MUSCAT: Kuwait’s Ali Makhseed became the first drifter from the Middle East to take the top spot in an Oman International Drift Championship (OIDC) round during the third round of OIDC 2023 in Muscat on Friday night.
El Salvador’s Naser al Harbaly missed out in the final battle to take second while Oman’s Ahmed al Amri made waves by claiming third at the Muscat Drift Arena of the Oman Automobile Association.
Ali Makhseed also topped the Mena category with Al Amri second. Jordan’s Ahmed Daham continued his consistent performance in the OIDC 2023 by taking third place.
“I feel great. I feel relieved. It’s like a huge weight has been lifted-off of my shoulders,” Ali Makhseed said.
When asked about the struggles he faced, Ali Makhseed said: “OIDC is always a struggle with the competition being really high and the tracks always technical, so it’s just not easy to get the top spot here.”
“For me to be in this position is a great achievement and we made history today as I’m the first middle-eastern participant to get first place in the international category in the OIDC. That’s always been a target and we finally achieved that goal and it puts us in a really good spot in the overall championship fight and hopefully next round we can seal the deal and win the championship.”
“The track is the most technical layout ever designed in OIDC, which was really fun for us drivers and the teams as well, to adapt to and get the right driving style. So the best team, the best driver and the best car won today and I’m thankful for that.”
Each Heat displayed a great number of battles with judges deciding on a ‘One More Time’ play on a couple of occasions when the points were too close.
AL AMRI TARGETS GLORY
In the national category, Ahmed al Amri topped the charts with Refaat al Yahyaie taking second spot and Tariq al Shaihani finishing third.
The qualifying in the new challenging track layout on Thursday saw 44 drivers competing for the 32 slots for the finals the next day.
Second-placed Naser al Harbaly said: “I’m feeling great. This has been a dream for me now for the past several months and it’s all I think about. So, I finally made it.”
“This was by far the most technical track I have ever drifted in. I joined the OIDC last year, which was my first time competing in general and so this is my second time here.
“Being an international championship, you see a lot of people coming from different countries, so there are a lot of different power levels. The main challenge is finding the strategy that would work so you can battle them and be in level with the competition.”
The drivers are already geared up for the fourth and final round, pushing themselves for the last opportunity of the season to win the overall championship cup.
“I am disappointed that I couldn’t get first place but I’m grateful for being in the top 3 again. I will prepare myself for next weekend and hope to finally bring home the winning cup in the international category,” Oman’s Ahmed al Amri said.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
