Red Bull Car Park Drift: A Trio of Omani Competition Drivers Took the Top Three Places

“This company’s heritage when it comes to motorsport is the envy of the world,” says Samir Cherfan, Managing Director of Nissan Middle East. “And as the motorsport scene continues to evolve, so do we. To be successful at drifting at this level, which is absolutely top tier, a driver needs a car that’s completely controllable. That the three podium finishers in the recent Red Bull championship final were all driving Nissans says all anyone needs to know about how in tune we are, and have always been, with the unique demands of competitors, from drifters to endurance racers and everything in between.”

Nissan has been at the cutting edge of world motorsport for eight decades, being involved at every level, from grassroots amateurs to Formula 1. The company’s vehicles have proved ideal for use in many applications due to their intelligent design, rugged engineering and inherent reliability, and Nissan’s own NISMO brand has continued to set new standards in a performance that has been bred at the world’s most demanding motorsport events and venues.

At the Red Bull Car Park Drift Final 2016, which concluded on 9 December, a trio of Omani competition drivers took the top three places, with Haitham Al Hadidy taking the crown as ‘King of Drift’. Just 18-years old, Al Hadidy’s performance was remarkable, especially as this was his first time competing at a professional level. He scored 390 points to take first place, with the previous champion, Ali Al Balushi coming in second and Tarek Al Shaihani achieving third in a formidable array of talent from across the Middle East.

Rear-wheel drive Nissan cars have proved to be ideal for drifting competitions and, in December 2014, Nissan Middle East set a new Guinness World Record for the longest twin vehicle drift. To achieve that feat, two Nissan 370Zs were drifted together on the track, without stopping, for a distance of 28.52 kilometers.