Omani trio in first-ever Red Bull Car Park Drift final

MUSCAT: There are three Omani finalists for this year’s Red Bull Car Park Drift final which is being held in the Sultanate for the very first time. Traffic jams in Oman now occur frequently, and often cause anger and frustration.

However, if you see one snaking towards Port Sultan Qaboos on December 9, it will be one that induces pride across the nation.

At the local championship, Ali Al Balushi won for the fourth consecutive year. Aged only 18, first-time competitor Haitham Al Hadidi thrived under pressure and secured second place. The third place was snagged by Tarek Al Shaihani, who will also be joining Al Balushi and Al Hadidi at Port Sultan Qaboos next month.

To get to this stage represents not just the hard work put in by these young Omanis but also the sacrifices and efforts of their families.

“Preparing the car was not easy but my family supported me. To- gether, we spent days and nights making the car ready for the competition,” Al Hadidi said, adding,“It was an amazing experience and I feel so happy to be in second place in my very first competition.”

“Since my childhood I have been participating in karting and buggy competitions, training after school and during the weekends. I only started drifting a few months back when I got my driver’s licence,” he said.

“My dream is to put my country on the map for drifting and motorsports in general,” he said.