Drift Races are a series of Land Races featured in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of The Chop Shop update, released on December 12, 2023.
Description[]
The races are available for one to eight players. There is a total of seven races available, divided into six Lap races and a single Point to Point event; the default lap count for the six lapped races is two, although the lobby host can set the duration up to 99 laps. Custom vehicles can also be turned on or off; however, only vehicles converted to Drift Tune may be selected.
The host may also turn contact on or off, change the time of day, weather, and further options shared with other race event type, with the addition of a Finishing Multiplier option, which has four settings: Off, Default, High and Very High. While the only criterion for winning is accumulating the most points, turning this options on will award an additional sum of points based on the racers' finishing positions – first place will receive an additional 5% of their total points when the setting is turned to Default, 25% when it is on High, and 50% on Very High.
Once the race begins, the racers proceed along the route, accumulating as many points as possible through drifting. They can chain their drifts together to increase their multiplier, which is shown as a small bar on the bottom right of the screen. Unlike the drift points, which will increase at a different rate depending on the player's speed and drift angle, the multiplier bar will increase at a constant rate when the player is drifting. The multiplier starts at 1.0x and increases in increments of 0.5x until reaching the maximum of a 5.0x multiplier. If the player crashes into an obstacle, the multiplier is reset but the points are kept if the crash is minor, with the currently accumulated points being lost as well if the crash is worse. Resetting the car will incur a penalty of a thousand points being taken from the total sum, increasing by an additional thousand each time the car is reset, with seemingly no cap.
Failing to drift for more than a second will end the drift and bank the accumulated points. Providing the sum of points is large enough, a banner will appear on the screen, telling the player the total points banked and a title for the drift: Good Drift from 1.000 to 10.000 points, Super Drift up to 50.000 points, Mega Drift until 100.000 points, Ultra Drift up to 250.000 points, Drift King until 500.000, while for further points, the player will achieve the status of Drift God.
Along the route are two additional methods of increasing the player's score. There are a number of blue pillars located around the track, usually on the inside or outside of corners – drifting near these will award the player with a Precision Drift bonus of a thousand points. At a select few areas along the track, there is a secondary route available which is harder to drift around due to an increased number of obstacles. These areas can be identified by a green aura around the entire section. Drifting in these areas will increase the points and drift multiplier more quickly.
Visually, the Drift Races appear similarly to Street Races. Paint on the ground marks the starting line, and there is a person starting the race with a unique animation. There are also spectators and their parked cars around the drift track. Painted arrows appear on the track, and larger vehicles can sometimes be seen blocking off the road.
List of Drift Races[]
There are seven races. These are listed in the "Races" list, with the "Drift Race" prefix.
| Race | Description |
|---|---|
 A Hill To Die On |
“According to the celebs on Bleeter, life in Vinewood Hills brings its own unique struggles: BBLs are sagging, next door’s hot pool boy is piling on the pounds, and someone just crashed a ZR350 into the outdoor champagne fridge. It’s a hard life. Point to point race for drift vehicles.”
— In-game description. |
 Beach Slap |
“Think of those tech bros on their beachfront balconies, watching the sunset with a chilled Cazafortunas in one hand and BAWSAQ in the other. Wouldn’t it be a shame if someone were to drift the backend of an FR36 through their portfolio..? Lap race for drift vehicles.”
— In-game description. |
 Highway Code |
“What do you get if you smash La Mesa's highway, a can of neon paint, and a deranged mob of juiced-up, burnt-out drifters together? The ultimate city racetrack. And an eight-car pileup. But mostly, the ultimate city racetrack. Lap race for drift vehicles.”
— In-game description. |
 Let Fly |
“LSIA maintain their runway asphalt meets the latest regulatory standards, citing appropriate texture and grooving for steadfast grip. So how would you like to be the case study in their next lawsuit? Lap race for drift vehicles.”
— In game description. |
 Smoke and Mirrors |
“These days, Mirror Park’s considered one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Los Santos and it’s not hard to see why. Where else could you drift sidewise through Horny’s drive thru and grab a quarter pounder on your way to immortality? Lap race for drift vehicles.”
— In-game description. |
 Textile City Limits |
“New installations, cheering crowds, fresh street art and late-night shows. Textile City's "cultural boom" sounds so good on paper. But then, the PR material conveniently leaves out the stream of drift addicts tearing up the bus center. Lap race for drift vehicles.”
— In-game description. |
 Wide Berth |
“The port of Los Santos is the perfect setting to burn and slide into drifting godhood, so don't worry about breaking and entering. Do the docks have nightshift security workers? Yes they do. Are they all shotgunning beers at the finish line? Yes they are. Lap race for drift vehicles.”
— In-game description. |
