By Saleh Fareed
JEDDAH — After a long off-season for drivers and fans, the Saudi Star Drift Championship was back into action recently as the first round of the championship was held at Dirab Circuit in Riyadh.
Abdullah Bakhshab, organizer of the event, announced the details of the championship in Jeddah along with the main sponsors.
“Our aim is to provide an entry point for young Saudi drivers into the motorsport and give them a platform to explore and find out what resources are there,” said Bakhashab.
He explained that the championship will comprise of four rounds of amateur, professional, advance and Nissan. The second of the championship will take place in Al-Khobar on Dec. 2, the third in Al-Hafouf and the final and fourth round in Jeddah on Dec. 15-16 where competitors will use Nissan Z cars.
Three winners from each round, the top in each category as well as the leading driver using a Nissan vehicle, will compete in the final special round.
He expressed his appreciation to all sponsors Nissan, Total Saudi Arabia, TTS, Intro Company and Alif Alif FM for the contribution and support to make this championship a success.
Abdulilah Wazni, general manager of marketing and corporate communications at Nissan Saudi Arabia, said, “The championship has been part of Nissan’s commitment to Saudi youth and the wider community in the Kingdom in all areas of motoring.”
He added: “We will continue to support this competition in order to introduce new young talents to the world of motorsport and open the door for them to compete regionally and internationally.”
Meanwhile, Traiq Turk, Managing Director of Total Saudi Arabia commented, “Sponsoring this event comes as part of our strategy to support youth activities in Saudi Arabia.”
He added that, “Saudi Arabia Total is working to raise the level of motor sport in the Kingdom. It previously sponsored Jeddah Rally in order to expand its partnerships in the Saudi market, specifically with motorsport programs.”
