Features
'The trickiest part is keeping focused, so don't have a favourite CD playing'
'The trickiest part is keeping focused, so don't have a favourite CD playing'
March 26, 2000

Features


Power slide an Impreza for 2hrs


Simon de Banke lives for the four-wheel drift and is involved in WRC management

The most important thing you need for this stunt is a wet circle. There isn't a tyre on earth that could stand a dry power slide for the length of time we're talking about - I managed 2hrs, 11mins and 18secs when I set the world record for the longest power slide at the MIRA proving ground.

Before the actual record attempt, we did a few test runs - apart from anything else, we needed to work out which way I was going to slide. If you go clockwise in a right-hand-drive car, the visibility is better because your view isn't obscured by the A-pillar. However, if you choose to go anti-clockwise you can brace up against the door.

I decided to go anti-clockwise for comfort, although I wasn't expecting to run for as long as I did. I only needed to slide for about 15 minutes to break the previous record.

To start the slide, drive around the circle a couple of times to get your bearings, and wiggle the steering wheel a bit to get a feel for how much grip you've got. Don't think you need to go too fast at this stage.

When you feel ready, put the car in second gear and boot it. Use lots of gas and wait for the turbo to spool up because you need all four wheels spinning.


'Despite hours of concentric sliding, the expected dizziness failed to materialise'

Then give it a good armful of lock (in my own case to the left) to unsettle the car and as the revs build, back off the throttle when the car has started to yaw around. After that it's a case of balancing the throttle and adding opposite lock to keep it going.

The trickiest part from here on is keeping your focus - you can't let it slip for a second because you'll end up either spinning or stopping, so don't be tempted to have a favourite CD playing.

If you find the car starting to straighten up, use left-foot braking to dab the brakes and with the other foot give the car lots of gas at the exactly same time. This spins the rear wheels faster than the fronts and shifts the car's weight forwards; hopefully bringing it back into the slide.

Despite hours of concentric sliding, the expected dizziness failed to materialise while actually on the move. When I stopped, though, I felt quite nauseous, so I drove the circle in the reverse direction a few times to normalise. In fact, the only thing that brought the record attempt to a close was that we ran out of fuel.

Towards the end, the Impreza spluttered briefly and I just wasn't quick enough to catch it before it straightened up.

If anyone ever beats my record, I might take up the challenge again, but this time in a diesel Transit. That'll settle it once and for all.


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