Formula Drifting for Women

​Formula Drifting is a sport that first rose to popularity in Japan. While it is often termed as racing, there is actually little to no racing involved in the sport.  Formula D involves taking a car, one that is ideal for drifting, and using certain driving techniques to cause the car to lose traction and drift. The goal is to keep control of the car and steer it to victory. Victory is, almost always, decided by a panel of judges, who are experienced in the art of drifting.

Drifting sounds exciting, doesnít it?  Since it first came to the United States, drifting has rapidly increased in popularity, with all different types of individuals.  Unfortunately, drifting is often referred to as a male dominated sport. That is because, in the past and still sometimes today, men where mostly the competitors.  The problem with this is that, as previously mentioned, all different individuals enjoy the sport of drifting, including women. In addition to enjoying the sport as a spectator, many women also wish to compete in it.  If you are woman who is interested in Formula Drifting, you may be wondering what to do.

​Despite what you may believe or may have been told, women do not have to stand on the sidelines or be a spectator in the stands. If you are interested in drifting, whether it be on a professional level or an amateur level, you have every right to enjoy the sport. Essentially, this means that if you want to participate in drifting, go right ahead.  Not only do you deserve the right to participate in it, but you may even be better at it than you had originally anticipated.

Perhaps, the first step in getting started in drifting is to famialrize yourself with the sport, if you havenít already done so. This familiarization can be done a number of different ways.  You may want to think about attending a professional Formula D event.  If you are unable to attend a professional event, an amateur drifting event will do.  At these events, you are advised to pay close attention.  Not only will you be able to determine whether or not drifting is definitely something that you would like to do, you may also be able to learn some new techniques or tips.  It may also be a good idea to purchase some printed materials or videos on the art of drifting. 

​In addition to learning about the sport, by watching a live event or reading up on it, you may also want to enroll yourself in an instructional drifting course.  Many of these courses, also commonly referred to as classes, are offered all across the United States. In addition to traditional Formula Drifting courses, you may even find drifting courses or programs that are designed just for women. One of those programs is Drifting Pretty. Drifting Pretty, which is based in California, acts as training course, as well as a support network for women that are interested in drifting.

If you are serious about drifting, whether you want to become a professional Formula D driver or just drift for fun, you may want to think about taking one of these training courses.  Although you may feel more comfortable in a program or training course that is designed just for women, there are co-ed courses and programs that are also available.  You should easily be able to find these courses with a standard internet search or with recommendations from fellow drifters.

​Aside from taking a training course and familiarizing yourself with the sport, you will also want to insert yourself into its following.  By actively participating in online discussions, you may be alerted to upcoming drifting events.  As popular as drifting is, it is sometimes difficult to be informed of these events without inserting yourself into a social drifting network. In addition to being alerted to upcoming events, you may also find support from other female drifters.  In a sport that is mostly dominated by males, female drifters need to be able to unite and stick together.