It's a Team's Life
A test of faith…
Drifting in not racing it is displaying car control while in an out of control situation. We have driven all different cars in different types of racing situations and all of our experience has been on dirt tracks. When playing with the cars on dirt it was always fun to get the car sideways, which does not work, well in a racing situation. U-Drift is about grace and dancing with the car on asphalt while in a power slide.
The drifting track is right down the street from the Petro in Las Vegas and we can take the truck over, as there is plenty of room to park. The people running the track are pretty laid back and enjoy teaching people to drift.
When we first started we were put on the small wet track where it is easier to get the car into a drift, the key is to keep the car in a controlled drift, which is easier, then it sounds. We learned to drift going both to the right and to the left and I found it was much easier for me to drift to the right. After a couple sessions we were doing figure eights, which was a lot of fun, and then it was time to move to the next level.
Each time we go to the U-Drift facility we ride with one of the guys who competes with his car in drifting contests, which gives us the incentive to get better. Riding with these guys is a adrenalin rush as they do all of this at high speed while they are working the steering wheel, clutch, hand brake and gas pedal. This past time when we went to the U-Drift track it was our turn to graduate to the big dry track. I had an instructor in the car with me and with some trepidation I pulled on to the track.
My instructor had me drive the course at a slow speed so I could feel the corners and see where I would want to start my drift. We stopped at the starting line and as we were sitting he told me what he wanted me to do. Start the car in first gear and floor it, shift to second gear and floor it, shift to third gear and hold the peddle to the floor and then when we get to the drifting point throw the car sideways. I looked at him and said “Do WHAT?†Come on I need to do baby steps…. He looked and me and said, “Nope, go for it.†That set my adrenalin in high-speed mode.
I can speed shift pretty well and I did exactly what he said and boy was it hard to throw the car sideways as it seemed against every thing I have ever been taught. Needless to say I did spin the car at a high speed and found that I could go almost as fast backwards as I did forwards. What a hoot and after a couple times I was able to get a long drift going to the right and reverse it back to drifting to the left. The fun of going from a left high speed drift to a right high speed drift is letting go of the steering wheel and letting the car right itself. I am also in the process of learning how to use the clutch to throw the car into a drift and use the hand brake to slow the car down.
What I have found is that the experience gained on the track has helped me when driving our truck or our pickup. On ice I once had the rear end of the truck break loose and without even thinking I corrected and drove on with out any second thoughts.
If your are in Las Vegas and have the time head on over to the U-Drift track to watch or get involved. The winter hours are in the afternoons until six in the evening.
Bob & Linda Caffee
Leased to: FedEx Custom Critical 

TeamCaffee

Saint Louis MO
Expediters 6 years been out here on the road 11 years
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle; 

Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;

Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;

Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.