Drift UAE 2014-2015 Round 1 ReportMotoring Middle East: Car news, Reviews and Buying guides

Drift UAE 2014-2015 Round 1 Report

December 16, 2014

The baddest, smokiest, craziest motorsport is back for a new season and got off to spectacular start with win for the reigning champion

By Shahzad Sheikh

Are you a petrolhead? Do you live in Dubai? Then where were you on Friday afternoon? Because if you weren’t at the Autodrome for the inaugural round of the new season of Drift UAE, then you missed out. If you were there, then you’ll know exactly what I mean – what a spectacular and fantastic start to a promising run of the most crowd-pleasing form of motorsport in the region right now.

But first the headline news – current reigning champion (and twice UAE Drift King), UAE local boy Ahmed Al Amri, won the first round straight out of the box in his heavily revised and newly liveried Toyota Emirates Drift Team Toyota 86, despite early problems with the clutch.

However Al Amri didn’t exactly have it easy. Qualifying saw him fending off the challenges of current Red Bull Car Park Drift Champion, Jordan’s Ahmad Daham, as well Ahmed Tarek from Egypt in his orange and black Supra, along with international competitor, Sergey Karbargin in a mental and mad-sounding monster of a machine – which also appeared to have started life as a Supra.

Dubai-based Jordanian Samer Khadra, racing for SSK Drift team took on the Evil Empire Toyota Supra of Kabargin in the Twin Drift battles, but ultimately had to settled for fourth place despite a sensational effort in his head-turning GTR complete with blazing police siren and lights.

Palestine’s Noor Daoud brought a more than a touch of glamour to proceedings in her fearsome little BMW E30 drift car, and also proved that women can drift too, with some tough Twin Drift duelling on the Autodrome’s Oval circuit used for this Round. Ultimately she failed to get a podium, but wowed the fans with her spirited runs, and they cheered her on to claiming the title of ‘Hard Charger’ in this opening round.

The final, fittingly, saw the two current Drift Kings, Ahmad Daham and Ahmed Al Amri go head-to-head. But it was so close that judges demanded another run with calls for: ‘One More Time’. Unfortunately a broken axle, that couldn’t be fixed in the allowed five-minute period, meant that Daham wasn’t able to go out again after all, and settled for second, handing the win to an ecstatic Al Amri.

In addition to the action on the track, there was a customised car show in the paddocks, along with stalls, merchandise and catering. A packed crowd brought a great atmosphere to the event and celebrity radio DJ, Kris Fade, kept the spectators informed and entertained as he compered the event along with local autocross and drift racer Yousef Al-Herais – who even very kindly interview yours truly!

Well done to all the team at Drift UAE for great start to a promising season – make sure you don’t miss Round 2, which will take place at Yas Marina Circuit on 24 January 2015.