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- Fast rides with skilled drivers, modified cars draw visitors to Summer Speed Festival
JEDDAH: More than 5,000 automotive enthusiasts have so far visited the first Summer Speed Festival at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Until Aug. 31, locals, visitors and expats from all over the Kingdom can take part in a range of activities to learn about new and old cars, bikes and modified cars, along with the fascinating story of how the automobile has evolved.
More than 500 cars and bikes, ranging from classic and contemporary to modified, are featured at the event, which promises a world of thrills and wholesome family fun on the world’s fastest street circuit.
The one-month festival offers high-speed car rides with professional drivers, a remote-controlled car race as part of the inaugural Saudi Arabian Wireless Drift Car Championship, and board game competitions, yoga sessions, cycling and running. Workshops, musical shows and dining options are also available.
A classic car show features some of the rarest from around the world, such as a Corvette C8 Stingray, Infiniti Q50S, Honda Civic Type R, MG Cyberster and Mercedes models dating back to the early 1970s.
Vintage car collector Hamdan Al-Sahafi, who traveled from Taif to exhibit some of his vehicles, told Arab News: “Car enthusiasts are always looking to see classic cars … Today was a great experience for us and we enjoyed it.”
Speaking about his own experience as a collector, he said: “The biggest challenge is that you have to spend a lot of time and money rebuilding the car.”
One of the festival’s main draws is the impressive lineup of BMW, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Honda, and Suzuki motorbikes.
Saad Al-Hassoun from Riyadh said he knew he absolutely had to attend the festival and participate with his 1927 Bugatti. He described the event as a “fun destination” that brought together riders from around the Kingdom.
“Many of these bikers came to participate either solo or with biking clubs. We are pleased to be here to enjoy a day off at the Summer Speed Festival and at the same time show off our bikes to visitors and hope they enjoy the show,” he said.
After enjoying an exhilarating high-speed passenger ride around the track with a skilled instructor, 21-year-old visitor Abdulmohsin Al-Khateeb from Jeddah said: “As I settled into the passenger seat, I was really scared but riding with an experienced driver made it easy for me. Eventually, it was a great experience and I really enjoyed it.”