in the aftermarket performance business who races Formula 3 race cars and still manages time to come hang out with us.) After John slid the AE86 around with ease, we all hung around Signal’s trailer. Then the Cap’n mentioned something about taking the Celica out for a spin sometime. “How about now?” asked John, as he pulled the sparkling clean Celica onto the filthy skidpad. Two minutes later, Rich was behind the wheel and John was teaching him how to drift front-wheel drive, using the e-brake and clutch.

The sun was getting low and we were all a bit dizzy, so we decided to cut the motor and call it a day as we helped load the car back on the trailer. The day turned out to be a big hit, but not any bigger than the size of the smile on Komatsu’s face.