[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“Yes, and it was mostly done on dirt tracks, too. When you got to asphalt, you didn’t want to drift as much, as you didn’t go as fast doing so.”

Oh, I don’t know,,,, on a dirt track, you wanted your front tires on the “smooth” part of the track, but wanted your right rear tire against the cushion. That’s a bit different.
Way back when, “drifting” the right corners was the fastest way through. But as technology and design changed, it became less so. I raced karts as a kid, both on dirt and asphalt. Dirt was much more fun!

But you’re right to say “drift as much.” But they still did drift. As tech and designs changed, so did cornering style. The style had little to do with today’s “sport” of “Drifting.”

[IYAS9YAS]

I raced sprinter karts on asphalt for a few years and Outlaw Karts on dirt ovals for a few years after that. They were a blast, but I had more fun on the dirt, too.

Here's a link that shows a photo of me in my Outlaw Kart. I'm in #50, pulling a wheelie almost all the way down the straight (1/9th-mile oval). This was early in the season, too, as the wing is un-bent ;-). It had a Honda CR500 engine in it. It was fun, but even in the small stuff, the budget got too tight to keep going. I've been out of it for more than a decade.