MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- A new phenomenon is taking over the American subculture and soon it's pop-culture. It is an art, as enthusiasts of this new found sport call it.
It is called "drifting." Although the car sport is still in its first phases as a sport back in the States, it is and very much has been a medium here in Japan.
"Drifting is not racing. It's hard to explain," said Jordan Hatter, part-time mechanic and full-time drifter.
The very essence of drifting is negotiating curves in a manner where the vehicle uses more momentum to turn than punching on the brake pedal, said Hatter.
"The ideal cars to use in drifting have a manual transmission, light, rear wheel-drive and have a low, stiff suspension." That's just part of it. "Driver's can spend more than $4,000 to soup up their cars," added Hatter.
The sport is illegal to do on public roads, but being that it is a multimillion dollar medium in Japan, courses are available to drift on.
In Japan, there are organizations that hold competitions for drifting. Track officials have many safety standards for drivers. Helmets and racing harnesses must be worn, as well as seat belts.
In these competitions, drivers are judged on style and speed. The idea of drifting is to travel through turns using the weight of the vehicle and to use traction to slow down. The weight of the car shifts forward while negotiating a turn. Meanwhile traction is lost at the rear wheels, causing the car to slide. Steering to the direction the car is sliding in and administering the right amount of acceleration, or "pop of the clutch," come into play while the traction is lost. This causes the car to "drift," Hatter said.
"What ruins the sport and gives it a bad name is when people drift on roads and not in controlled environments and get into accidents. That shows the bad side and that's mainly what people see," said Hatter.
Hatter is a 19-year-old mechanic who lives here. He is a proud mechanic and drifter. The blond-Mohawk haired teen has been drifting for over three years and has his own modified Nissan S-13 Silvia, which he uses to drift.
Recently, there was a car accident involving personnel from MCAS Iwakuni. No serious injury occurred in the accident but it still managed to taint Hatter's beloved sport.
"The car is going at a very high speed. You go fast enough to lose control," said Lance Cpl. Matthew Durant, Provost Marshal's Office accident investigator.
"The whole point is to lose traction, to slide. The driver is not in complete control," said Durant of the recent accident involving an Iwakuni family member.
"That's just dumb. People should know that drifting is very dangerous to do on roads. That's why there are courses to drift," said Hatter.
It is a very technical and dangerous sport, but drivers, who are experienced, should do it in a safe and controlled environment, said Hatter.