Divyank Kushagra Bansal 
JK Tyre Motorsport has forayed into the world of professional drifting by announcing its first-ever JK Tyre Drift Challenge. The event will take place at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) on October 16. The event will feature a grid of 25 powerful rear-wheel drive cars piloted by some of the country’s most skilled & talented drivers. Details of these 25 machines and who these drivers are have not been released yet. The racers will compete over a series of events on specially designed track layouts. And, unlike a conventional race where the results are determined by the order in which the racers finish, a drifting event is adjudicated by a panel of experts. For this purpose, JK Tyre has brought together a three-member panel of international drifting experts comprising Alistair Woodham from India (former member of the FIA Drift Commission), Cristiani Nanami Lazaro from Brazil and Tanakorn Lertyaovarit from Thailand.
The judges will score the racers based on four main aspects: Line, Angle, Style, and Speed. Drivers who follow the ideal line (usually informed by the judges in advance) as closely as possible, while drifting in extreme angles at high speeds and generating more tyre smoke (a key parameter in ‘style’ scoring) are likely to fetch the highest scores. Of course, the higher the precision (the least possible corrections made from the steering wheel while carrying the drift), higher points will be awarded.
Sharing his thoughts on the announcement, Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsport, JK Tyre, said, ‘The introduction of the JK Tyre Drift Challenge marks a significant moment in Indian motorsport history. Drifting has been happening in India in silos; however, with this competition with the help of FMSCI, we will formalize norms of drifting in India and try to match it on par with global standards soon…this challenge will not only provide a platform for the country’s talented drivers to shine but also delight motorsport enthusiasts who are hungry for a new thrill.’
