Ali Makhseed - Red Bull Car Park Drift 2017 Kuwait’s Champion

All eyes were on Kuwait’s Sirbb Circuit last Friday as competitors taking part in Red Bull Car Park Drift set the ground on fire with the crowning of Ali Makhseed as ‘King of Drift’ for the year 2017, scoring 375 points in total on his Toyota GT86.

The big annual event was held in the presence of Lebanese national Abdo Feghali, drift and rally world champion, and under the sponsorship of the Public Authority for Youth & Sports, Basel Salem Al-Sabah Motorsport Club, Drag 965, GoPro, Acqua Eva, Al Anbaa Newspaper, Kuwait Times, Falken tires, Shop & Ship and Total.

Kuwaiti national Ali Makhseed was honored to be crowned as champion of the 2017 competition, outperforming both Kuwaiti nationals Fahed Al-Jadeai who ranked 2nd with 360 points on his Nissan Silvia and Abdullah Al-Jadi who ranked 3rd with 317 points on his Nissan 350Z. The trophy and prizes were awarded by Basel Al- Sabah Club officials, spearheaded by the club’s director manager Saif Awadh Al-Mutairi. As a result of his winning, Makhseed was qualified to participate in the Regional Final to be held in Doha as a representative of his country Kuwait.

A Busy Day Par

Excellence The Kuwaiti people of all ages gathered on Friday the 5th of May 2017 to follow up on the event and after qualifying rounds were held Thursday evening, the 11 participants braced themselves for the finals which ended with Makhseed being declared as champion. In the first stage, Mesyar Abu Shaibah, champion of the 2016 edition of the championship, started with the challenge, followed by Ali Makhseed who did not make any mistake in the track that was designed under the supervision of Abdo Feghali and thus, got the highest score of 375 points out of 400 enabling him to win the title. Drifter Faisal Al Shuwaiee’s turn was next; he presented an outstanding show yet he made a mistake while turning around a fixed point. Amid applause and cheering at the stands and in the VIP area, Al- Shuwaiee was followed by drifter Fahed Al-Jadeai who also made a mistake. As well, Hamad Al Hajeri, Mohammed Abdul Razzak, Abdul Hadi Al-Hujailan, Jordanian national Louay Abu Ayyash and Sagr Al Ghanem managed to be qualified to the second round of the competition.

From Eight to Four

After the first stage, eight drifters were qualified: Sagr Al Ghanem who did not pursue the challenge due to a malfunction, Hamad Al-Hajri, Louay Abu Ayyash, Fahed Al-Jadeai, Faisal Al-Shuwaiee, Mesyar Abu Shaibah, Abdullah Al-Jadi and finally Ali Makhseed.

Then, Ali Makhseed, Faisal Al Shuwaiee, Abdullah Al Jadi and Fahed Al Jadeai were qualified but Ali Makhseed who scored the highest number of points was crowned as champion.

BMX and Motorbike Side Acts

As the first stage of the championship’s final race wrapped up, motorbike champion Shade Al-Dhaheri presented an electrifying show. He drove his bike and controlled it in a standing position and then turned around with it amid the astonishment of the audience who crowded up on the seats and around the track. In turn, Kuwaiti Red Bull champion Mansour Al Safran presented a BMX show that was applauded and cheered by the audience at Sirbb Circuit.

Ali Makhseed Expresses

Happiness Ali Makhseed, the champion of Red Bull Car Park Drift, said he was very happy to receive this title amid a raging competition that set the stands on fire. “I did not expect to win although I am convinced of my distinctive overall performance. I extend my thanks to the event organizers and I am excited to participate in the Regional Final of Red Bull Car Park Drift to be held in Qatar at the end of this year”. The champion also lauded the team’s overall performance in spite of the malfunctions that occurred. Basel Al-Sabah Club’s director manager Saif Awad Al Mutairi also praised the power of races, the way the participants were qualified and the seriousness shown by the Kuwaiti youth in playing such championships in Kuwait, adding that the club is participating for the first time in Sirbb Circuit.