Drift UAE 2014-2015 Round 2 Report
Fierce fender to fender duels, as Ahmad Daham takes win from Al Amri
By Shahzad Sheikh
The latest season of Drift UAE erupted at a pristine Yar Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi as the Pro and Semi Pro Drifters blasted away the winter cold with a frenzy of fire-power, smoke and tyres screeching for mercy.
In the top Pro Class Jordanian Ahmad Daham – current Red Bull Car Park Drift champion and longest drift joint record holder – took the win after a seeing off all comers in his Silvia and a might battle with reigning champ and round 1 winner Ahmed Alamri in his Toyota 86 resplendent in shiny new reflective livery.
Third place went to one half of the Al Jazirah Ford Racing Team from Saudi Arabia, Abdulhadi Al Qahtani in his fearsomely loud Ford Mustang.
In the Semi-Pro Class, first place went to Ali Al Shaihani, Ahmed Omer Allouh took second and Mahmood Al Kamali grabbed the third podium position.
Around 16 competitors, most of whom struggled with technical issues with a couple of drifters not making through the night due to problems (including Radio 1 DJ Danny Neville in his mean looking Ford Mustang – new but not quite healthy for this round), eventually ripped up the circuit’s blacktop. Qualification was followed by knock out rounds in the exciting twin-drift duels.
Motoring Middle East wasn’t just reporting on the racing – as we have done on nearly every round of Drift UAE over the last three seasons – but our logo was also emblazoned upon the newly re-liveried Nissan Skyline of SSK Racing team’s Samer Khadra!
Samer’s a lovely guy and a great competitor, always bringing a bit of fun and excitment to proceedings (he ran the last few rounds with a blaring police siren and light bar on his car!) and we’re delighted and proud to be associated with him.
Our boy Samer Khadra got knocked out in a battle with winner Ahmad Daham, although he maintains joint third place overall in the Pro Championship standings, along with Russian drift star, Sergey Kabargin, in his beautiful Supra Drift car, who didn’t make it to the podium, but would win best looking drift car any day!
Drift UAE Pro Championship standings
61 Ahmed Alamri
57 Ahmad Daham
38 Samer Khadra
38 Sergey Kabargin
32 Ahmed Tarek
31 Yousif Al Romaithi
29 Jihad Hassan
28 Noor Daoud
24 Dany Neville
23 Abdulhadi AlQahtani
18 Ali Makhseed
2 Reshid Alaradi
Drift UAE Semi-Pro Championship standings
45 Ahmed Omer Allouh
36 Faisel Al Zaabi
25 Ali Al Shaihani
18 Mahmood Al Kamali
18 Rafat Haroun
16 Ahmed AlMasouri
14 Yaser Nabil
14 Mana Alfalasi
