Fans to get an opportunity to meet drift drivers on Tuesday

Sports Monday 16/January/2023 14:49 PM
By: Times News Service

Muscat: Fans will get an opportunity meet their celebrity drifters for photos and signed autographs at the Muscat Drift Arena on Tuesday.

The drift racers will be lined up with their cars to greet their fans after their spectacular performances in Round 1 of the Oman International Drift Championship 2023.

OIDC Race Director, Fahmi Al Busaidi said: “The drivers on both days gave us a remarkable show and we could clearly see the excitement they held and brought to this competition.

“It’s difficult to say who would take home the winning cup as each and every one of them are giving their alltoeach race, on the track.”

At the end of Round 1, Omani Drifter Haitham Al Hadidi who won first place in the National category, said: “This was an amazing round of battles, which I have to thank Oman Automobile Association for the way they organised it, and I’m ready and super excited for the challenges coming up in the next few weeks.”

The Association will be arranging a digital drifting challenge, which will take place after the Meet and Greet at the same location, with the competition set between the OIDC pro drift drivers and local gamers.

Qualifiers will begin on Monday, the 16th of January,for all video gamers in the country who are interested to participate in this digital contest.

Following the Round 1 prize giving, Ahmad Daham, Jordanian drifter who earned first place in the MENA category, said: “I’m happy as long as I put on a good show for the crowd because honestly, we actually do this for them. Hearing the noise coming from the audience filled with their cheers is what lifts my spirits and it would have been the cherry on top to get first place this time, but it was just bad luck.”

When asked what was going through his mind when the battle between him and Nikolass Bertans took an unexpected turn with his car catching on fire, he said: “I actually knew something like this would happen. When we took a five-minute break to fix the car, we felt that the engine wasn’t doing very well.

“It was a 50-50 chance whether it was going to last or not so we could only do what we could in that space of time and the rest was up to the car.”

The digital drift competition will be followed by a spread of food and side activities for both the drift drivers and their fans to enjoy.

The Oman Automobile Association will continue to host the next three rounds of the OIDC at the Muscat Drift Arena, and are anticipating a great deal of action from the competitors.

After winning the Round 1 International category, Nikolass Bertans from Latvia said: “I’m at a loss for words but it feels so good to be back in Oman to compete after two years, and I just want to have the best time here with some good fun.”

The reception at OAA is open every day for inquiries and issuing internationallicences. Karting facilities at Muscat Speedway are opened from 3.30PM to 11PM,from Monday to Saturday.