Sayyid Dhu al Kuful dominates

MUSCAT, Jan 4 - HH Sayyid Dhu al Kuful al Said reigned supreme in the second round of Oman freestyle drift in front of a capacity crowd at the Oman Automobile Association (OAA) Speed Arena on Friday night. Sayyid Dhu al Kuful took the top honours in the sedan section earning 45.667 points out of maximum 50 and claimed the second in 4x4 section with 23.667 points. “I am excited to win the title for the second time. This time I could earn the second spot in 4x4 too. So the round was special for me,” Sayyid Dhu al Kuful said. The champion said he is confident of clinching the overall title in the third and final round. 23-year-old Mohammed al Jabri continued his brilliant form in the 4x4 section by taking the second title in a row with 26 points. Waleed al Jadidi was third with 18 points, improving on his 6 points in the last round. In the sedan section, Al Mundher al Saidi finished second with 41 points and UAE’s Mohammed al Dahmani ended third with 36.667 points. Al Dahmani finished second last time. Among the 22 drivers who took part in the competition, three competed in the 4x4 section and 19 entered the fray in the sedan section. Oman’s star drifter Rafaat al Yahyaei, who had finished third in last round sedan section, ended fourth this time with 36.33 points. Rafaat, who had made his debut in the freestyle drift in the first round, promised to continue his efforts for better performance. “Even though my performance this time was better regarding points I ended up one position down in fourth. Anyway my aim is to produce the best show in the final round,” the ace drifter told Oman Observer. Rafaat, Red Bull Car Park Drift 2017 regional champion, had a disappointing start to the National Drift opening round after he was eliminated in the first knockout round. Youngster Al Jabri was elated after winning the 4x4 again. “Last round, I earned my first title in the Oman Automobile Association competitions. I am satisfied and thrilled to defend the title in the second round. I hope to win the overall championship in the final round,” the 23-year-old said. During the concluding ceremony, chief guest Hisham al Sinani, board member at OAA, gave away the trophies to the top three winners in the two sections. The third and concluding round will take place at the OAA on January 24.