No RWD, no problem

Evidently, and yes, I'm dating myself, lunch tray drifting has been out of the curriculum for a bit. Proof that you don't need a custom, 750-horsepower Dodge Charger drift car to have some parking lot fun, a group of friends just discovered that putting plastic under the rear tires of a front-wheel-drive car makes it considerably more willing to slide. Their discovery of this fact is documented on TikTok, and it's about as wholesome and entertaining as any car-related content can be these days.

Rather than lunch trays, the video starts with a guy positioning plastic cutting boards under the rear tires of what looks like a Ford Focus ST. If that's the correct model — and the exhaust routing indicates that it is — it's already a potent little car. But the one big thing about it, and all other FWD or FWD-biased hot hatches, is that they are missing a majority of power to the rear wheels.

Behind the camera, his friend has already reached a verdict: "There's no way this is gonna work." "It's gonna work," the driver replies. He closes the door. His friend doubles down: "It's not gonna work." You can probably guess what happens next.

The car pulls away, its rear end sliding every which way as the cameraman's certainty dissolves into laughter. "No way. No shot... no shot," he says. Someone sure has a few old parking-lot drift videos to catch up on. The comments provide the history lesson. "Aww to be young. We definitely used McDs trays 20 years ago," one reads. Another gets straight to the point: "People rediscovering tray sliding."

Want to drift your FWD car like it's RWD?

It may not look as cool as a rear-drive drift car spewing smoke from the back tires, but placing some thick, flat plastic under the unpowered rear tires of a front-drive car reduces grip and allows the back end to slide. For those who might have tried this in the past and struggled, engaging the parking brake will often keep the back tires from moving while the fronts do whatever you tell them to. Suddenly, just about any FWD commuter can be an enthusiastic, DIY drifter.

That said, it's worth considering a few things before you try this. First, some modern cars will keep you from accelerating if they sense that the parking brake is on. Second, the plastic in question can wear out quickly. Third, there's no telling how some modern systems will react to the rear wheels being stationary while the fronts spin and steer normally. In the end, though, this can be a great way for folks to learn car control, so they don't make a fool of themselves by destroying a Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta or wrecking a Bugatti Chiron. Just be sure to drive safely and pay for the cutting boards you use. Stealing them from the lunch lady or McDonald's isn't very nice.