heres wat i think......its like drag racing, most people do it on the street and when their bored and have the money they go see wat they run, then their right back on the street.......of course drifting cost quite a bit more than drag racing and alot more seat time to be good at it and know all the tricks......i do think u should start on the streets and get a feel for differant surfaces(wether they be ruff, clean, open, tight, wet, dry....ect.) then when u feel u can stay with the comp and u wanna get ur name out there go for the events cuz their not that cheap to attend (not saying that street is ALWAYS the best way to go but the best way to learn)