Ahab Shamaa

@Rahimdad, I really miss your sense of humor bro! I am ready to put my little kaiju to the test 😀 If I end up chosen for this drive, I will probably sign up for a relaxed drive next week; just to recover from all the beating @Srikumar is gonna give us 😂 Thanks @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ for letting me know the drive is live 😘 let the good times roll!

If it’s anything like the IM Super Bowl drive, it’s gonna be an awesome drive 😀 I just need fast fingers come 7:10 pm 😜

@Luca Palanca Falsini, your enthusiasm is contagious 😀 The drive was amazing! Crisp clean dunes that are considerably high to provide fantastic views 😍 Thank you for plotting the route for us and for your support and leadership. Everyone drove so well too 😀 I guess it’s expected from fellow intermediates 💪🏻 This drive popped my cherry with my first ever tire pop-out 😂 A special thanks to @Luca Palanca Falsini, @Islam Soliman and @marks for taking charge of this mishap, and doing all the work to get it fixed while I stood by like an idiot 🤣 What goes around, comes around, and I believe your good deed will bring you back good Karma and positive vibes 😀 @Craig Finlayson, fantastic 2nd lead! Nice reroutes and maneuvers (except when you got crested 😂). @Anand Nataraj, @Ashok chaturvedi, @Francois Germishuys, @Tariq Carrimjee, thank you for a wonderful drive 😀 I look forward to driving with you guys again soon!

It was great seeing you too doc! Always a pleasure @Mohamed Seidam 😘

Welcome to the club @luis mantecon!

Hello @Vanessa8580, Great news! Thank you for accommodating us. I will see you tomorrow afternoon 😀

Ok, so I’m gonna repeat myself. I finally understood why drivers don’t talk much on IM drives. It’s because they don’t have time to breath, let alone speak 🤣 I’m not sure about Flying Lorenzo, Enzo Lorenzo seems better to me. It rhymes, it’s part of @Lorenzo Candelpergher’ name, and it alludes to the great Enzo Ferrari 😂 As I mentioned before, I couldn’t talk on this drive, but I was able to think... However, the only two thoughts that came to mind, were oh my God what a rush, and what would @Lorenzo Candelpergher do with a Ferrari? 😀 This guy drives a beast and handles it like a toy car 😀 Before the first minute of the drive expired, we were all wide awake and sitting straight behind our steering wheels. The drive was absolutely awesome and challenging. At some crossings, I would watch Lorenzo maneuver, and I would just cringe knowing I had to repeat the same maneuver 😂 In addition to the thrills, I ate as much sand shoveling and recovering on this drive, as I’ve done on my previous drives combined 😂 It was very windy and the soft sand found its way to my ears, eyes and mouth. I know you guys are thinking about the other orifices, but I won’t go there 🤣 In any event, it all worked out at the end, and the drive was simply thrilling, amazing, fast paced, and adrenaline generating. I would repeat it in a heartbeat 😀 Thank you Lorenzo for a fantastic drive, leadership and support. You are an amazing marshal, and I loved driving with you in the lead. @Jon M, you were a trooper and you did so well on your first IM drive. Keep it up bro! @Jack Thomas, sorry about your car bro; I hope you get it sorted before the weekend, so you can enjoy the dunes 😀 @Mohamed Seidam, it was great seeing you brother 😀 You’re quite the teacher as I keep on repeating to you. Thank you for all you do, and for going out of your way to help your fellow drivers out. You even give free medical advice on the drives 🤣 BTW, I cede my king of cresting title to you my friend. You managed to dethrone me on this drive; I have proof. But don’t worry, I’ll recover my title on another drive soon, I’m sure 🤣 I didn’t get to see or talk to most everyone else because we were all so concentrated on driving 😀 All I can say is great job driving, and an even better job helping and supporting each other. Three pop outs, took a toll on Lorenzo, who fixed all of them including his own 😀 The recoveries and pop out were handled amazingly well by the whole convoy; well done! Finally, @Ashok chaturvedi, @Gaurav Soni, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, @Tariq Carrimjee, @Ilya Golubinsky, @Islam Soliman & @Anish S, I loved driving with you guys, and I can’t wait to have a repeat of this drive. See you all on the sand soon!

