How to Use the Handbrake Correctly in Drifting

Did you know you’re probably not using the handbrake correctly? Let me break it down super quick: Step 1: Fully press the clutch before pulling the handbrake. This reduces shock to the drivetrain and prevents the engine from stalling when the rear wheels lock. If you do not put the clutch in, you will hurt the car. Step 2: Turn the wheel slightly toward the corner. That small steering input starts the weight transfer and sets your drift line. Step [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-07-21T10:16:40-06:00December 18th, 2025|

How to Stop Spinning Out in Drift (Using the Clutch)

We are always excited to share advanced drift tips with our students. Here is one of them: In drifting, there are many tools at your disposal, each with different uses. For instance, the clutch pedal can be used in several ways depending on the situation you are dealing with. In this instance, we are using the clutch pedal to prevent a spin. If you have too much momentum, you will exceed the steering angle at the front wheels, resulting in [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-07-21T10:17:05-06:00December 18th, 2025|

Why the Best Tandem Drivers Use the Footbrake — Not the Handbrake

Have you ever wondered how drivers are able to get so close in Tandem? The best drivers in the world use the footbrake as a tool to modulate proximity with the lead driver. * You use the left foot brake while you are already drifting and on throttle. * While staying in the throttle you will bring your left foot over to the footbrake and depress as much as necessary for the situation you are in, most of the time [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-07-21T10:17:33-06:00December 18th, 2025|

Clutch Control: The Missing Piece in Advanced Tandem Drifting

This drift technique is so advanced, most drivers don’t even know it exists. In tandem drifting, the chase driver has to stay close to the lead car without overshooting. You’ve got 3 ways to adjust speed: gas, brake, and clutch. Everyone knows gas and brake, but the clutch is the secret weapon. Here’s why: the goal is to keep your tires in their grip efficiency window, just enough wheel speed to hold angle without too much smoke. Too much wheel [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-07-21T10:18:06-06:00December 18th, 2025|

What “Seat Time” Really Means at a Performance Driving School

If you’ve ever searched for a performance driving school or drifting class, you’ve probably noticed that nearly every program lists a price, a duration, and maybe a few photos, but very few explain how much time you’ll actually spend driving. That missing detail is called seat time, and it’s one of the most important factors in choosing a drift school or performance driving experience, even though it’s rarely discussed upfront. At Texas Drift Academy, this is one of the [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-06-27T08:23:41-06:00December 17th, 2025|

Road Racing tips from F1 Principle James Vowels: How Drifting Can Transform Your Track Skills

Have you ever wondered how to get faster around a racetrack? What skills can boost your confidence behind the wheel? With the right training, you can develop the abilities needed to handle tricky situations, like saving your car if it starts to slide or understeer. As the head coach of Texas Drift Academy, I’ve seen firsthand how our program helps road course drivers improve their lap times. Recently, I worked with the current team principal of Williams F1, James [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-06-27T08:23:44-06:00October 28th, 2024|

How to Master the Drift Feint (or Manji) This Entry

In the world of performance driving, there are techniques that can elevate your skills to the next level. One such technique is the "feint entry" where you load up weight transfer to the opposite side of the turn to 'snap' into drift initiation. The feint (technically speaking) is just weight transfer while the Manji involves having the back end 'step out' into a quick slide, then load up before the snap back. Either way, the effect is the same. This [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-06-27T08:24:04-06:00September 30th, 2023|

Tandem Drift Tips

At the highest level of drifting, Formula Drift, you compete against 800-1400 horsepower drift cars. The amount of wheel speed you can generate is incredible, resulting in ridiculous amounts of tire smoke. It's not uncommon to witness a chase driver being completely blinded by a wall of smoke and having to stop immediately. photo by ignition_source_tv / Faruk Kugay in his Nissan s14, leading a formula drift battle against Connor O'Sully in his BMW e46 race car. With [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-07-08T11:51:22-06:00August 31st, 2023|

Recreating Baby Driver & Tokyo Drift Stunt Driving Scenes

In this video Josh Robinson (founder of Texas Drift Academy) breaks down the sequencing in some of his favorite stunt driving movies. The most popular were of course, Baby Driver and Fast and the Furious - Tokyo drift. https://youtu.be/Ktq2e4hip-k?si=UCf58xEV-04mE8CK In the video Josh breaks down how to complete the stunts in Baby driver. Starting off with the first one, “the backlot scene”. Josh was able to break it down step by step before completing the stunt. Going in reverse [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-06-27T08:24:12-06:00August 24th, 2023|

How To Build A Reliable Drift Car

Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a reliable drift car? Have you ever thought of what is needed to build a drift car? When it comes to keeping our drift fleet roaring and ready, having a solid foundation is key. Our strategy? Simplicity. You see, every car in our lineup is built with a straightforward approach, all in the name of ensuring reliability and maximizing track time. A Recipe for Thrills: Simple Yet Effective You might wonder why [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-06-27T08:24:13-06:00August 17th, 2023|

The Start of Westen Champlin’s Drift Career

This past year, Westin Champlin toured the United States attending various automotive events. At all of those events there were drift competitions, because of this, Weston caught the drift bug as everyone does. He began researching how to drift and what’s required. This led him down a trail to purchase a fox body mustang as his first drift car. As featured in his video, the mustang worked but he needed the proper education to build a foundation off of. So [...]

By Jack Reusch|2026-06-27T08:24:14-06:00August 15th, 2023|

About Jack Reusch