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How to Do Drift in Iracing

Answers how to do drift in iRacing for sim racers: clear cause, wheel/pedal and setup fixes, and simple step-by-step drills so you can fix this issue fast.

If you’re asking how to do drift in iRacing, the short answer is: intentionally break rear traction using weight transfer (brake or lift), then hold the slide with controlled throttle and countersteer. You’re in the right place to fix the common control and setup mistakes that stop drivers from holding a clean drift.

Quick Answer — how to do drift in iracing

Drifting in iRacing = induce rear slip, then balance throttle and steering. Use a car with neutral/oversteer balance, soften rear grip with setup tweaks, practice in Test sessions, and focus on smooth throttle modulation and timely countersteer. Start slow, increase angle as you learn.

What’s really going on

iRacing models tire grip and weight transfer; drifting is about controlling rear tire slip rather than maximizing forward traction. If the rear never breaks loose or immediately snaps back, your inputs, car setup, or controller settings are wrong. Many problems come from too-stiff rear setup, too-aggressive steering lock, or abrupt throttle that either won’t break traction or will spin you out.

Step-by-step fix

1. Pick an appropriate car and track: use a rear-wheel-drive car or a neutral front-engine car in a quiet test session or private race. Avoid high-downforce race cars for first drills.
2. Soften rear grip in setup: loosen rear anti-roll bar, soften rear springs, or reduce rear tire pressure slightly. Small changes only — test one change at a time.
3. Reduce steering ratio/rotation if needed: set wheel rotation so you have enough steering lock to hold a slide without oversteering wildly. Too much rotation makes quick corrections harder.
4. Initiate the slide with weight transfer: enter at moderate speed, tap the brake or lift-off to shift weight forward, then apply throttle to break the rear. Don’t stomp the throttle — use a smooth roll-on.
5. Countersteer and modulate throttle: as the rear steps out, steer into the slide (countersteer) and use small throttle adjustments to control yaw. If you spin, reduce initial throttle or add a touch more rear grip.
6. Practice short runs: repeat a single corner until you can consistently hold the drift for a few seconds. Record telemetry or use ghost replay to compare runs.

Extra tips / checklist

• Turn off any electronic assists (traction control, stability) if the car has them; they fight a drift.
• Use Test sessions or private hosted practice — don’t try this in official races where you can lose safety rating (SR). SR measures incident-free driving and will drop if you crash.
• Throttle control beats steering corrections; small throttle changes are your main tool for angle.
• If the car snaps violently, add a bit of rear grip or slow entry speed. If it won’t break loose, reduce rear grip or increase entry speed slightly.
• Watch replays in cockpit view and limit camera smoothing — you want accurate feedback for steering and throttle timing.

FAQs

Q: Can I drift in official iRacing races?
A: You can, but intentionally drifting in official races risks incidents and SR loss. Practice in Test or hosted sessions first.

Q: Which iRacing cars are easiest to drift?
A: Lightweight, rear-wheel-drive or neutral-balance cars with low downforce work best. Look for community recommendations and try cars in Test sessions.

Q: Do I need a handbrake or clutch to drift?
A: No — most drifts are done with brake/weight transfer and throttle. A handbrake helps for tight flicks but isn’t required.

Q: My wheel feels twitchy during drifts — what settings help?
A: Reduce wheel rotation, soften force feedback, and ensure linearity is set so small inputs aren’t amplified. That makes countersteer smoother.

Short wrap-up

Drifting in iRacing is skill plus setup: induce rear slip, then balance throttle and countersteer while using a softer rear setup and proper wheel settings. Practice in Test sessions, make one setup change at a time, and you’ll hold consistent slides in a few sessions.