Oh yea, everything you're saying applies to me too. DD10 was my first event and I was soo lost. I let 2 instructors drive my car and they were freakin bad ass! So I figured if they could do it, then I could do it. But when I finally got behind the wheel with the instructors, I sucked! I understeered off course, spun out on numerous occasions and ran over every cone on left sweeper turn and on the skid pad.
It was so embarrassing. I stayed on the skidpad and the small course during my 2nd session. I kept practicing countersteering and connecting one slide to another. I eventually had to stop at around 4:00 pm when I blew out my a tire on my drift wheel. What a day! I have a lot to learn, but I'm definitely planning on going out again.
If a set of tires are balding with steel belts and cords showing or treadless, the drift session isn't over until those tires stop holding air.