Catch the Drift

Drift racing is a style of driving where the driver intentionally oversteers to cause rear-wheel traction loss, and then points the front wheels in the opposite direction, which enables acceleration out of the turn at high speed. It first become popular with Japanese auto-racing enthusiasts during the 1990s, and has developed a cult following in the U.S. Competitions involve measuring the speed and ability of a lead car and chasing car to maneuver a specified line and angle over a curved portion of a racetrack.

This year, Räv Design (Tustin, CA), a full-service, digital-print shop, is partnering with Tanaka Racing, which races on the Formula Drift American circuit with its custom-modified Corvette C5 coupe. Rolando Villasenor, the shop’s chief creative officer, said developing wraps for racecars requires a very different set of standards than typical wraps.

“There are strict guidelines that must be adhered to regarding sponsor graphics, so that’s always a consideration,” Villa-senor said. “And, the graphics need to look like it’s going 100mph even while standing still.”

According to Eric Nelson, Räv’s senior designer, implementing the Tanaka car’s aggressive, high-energy graphics proved challenging because they had to conform to the Corvette’s bold body lines. He noted another key barrier: “The competition drift car is manufactured from mostly fiberglass and carbon fiber, so heating the surface to apply vinyl must be done very carefully to prevent body damage.”

Räv Design produced the 208-sq.-ft. wrap on its Roland DGA Corporation XC-540 eco-solvent-ink printer using Eco-Sol Max OEM inks, which the shop purchased from Calcomp Graphic Solutions, with Arlon’s DPF 6000XRP air-release media and 3220 glossy overlaminate.

 

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