APEXMASTERS · DICTIONARY
DRIFT. TERMINOLOGY.
The language of drifting. Every technique, every part, every term a driver needs to know.
COMPETITION TERMS
17BATTLE
Head-to-head tandem run between two drivers, scored by direct comparison.
BYE RUN
A solo run a driver advances on automatically when their opponent cannot start.
CHASE CAR / CHASER
The trailing driver in a tandem battle, tasked with mirroring the lead car as …
CHASE RUN
The half of a battle where you follow the opponent — proximity and mirroring …
COMPETITION TIME OUT
A short repair window granted to a driver whose car has been damaged or …
Tandem
Two cars drifting the course side-by-side, one leading and one chasing.
Lead Car
The front car in a tandem battle, setting line, speed and rhythm.
Leading Run
A driver's run as the lead car in a tandem battle.
Opponent
The other driver in a battle pairing.
Match
A bracketed battle pairing between two drivers in the elimination rounds.
Qualification
Solo runs scored to seed drivers into the elimination ladder.
Solo Run
A single car running the course alone, used in qualifying and practice.
Practice
Untimed track sessions before qualifying, used to learn the layout and set the car …
Training
Off-event coaching and seat time used to develop a driver outside competition.
Re-fueling
Adding fuel to the car between sessions, restricted to designated zones.
Scrutineering
Pre-event technical inspection that verifies the car meets the rulebook.
Sight Lap
A slow walking-pace lap of the course before practice begins.
GENERAL TERMS
10ANGLE
How far the car is rotated relative to its direction of travel — more …
BRIEFING
The pre-event meeting where judges and organizers explain the course, rules, and scoring.
COLLISION
Heavy contact between cars during a battle, severe enough to alter a line or …
COMMITMENT
Judging criterion measuring how aggressively a driver attacks the entry without lifting.
COMPETITOR
A driver registered and approved to take part in a drift event.
CONTACT
Light, often incidental touch between cars in a tandem run — usually not penalized.
CORRECTION
An obvious mid-drift steering or throttle input used to recover from a near-mistake.
Danger
Any condition that puts drivers, marshals or spectators at risk.
Hazard
A specific physical object or condition presenting a risk on track.
Pace
The overall speed and rhythm a driver carries through the course.
JUDGING & SCORING
16FLUIDITY
How smoothly a drift flows from one zone to the next without jerks or …
Proximity
How close the chase car stays to the lead car throughout a tandem run.
Protest
A formal complaint filed by a team against a judging decision or rule call.
Penalty
A scoring or grid sanction imposed for a rule infringement.
Strike
A formal warning logged against a driver for a rule infringement.
Incomplete Run
A run that did not finish — spin, off-course or mechanical — and is …
Incident
Any on-track event that requires a review or a marshal response.
Gain & Gaining
When the chase car closes the gap on the lead car during a tandem …
Escaping
When the lead car opens the gap on the chase car through pace and …
Inactive Chase
A chase run that fails to apply pressure on the lead, scored as a …
Unchaseable Lead
A lead run so erratic or off-line that no chase could reasonably follow it.
Hesitation
A momentary pause or backed-off throttle that breaks the rhythm of a run.
Shallow
A drift with insufficient angle for the section being judged.
Wavering
An unsteady steering input that causes the car to oscillate during a slide.
Wobble
A sharp, short oscillation that breaks the line for a moment.
Stalling
The engine stops mid-run, ending the run as incomplete.
DRIVING TECHNIQUE
11ADJUSTMENT
A small mid-drift input — steering, throttle, or brake — used to refine the …
COUNTER
Counter-steering — turning the wheel opposite the direction the car is sliding.
Initiation
The act of starting a drift, typically at the entry to the first corner.
Re-initiation
Restarting the drift after a momentary loss of slide mid-course.
Transition
Switching the car's direction of slide from one side to the other.
Manji
A series of rapid left-right transitions on a straight, originally a Japanese style move.
Opposite Drift
Drifting through a corner against its natural curve, with angle on the wrong side.
Lift Off
Releasing the throttle to shift weight forward and rotate the car.
Sideways
Driving with the car at a significant slip angle relative to direction of travel.
Straighten
The car comes out of the slide, returning to a forward-pointing direction.
Touch & Go
Briefly contacting a clipping point or wall and continuing the run.
TRACK & LAYOUT
15ACCELERATION ZONE
A section of the course where drivers must show full throttle commitment.
BURNOUT BOX
Pre-grid area where drivers warm tyres before launching onto the course.
CLIPING POINT
An inside marker the car must come close to during the drift line — …
CONE
A traffic cone used to mark a clipping point or the boundary of a …
DECELL ZONE
A track section where drivers must reduce speed before the next transition or corner.
OUTER ZONE
An outside-edge area the rear of the car must reach during the drift line.
Momentum Zone
A course section judged on entry speed and carried momentum.
Pace Zone
A course section where judges weight tempo and rhythm of the slide.
Proximity Zone
A course section where the chase car is judged primarily on proximity to the …
Scoring Section
The portion of the course on which judges actively score, between the start and …
Restricted Area
A part of the venue where only authorised personnel are permitted.
Stand-by Area
Where competitors wait between runs, ready to be called to the start gate.
Hot Pit
The pit area where active cars work between runs, with running engines permitted.
Pre-Start
The staging area immediately before the start gate, where final checks happen.
Start
The line at which the run is officially counted as begun.