Mastering drifting is fundamental to high-level play in Mario Kart Wii. To initiate a drift, hold 'B' (or '1' on Wii Wheel) while turning. The longer you hold the drift, the more powerful your mini-turbo will be. There are two levels of mini-turbos: blue sparks (standard) and orange sparks (super). To get orange sparks, you need to hold the drift for a longer duration. On bikes, you can also perform a wheelie by flicking the Wii Remote up (or pressing up on the D-Pad with Nunchuk) on straightaways for a speed boost, but this leaves you vulnerable to items. Combining drifts with wheelies on bikes is a powerful technique. Practice initiating drifts early and holding them through the apex of turns to maximize your mini-turbo output.
