Sultan wins round 1 of EMSF drag race

Sultan Al Zaa’bi flew across the finish line in a blink to win the opening round of the UAE National Drag Championship organized under the auspices of the Maktoum Challenge in Fujairah last Friday (August 20).

The Maktoum Challenge, held under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum Bin Hamad Al Sharqi, made its debut in 2008 and is held during the Holy Month of Ramadan where various indoor and outdoor sporting activities ranging from football, cricket, martial arts, badminton and motor sports, provide a competitive platform for sportspersons and source of entertainment for thousands of fans after Iftar.

While the non-motor sport competitions are held inside the Fujairah Tennis Stadium, thousands witnessed the drag race held within a designated enclosure on a specially laid out track some 200 meters behind the stadium located just off the Dubai-Fujairah highway.

Apart from HH Sheikh Maktoum Bin Hamad Al Sharqi, the Crown Prince of Fujairah HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of UAQ HH Sheikh Rashid Bin Saud Al Mualla and President of Fujairah Culture & Media Authority HH Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi were the other VVIPs who witnessed some fast and furious racing on the specially laid out drag strip.

The first round of the drag championship signals the return of the Emirates Motor Sports Federation after having maintained a low profile for nearly two years due to the global financial meltdown and the resultant drying up of funds from traditional sponsors. The remaining rounds will be held from October with the final round scheduled for April 2011.

While the UAE National Sand Drag Championship was originally scheduled to be launched in late October, the invitation to be part of the Maktoum Challenge provided the perfect platform to introduce “this exciting, adrenalin-filled sport to UAE motor sport fans,” according to EMSF General Manager Ahmed Al Sharif.

“The Maktoum Challenge is a very popular multi-disciplinary sporting extravaganza that attracts thousands of people daily, and we felt that this festival would be the perfect platform to introduce a new championship to the people of the UAE.

“I am grateful to HH Sheikh Maktoum Bin Hamad Al Sharqi for providing us with this opportunity. The huge turnout last weekend is testimony to the popularity this sport enjoys in the UAE and the region,” Al Sharif added.

Following are the full results (in seconds):

8-CYLINDER PROMOD

1. Sultan Al Zaa’bi – UAE (3.540 secs)
2. Ali Mussabeh Al Kaa’bi – UAE (3.721 secs)
3. Abdullah Al Khalidi – Saudi Arabia (3.752 secs)

PRO6

1. Khalid Rashid Al Baloushi – UAE (4.036 secs)
2. Yusuf Sulaiman Al Khadr – Saudi Arabi (4.414 secs)
3. Ali Al Kaa’bi – UAE (4.723 secs)

STANDARD

1. Yusuf Mohammed Al Ali – UAE (5.526 secs)
2. Abdulrahman Al Baloushi – UAE (5.572 secs)
3. Abdullah Mohammed Al Shamsi – UAE (5.814 secs)