Pulses will be racing and engines roaring as highly skilled drivers battle to be the region's new King of Drift in the UAE next month.
The Red Bull Car Park Drift regional finals will be held in Dubai for the first time, it was announced on Monday.
The event will take place as part of Dubai Motor Festival, which is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Seventeen contestants from across the region will vie for the title after making it through their country qualifiers.
It will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre on the second-last day of the Dubai International Motor Show next month.
“The Dubai International Motor Show has developed into a global milestone in the automotive industry, and we are thrilled to contribute to this great manifestation by bringing the Red Bull Car Park Drift regional finals to Dubai for the first time ever,” said Alberto Chahoud, area communications manager for Red Bull.
“With the best drifting contestants from the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Bulgaria battling it out for the coveted title of King of Drift, we promise spectators a world-class event that will exceed their expectations.”
Drifting involves cars skidding and sliding around a course and has grown in popularity in recent years. Drivers push their engines to the limit with high speeds and rapid gear changes as they manoeuvre around a curved track.
Seventy per cent of the judging will be based on the drifts, 10 per cent on the engine roar and tyre smoke, 10 on the crowd’s reaction and another 10 on the car’s appearance.
Lebanon played host to the first Car Park Drift event in 2008.
“This is an event that adds pace, adrenalin and global reach for Dubai as the regional leader of motoring,” said Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president at Dubai World Trade Centre.
The festival will also include a parade through the streets of the city of super, luxury and classic cars to be led by Dubai Police’s fleet of high-performance cars.
The Middle East Car Park Drift finals will be held on November 8, from 9pm to 11.30pm.
Tickets are Dh55 for the standing area and Dh200 for seats.
For more information, visit www.redbullmea.com/cpd.
The Dubai Motor Show takes place at the trade centre from November 5 to 9.
ecleland@thenational.ae
