The drifting season starts now, and drift.news will cover key points from the first round of the Oman International Drift Championship (OIDC).
Qualification
Haitham Alhadidy was the man to beat after the first qualifying session in Oman – a local drifter outscored everybody with 87.3 points. During his second run, he couldn’t improve and dropped to second as Alan Hynes’s show was awarded 87.7 out of 100.
Last year’s champion Steve Baggsy was third with 86.7, and Ahmad Daham – was fifth, scoring 85.
Nikolass Bertans come sixth, Benediktas Čirba – seventh.
| Position | Drifter | Run 1 | Run 2 | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALAN HYNES | 85.7 | 87.7 | 87.70 |
| 2 | HAITHAM ALHADIDY | 87.3 | 82.7 | 87.30 |
| 3 | STEVE BAGGSY | 79.7 | 86.7 | 86.70 |
| 4 | TARIQ ALSHAIHANI | 86.3 | 81 | 86.30 |
| 5 | AHMAD DAHAM | 85 | 70.3 | 85.00 |
| 6 | NIKOLASS BERTANS | 83.3 | 80.7 | 83.30 |
| 7 | BENEDIKTAS CIRBA | 73.7 | 82.3 | 82.30 |
| 8 | DMYTRO ZHAIVORONO | 72 | 80.01 | 80.01 |
| 9 | CLINT VAN OORT | 80 | 68.3 | 80.00 |
| 10 | TYMUR LYPSKYI | 77.7 | 69 | 77.70 |
| 11 | AHMED AL AMRI | 74.7 | 77.3 | 77.30 |
| 12 | NASSER ALHARBALI UR | 70 | 77 | 77.00 |
| 13 | ROTYSLAV RARAHOVSK | 70 | 76.7 | 76.70 |
| 14 | ALI MAKHSEED | 76.3 | 1 | 76.30 |
| 15 | NASSER ALMUTAIRI | 73.3 | 66.7 | 73.30 |
| 16 | RAFAATH AL YAHYAI | 72.7 | 70.7 | 72.70 |
| 17 | ALI AL SHAIHANI | 1 | 72 | 72.00 |
| 18 | EDGARS KROGERIS | 72 | 1 | 72.00 |
| 19 | HAMDAN ALNAHYAN | 1 | 72 | 72.00 |
| 20 | NICHOLAS SOLOMON | 71.3 | 68 | 71.30 |
| 21 | ANDRIUS VASILIAUSKAS | 70 | 1 | 70.00 |
| 22 | IAN BIZZ PHILLIPS | 65 | 67 | 67.00 |
| 23 | RIYADH AL MABSALI | 47 | 65 | 65.00 |
| 24 | ALI AL BALUSHI | 64.7 | 54 | 64.70 |
| 25 | SAEED AHMAD | 63.7 | 55 | 63.70 |
| 26 | HAZAA AL HOSANI | 62 | 63.3 | 63.30 |
| 27 | MOHAMMED AL MANSO | 63.3 | 52.3 | 63.30 |
| 28 | MICK KELLY | 44 | 63 | 63.00 |
| 29 | OLEKSANDR KATANTSE | 1 | 59.3 | 59.30 |
| 30 | AYMAN BOU FAKERELD | 1 | 57.3 | 57.30 |
| 31 | HUSSEIN MESSELMANI | 53 | 56.7 | 56.70 |
| 32 | MESYAR NAWAF ABUSH | 56.7 | 44.3 | 56.70 |
| 33 | SERHII KREMETS | 55.7 | 52 | 55.70 |
| 34 | FOO WEI SHERN | 52.3 | 1 | 52.30 |
| 35 | YASSER AL SHATER | 34 | 47 | 47.00 |
Top 32
This wasn’t an easy ride for some favourites. Qualification leader Irishman Alan Hynes had to go for OMT to beat Mesyar Nawaf Abush. A similar story has happened to Lithuanian Andrius Vasiliauskas with Nasser Alharbali.
Clint van Oort was also involved in the OMT battle with Ali Al Balushi, but the European drifter was knocked out in this case.
Top 16
Top 16 wasn’t the first time Ahmad Daham and A. Vasiliauskas met. Lithuanian made some mistakes in his lead run, and the judges awarded the win to Ahmad.
Top 8
The first big surprise of the event. Lithuanian Benediktas Čirba met Edgars Kriogers from Latvia. Benediktas’s lead line wasn’t perfect, but the Latvian drifter wasn’t close either. In the second run, drivers made contact – B. Čirba crashed into Edgars and was knocked out himself from the competition.
In the last Top 8 heat, we saw a great battle between Steve Baggsy and Nikolass Bertans. There were great leads and chases, and it was only one way to go – to the OMT. During OMT, the Briton crashed, and the Latvian advanced to the Top 4 to meet his countryman E. Kriogers.
Finals
A. Daham was better than A. Hynes in the semifinals while N. Bertans moved other E. Kriogers. The qualification winner took the final step on the podium while the final battle was hot.
During the first run engine of Daham’s Nissan exploded, covering the track in oil, but the chase driver managed not to crash his BMW. As Ahmad could start, a second run victory was awarded to Nikolass.
The second round of OIDC will start on the 19th of January with free practice and qualification. Tandem battles are scheduled for the next day.
