DEFINITION
The scoring section is the part of the course where judges actively score — between the start gate (where initiation must begin) and the finish gate (where judging stops). Anything before the start gate or after the finish gate doesn't count.
Knowing exactly where the scoring section begins and ends is fundamental: late initiation past the start gate is a deduction, and showboating after the finish gate adds nothing.
HISTORY & ORIGIN
The start/finish gate convention has been standard since the first organised drift events in late-1990s Japan.
TECHNIQUE BREAKDOWN
Driver builds entry speed before the start gate, initiates exactly at it, drifts through every clipping point and exits across the finish gate.
PRO TIPS & COMMON MISTAKES
• Treat the start gate as the moment your run begins. Everything before it is preparation; everything after the finish gate is celebration.
• Common mistake: initiating early before the start gate, which means the entry isn't actually scored.
He initiated within a metre of the start gate and stayed sideways for the entire scoring section.