IN line with its ongoing commitment to motor sport in Saudi Arabia, Nissan is officially sponsoring the immensely popular Saudi Star Drifting Championship (SSDC) for the second year in a row. Nissan will provide the official car for each event, the Nissan 370Z, a vehicle renowned for its drifting prowess, and which will also be used in finals, thereby ensuring a level playing field for competitors. "The competition has been part of Nissan's commitment to Saudi youth and the wider community in the Kingdom in all areas of motoring," said Abdulilah Wazni, general manager of marketing and corporate communications at Nissan Saudi Arabia. "Nissan has been keen to harness the exciting sport in a safe, controlled environment." The championship will have five rounds of amateur and professional categories. The first round was launched in Al Ahsaa on Sept. 11. The second took place in Al Khobar on Oct. 9, the third fixture in Riyadh on Nov.13, and the fourth and fifth rounds in Jeddah on Dec.16 and 17, respectively. 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 on Dec. 17 in Jeddah. "The events are underscored by broad-spectrum safety considerations," said Wazni. "Many young GCC nationals practice drifting in the streets and Nissan is committed to taking them to designated tracks via the drift experience. The drifting series reflects Nissan's ongoing obligation and passion for the world of motor sport in the region and the Kingdom in particular." Drifting, a driving technique where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels or all tires while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner, is extremely popular in Saudi Arabia and Nissan is keen to embrace the sport and ensure it is practiced in controlled and safe environments. The SSDC is organized by elite Saudi rally driver Abdullah Bakhashab, general manager of Abdullah S.M. Bakhashab Trading and Marketing Services, and supervised by the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF).
