Catch their drift?

MORE THAN 3,500 motorsports fans gathered in Abu Dhabi last weekend to witness exceptional drifting skills and exhilarating performances on display during the UAE’s local qualifier for the Red Bull Car Park Drift. A heated battle between some of the best local driving talents culminated in crowning Ahmed Al Amiri ‘King of Drift’ for the second consecutive year (pictured above).

Published: Mon 20 Feb 2012, 8:08 PM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 10:20 PM

This wins him a spot in the representatives’ line-up for the final competition in Beirut, which promises to deliver an intense face-off for the battle of the regional title.

“I am absolutely thrilled by this win and hope to exceed today’s performance and secure a podium in the finale in Beirut. All preparations will start shortly to make the best of this chance and compete for the regional title,” Ahmed Al Amiri said following his spectacular win.

The breathtaking drifting performances in this year’s ‘Red Bull Car Park Drift’ captivated the audience with some of the finest car drivers in the UAE showing their skills and techniques in their specially modified cars. The panel of judges, including rally and race champion Abdo Feghali, Captain Ahmed Bin Hadi from Abu Dhabi Police and Essa Saleh from the Emirates Motorsports Federations, evaluated the drivers according to specific standards.

Abdo Feghali explained the technical standards which the judges relied on to make their final decision, saying that, “The final score is based on three criteria; 70 per cent allocated to the art of drift while the remaining score is equally divided between the engine’s roar and tires’ smoke, and the appearance of the car”. The Red Bull driver added, “This season, we are also stressing on a number of factors that might give penalty points to the drivers such as hitting the separators on the track, or getting away from the track or having the car turn around itself.” However, Feghali was undeniably impressed with the drivers’ performance and the high level of the competition, which “clearly reflects the awareness that drifting has gained in the region”.

“It was such an exciting qualifier,” said Alberto Chahoud, Area Communications Manager for Red Bull. “We were impressed by the drifting skills demonstrated by the participants who set the track ablaze.”

This is the third year for the UAE edition of the Red Bull Car Park Drift competition, which was launched in Lebanon five years ago. Qualifier stops include, in addition to the season’s opener in Kuwait, and Friday’s UAE Qualifier, KSA, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Bahrain and Lebanon, where the final competition will be hosted in Beirut this July.