Nairobi — Guinness world record holder and drift race athlete Ahmed Daham believes the sport will grow in leaps and bounds around the country as it moves from the underground to the mainstream.
Daham, who is in Kenya for a series of mentorship workshops with drift race enthusiasts, pointed to the heightened interest in the sport as evidence that drift racing is on the cusp of a breakout.
"Honestly, I was surprised to learn that there is a huge fanbase here in the country. Soon as it was announced that I would be coming to Kenya, I received a lot of messages on social media... people telling me that they are looking forward to the event. This shows how much drifting is important in the country and continues to evolve. Soon, I believe, the country will host a drifting competition," the 35-year-old said.
The Jordanian-based racer, who first ventured into the sport at 14, noted that drift racing is transforming and opening up, allowing many talents to dip their feet into it at an early age.
"In Europe, kids are joining drift racing at a younger age. People have realized that drifting is the next big thing. The competition has become tougher than before. My advice to one getting into drifting is to first get a simulator and obtain as much seat time as possible before getting into a real car," the two-time King of the Desert champion said.
Accompanying Daham on his Kenyan tour is his beloved Lexus RC F - christened the Mona Lisa of drift cars.
Daham, who is also a tuner, described the machine as his crown jewel that has added to his burgeoning reputation as a king of drift.
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"I like to name all my cars... It means the sword of the samurai in Japanese... to me, it is the Mona Lisa of drift cars in the Middle East. I put my 20 years of experience and knowledge into building this car. Coming up with it took around four months and I can say it is the best drifting car in the Middle East and in the world," he said.
He was speaking on Monday morning during a media breakfast at Tribe Hotel, Nairobi, organised by Red Bull.
Daham said his dream is to give back to the community by providing upcoming racers with tips to polish their art and craft as far as drift racing is concerned.
"What we are looking at is to mentor young drifters and sort of move the sport from the underground to the mainstream. Drifting is an art and winning is just a bonus. At the moment, my main goal is to give back to the community by sharing tips with the upcoming drivers," he said.
Daham boasts the Guinness world record for the longest twin drift.
He is next scheduled to undertake a career talk at the University of Nairobi main campus on Friday before taking young drifters through a practical session on Saturday at Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC).
