The opening round of the Qatar Sand Drag Competition at the Qatar Racing Club’s sand strip in Sealine featured widespread participation, fierce competition, and intense rivalries. The event was held under the generous patronage of QRC Chairman HE Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani.
The opening round featured an impressive lineup of motorsport champions from Qatar and across the Gulf, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The first day, dedicated to motorcycle and Polaris vehicle competitions, showcased thrilling performances. In the Modified UTV category, Hassan Abdul Karim emerged victorious, delivering the best timing to narrowly defeat Abdullah al-Sulaiti, who claimed second place, while Zayed al-Naimi secured the third spot. In the Pro Modified category, Mhana al-Naimi took the top spot on the podium, leaving Abdul Aziz al-Ali and Mohammed al-Emadi in second and third places, respectively.
The Open UTV category, known as the most competitive and unrestricted class, saw record-breaking performances, with all top-three competitors breaking the four-second barrier. Yaqoub al-Alewi clinched the title with the best time, followed by Ahmed Bazkeer and Ibrahim al-Darmaki.
In the Polaris Vehicles for Children category, Homoud al-Sulaiti came first, followed by Youssef Agha in second and Saad al-Kuwari in third.
The motorcycle categories, featuring two-wheelers, attracted 14 competitors and delivered thrilling races. Khalid al-Mohannadi emerged as the winner with a remarkable time of 5.054s. Abdulrahman al-Nasr secured second place, while Waleed al-Sharshani completed the podium in third place. The ATV (quad bikes with four wheels) categories drew the strongest participation with 40 competitors battling across three classes.
In the Modified category, Nawaf al-Sharrah claimed the title, with Dhari al-Ansari and Fahad al-Dashti securing second and third places, respectively. The Professional Modified category saw Ahmed al-Mas take the top spot while Ali al-Derai and Hashim Ismail finished as second and third respectively. In the highly competitive Open category, Mohammed al-Mazmi dominated the field, clinching first place. Abdullah al-Mazmi followed in second and Abdullah al-Hazza rounded off the podium in third.
The second day saw heightened intensity as powerful engines roared into action, starting with the buggy categories. In the spring suspension class, Mohammed al-Sulaiti claimed victory, with Abdullah al-Sulaiti came second and Mohammed Hassan finished third. In the airbag suspension class, Mhana al-Naimi came first, while Abdullah and Mohammed al-Sulaiti finished second and third respectively.
In the Nitrous category for six-cylinder engine cars, Mzahim al-Kaabi took the title, with Faisal al-Balushi and Mohammed al-Sharshani finishing second and third respectively. The Turbo category was divided into two classes. In the original-bodied cars class, Khalid al-Habsi claimed victory, followed by Fahad al-Jassim in second and Abdulrahman al-Asafi in third. In the modified-bodied cars class, al-Habsi secured his second title with Jaber al-Zaabi and Abdulaziz al-Anzi finished second and third.
Director QRC Sheikh Jabor bin Khalid al-Thani poses with the winners of the opening round of the Qatar Sand Drag Competition. The second round is scheduled on Thursday and Friday.
