Those urban cowboys who never shift their four wheel drive vehicle out of two wheel mode have always been easy targets for criticism. But it does not apply to a team of Qatari stunt drivers who give a whole new meaning to the term "two wheel drive". As guests of Al Habtoor Group, the team of six young daredevils entertained large crowds at the Metropolitan Hotel with their unique brand of two-wheel driving. The drivers performed tricks including stopping and continuing after picking up a small object off the road and zig-zagging between traffic cones.
Team leader Abdul Aziz Ali Al Ansari, who was responsible for talent spotting the youngsters while they were practising their manoeuvres secretly along off-road tracks said: "Despite appearances the sport is very safe because we keep the speed down to about 20 kilometres per hour." Unlike their US and European counterparts, the team do not use ramps to entice their vehicles onto two wheels. But just how it is done remains a closely guarded secret. The Dubai visit was the first time the group had performed their stunts outside Qatar. Trips to Egypt, Jordan and possibly Europe are in the planning stage. And now that the enthusiastic Dubai crowds have been given a glimpse of their skills, a stadium tour of the UAE is expected soon. Ansari also suggested that a shot at a world distance record for two-wheel driving was on the cards. The team want to break the long-standing benchmark of 310 kilometres set by a Swede in 1989. The Qatari drivers are also planning a shot at the speed record, which currently stands at 179 km/h.