... a rather graphic display of the motor sport phenomenon called drifting. Originating in Japan over a decade ago, drifting was first practiced illegally on treacherous mountain roads. The drifter's goal was, and is, to put the car into controlled slides, maintaining speed and angle of attack through the curves. Unlike races, drifting competitions are judged events, and winning takes a combination of speed, angle and excitement. With the addition of synchronized tandem or "battle" drifting -- the main event at Laguna Seca -- the stakes, and risks, increase sharply.

"At any point you can crash," he said. "There's a big risk, and that's the biggest thrill of it."