DEFINITION
An Acceleration Zone is a marked section of the drift course — usually between two clipping points or between the entry and the first apex — where judges expect the driver to be at or near full throttle. Lifting through an acceleration zone visibly lowers the score.
These zones are explicitly called out in the briefing and marked on the track map. They exist to push drivers past comfortable speeds and into a more spectacular sideways performance.
HISTORY & ORIGIN
Acceleration zones became formal scoring sections in mid-2010s Formula Drift to stop drivers from coasting through long straights between clipping points. TOSFED and DMEC now use the same concept.
TECHNIQUE BREAKDOWN
Plan your throttle for the acceleration zone before the previous corner, not during it. By the time you're in the zone, you should already be flat. Wider tyres, lower differential preload, and a stiffer rear bar all help maintain speed through the zone.
PRO TIPS & COMMON MISTAKES
• A short lift in the acceleration zone is more obvious to judges than a slightly shallow angle.
• If your tyres can't handle full throttle in the zone, you have a setup problem, not a driving problem.
• Use the dyno to make sure your power delivery is linear — peaky power destroys acceleration zones.
She stayed flat through the acceleration zone all the way to the second clip.