LAHORE - Ahmad Daham has become synonymous with world class drifting that has won him fans across the globe. Twice Red Bull Car Park Drift Regional Champion (2014 & 2015 Middle East) and Guinness World Record holder for longest twin drift. Daham rose to fame at a very young age when others are dreaming of making some achievements. He believes in sharing his drifting experiences, skills and techniques with the global drifting community and it is due to this reason he is showcasing his skills in Pakistan. In an exclusive interview with The Nation he talks about his career and success. Following are the excerpts of the interview:
How did your story with drifting start?
It began in 2011 when I built a drift car, got one of my close friends and ended up drifting it while testing. Since then there has been no looking back for me; drifting is in my blood and I want to play my part in promoting it (drifting) in the right way around the world. For me drifting is my present and future!
Tell us about yourself?
I am an international drifter and Red Bull Athlete. I have been twice crowned Red Bull Car Park Drift Regional Champion (2014 & 2015 Middle East); I am the only drifter in the region to have won two consecutive Red Bull Car Park Drift Regional Finals. I am also a proud holder of the Guinness World Record for the longest twin drift. I am passionate about drifting, it’s in my blood. At the same time I would also like to pass on my skills and techniques to those passionate about drifting and this is the reason why I am in Pakistan i.e. to conduct Red Bull Car Park Drift Workshop in Lahore on December 28th.
What are the challenges of being a professional race driver?
There are many challenges but I guess getting the car ready and reliable for competitions, getting enough practice and always staying fit tops the list of the challenges of being a professional race driver.
What tracks are you most excited about and most nervous to tackle this season?
Without a second thought it would be Yas Marina Circuit as it will be one of the toughest competitions where the best-of-the-best drivers from Europe ship their cars to compete with the best-of-the-best in the Middle East.
What is one hurdle or headache you ran into during the off-season gearing?
I guess parts arriving late from abroad in order to get the car ready in time for the season are the one hurdle/headache I ran into during off-season gearing.
What advice can you give to the upcoming drivers who are passionate about drifting?
Firstly never give-up on your passion because it is passion that motivates you to stick to your area of interest. If drifting is your passion than you must constantly update your drifting skills, keep yourself updated with latest skills and techniques trending in the global drifting community. Also always make sure you practice and drift in a safe environment; this is very important.
You travelled to Balochistan to shoot a drifting clip. Tell us about it…
I would like to keep that as a surprise for the Pakistani audience till the drifting clip is released in early January 2017. All I can say now is that what the Pakistani audience will see in the clip is something they have never seen before and rest assured the clip will definitely make them (Pakistani audience) want to drift. The clip has been directed by Bilal Khan from Moving Images (production house). It was a good 10-13 hours of non-stop filming with one of the best teams I have ever worked with quite honestly even I can’t wait for the clip to be released in Pakistan.
How has been the response
in Pakistan?
This is my first time in Pakistan and the response has been overwhelming! I had no idea about how big of a fan base I had here in Pakistan. Pakistanis are one of the friendliest people. I have ever met that will do anything to make sure you feel at home. Since my arrival on December 24th all I can say is that Pakistan has exceeded all of my expectations. I would love to visit the country again.
Tell us about your Pakistan tour.
My Pakistan tour is all about promoting drifting and conducting first-ever Red Bull Car Park Drift Workshop in Pakistan. I would like to interact with local drifters and understand their skills and techniques better. Through the Red Bull platform I would like to play my part in bringing the Pakistani drifters closer to the techniques and skills trending in the global drifting community.
Would you like to share about your upcoming projects?
I am working on a couple of exciting projects that will be revealed soon that could also involve Pakistan.