JIC Magic & Speed Trial USA US Drifting Buttonwillow

The little engine sounds like it has a tune on. There's no VTEC honk, but with its high compression, the individual throttle bodies are nearly as loud as the exhaust as it pulls hard to 8000 rpm and hangs out there for a while. I'm bracing my leg against a roll cage. Even with a four-point harness, lateral support in the passenger seat seems to have been an afterthought someone forgot.

We're sweeping through Buttonwillow's Bus Stop and, just where I'd tap the brakes to settle the car and turn in left, Hiroshi Takahashi turns right, then left. The red Corolla leaves the Bus Stop sideways, Takahashi controlling the angle with countersteer and his left foot on the brakes, his right foot on the floor. The 20 valves on the Toyota four open and close 67 times each second. Takahashi is doing the Scandinavian flick on every turn of Buttonwillow's three miles.

Takahashi is a top drifter in Japan and was brought here with his friend, Shinji Minowa, by sponsor JIC Magic Suspension Project to check out the drift scene in the United States. Drift driving is still gaining popularity in Japan, and is now as big as "grip" driving. An annual series has arisen and companies like HKS, A'pexi and JIC sponsor drivers to help sell drift-specific parts. Takahashi and Minowa's trip focused on a practice day at Buttonwillow held by Speed Trial USA, one of a limited number of drift-friendly organizations in the United States.

Director of Speed Trial USA Tommy Chen says, "We're sort of the 'dealer' for Club 4AG and other enthusiasts. They support us, and we give them a place to get their fix."

Drifting in the United States is the same as it was in Japan 10 years ago, according to Takahashi. It's still just a bunch of guys going out and enjoying themselves.

"Japanese tracks are smaller," he says. "Drifting is also a spectator sport. You can see the whole course, so people watching can have fun, too."

But Chen wonders if America is ready for drifting. "Kids have watched the videos and want to drive like that," he says. "They don't realize it's expensive when you crash."

Basically drifting is an exhibitionist, freestyle activity, like snowboarding. It's more about personality and having fun than tenths of seconds in lap times. Traditionalists won't like it, or even get it, but that's never stopped fun before.