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What’s a clutch kick?

I was riding in my friend’s car in an empty parking lot, and he pulled this trick with the clutch that made the car start driving sideways. I asked him what he called that move, and he said it was a clutch kick. I’ve never heard this term before, what is a clutch kick?

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Mary Cahill · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Your friend had the right idea by doing this when no other cars were around! A clutch kick is a steering maneuver popular amongst racecar drivers in which the driver steers the car while it skids sideways with the front wheels pointed in the opposite direction of the turn.
Also called drifting or shock-loading, a clutch kick can be done by pushing the clutch in so the engine revs up, then releasing the clutch quickly. This sends an RPM (revolutions per minute) rush to the drive wheels and prompts them to lose their traction as the tires spin or “drift”. In most cases, a clutch kick will make the car turn sideways as it drives.
Please be advised that a clutch kick may cause damage to your car’s drivetrain. The sudden movement puts a lot of stress on your clutch as well as the components of your car’s transmission.
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