DEFINITION
An Adjustment is a small, deliberate driver input made during a drift to fine-tune the line, angle or speed without breaking the flow of the run. Unlike a Correction, an adjustment is planned and barely visible; it's the constant micro-management underneath every controlled drift.
Examples include adding a touch of throttle through a transition, easing off mid-corner to let the car settle, or feathering the handbrake to maintain angle through a long sweeper.
HISTORY & ORIGIN
The vocabulary distinction between 'adjustment' and 'correction' is fairly modern. As judging became more granular in the 2010s, judges needed words to separate planned micro-inputs (good) from reactive saves (bad).
TECHNIQUE BREAKDOWN
Master adjustments by treating throttle, steering, and handbrake as continuous controls, not on/off switches. Smooth, constant micro-inputs feel slow at first but result in a more controlled, higher-scoring run.
PRO TIPS & COMMON MISTAKES
• If a spectator can see your adjustment, it's actually a correction.
• Run lower spring rates if you're constantly adjusting through transitions — the chassis is fighting you.
• Smooth steering > fast steering. Hand-over-hand looks panicked even when it's controlled.
A single throttle adjustment brought the rear back into line through the sweeper.