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Motor sport enthusiasts were served up a treat on Friday night as the kingdom’s best drifters screeched into town to compete in the Red Bull Car Park Drift Bahrain.
In a turn of events that surprised no one, Salman Abdullah powered his way to the title for the sixth time in a row with an exhilarating performance that left many onlookers gasping. Although, that could have been due to the heavy fog of tyre smoke and burning rubber that permeated the air.
Abdullah’s victory was not as simple as his yearly dominance may appear, as he was pushed all the way in a heated battle under the lights at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.
Thamer Alissa and Salah Salahaldeen placed second and third respectively, but it will be Abdullah who will represent Bahrain at the regional final in Kuwait on December 8.
Abdullah was thrilled with his victory when he spoke to GulfWeekly afterwards. He said: “I was absolutely confident in my car and I am very happy to win again. I look forward to representing Bahrain in Kuwait and I will try my best to bring the title home.
“It gets harder to retain my title every year, as these guys are pushing me very hard to my limits. Luckily, I pulled out my best performance and the judges liked me the most. I’d also like to thank the fans for coming down and showing their support, I really appreciate it.”
The judges for this year’s qualifiers were Abdul Rahman Ghuloom, Faisal Al Shafei, Osama Buflasa and Eyad Ebrahim. The Bahrain qualifier will be followed by Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Oman, Qatar and the UAE, before the regional final in Kuwait.