@Athula Dharmadada and @Yasas Dharmadasa, I’m glad to read that you guys were able to recover the cars safely. You guys made wise choices, and understandable decisions. Like everyone who has driven with you guys, I’ll be anxiously waiting for you two to join the ranks again 😀 Good luck with your plans for getting new cars; I hope it doesn’t take too long 😀

@Rahimdad, miss you brother 😘 When are you gonna take us on an IM drive? Yalla, we’re all waiting 😀 Question: @Yasas Dharmadasa and @Athula Dharmadada, which one of you has his last name spelled correctly? Are you guys the Dharmadada or Dharmadasa Brothers? I’m easily confused 🤪 @Srikumar, thanks for accommodating us on this wonderful drive. The route you took, your driving style and your relaxed and chilled attitude are contagious. This was my first drive with you, and I have to say, it’s gotta be one of the best drives I’ve ever been on. I was smiling the whole time, and I was truly happy during the few hours we spent on the sand. The pace was brisk, the dunes high and long, and the adrenaline levels were at an all time high. Thanks again, and I look forward to driving the same route with you, and covering even more terrain 🙏🏻 Moving along, my hat’s off to our second lead, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ 😀 Wow! Long are gone the days of refusals, incomplete climbs, and reroutes 😂 You were a champ and a trooper. Even though the pace was fast, you kept up with Srikumar, and you lead us in a calculated manner. Pretty soon you’ll be leading your own convoys with Carnity. Of course all the credit goes to your handsome co-pilot, your capable beast, and your new off-road lights (nothing to do with your driving skills) 😂 @Rizwan Waheed, you drove superbly bro. You were gracious on the sand, and you were in tune with your car. You exited and charted your own tracks to rejoin the convoy, which was an amazing feat. You saved us time and kept it safe. Kudos to you brother. With a more capable vehicle, you’ll be leading convoys too 😀 @Yasas Dharmadasa, you’re a superman of a driver, but your kitten of a car doesn’t help you now on these much more challenging and demanding drives. You gave it your best, but the car had enough and decided to quit. I hope you’re able to get this sorted, because I’m sure the lack of power and mechanical issues are robbing you of the thrills these drives provide. Plus sitting out from the drive stinks to high hell 🤣 @Athula Dharmadada, tough luck bro! Your car is capable and you’re a great driver, but your Jeep is plagued with mechanical issues. The last three drives I was with you on, your car broke down. You should seriously make an assessment on wether it’s the car or the mechanic. I hope you and Yasas were able to sort out the repairs and recoveries. @Abu Muhammad, after the drive, my FJ told me that when she grows up, she wants to be like Abu Muhammad’s Sequndra 😂 Fantastic driving and control of your beast as usual 😀 Also, great lessons for both of us when it comes to underestimating the terrain. I almost got stuck and you actually did get stuck, in the most unlikely flat and unimpressive surface 😀 @Ilya Golubinsky, beautiful car and beautiful driving brother. I’m not sure how you do it all. Drive like a champ, create your own tracks at times to avoid churned up ones, and take amazing pictures and videos 😀 Speaking of videos, thank you so much for the footage! It was awesome and everyone I showed it to, loved it 👏🏻 @Ashok chaturvedi, welcome to the FJC club Ashok the sailor, dive master 😀 You’re a great driver and you handled your new car superbly! What a difference between Liwa Pajero and Super Bowl FJC 💪🏻 Things will only get better for you as you get to know your car better. Keep it up brother. @siddharth maheshwari, you drive beautifully. Calm, collected and in sync with your capable car. I felt for you when the migraine struck. It can’t be easy driving a challenging terrain with a massive headache. At the end of the day you managed it well and made it safely. Good job! @Jack Thomas, dude, you’ve got heart! You managed your behemoth with grace yet with firmness. You demanded performance from your car, and it responded! Some of the small, technical, tight dunes were certainly no place for your big car, yet you two were a great team and pulled it off nicely. Some of the maneuvers you performed were flat out jaw dropping, and I could only pray for a safe outcome🤣 I guess the Desert Gods were smiling at us and all turned out well 😀 Finally, thank you all for a fantastic time, for driving so well, and for teaching me a thing or two. See you all soon on the sand!

Hey @Frederic, it looks like you have 11 wait listers so far. Is it possible to have 2 intermediate drives if another marshal volunteers to lead a second procession? @Ale Vallecchi and @Gaurav did that on the RAK scenic drive.

@Lorenzo Candelpergher, I'm literally in an Uber going to the SZR Toyota to pick up my FJ. I’m still hopeful I can join 😂 I hope to see you guys 😀

Hey @Lorenzo Candelpergher, there is a possibility I might not be able to join the drive today. Car is in service because the key is stuck in the ignition. The dealership was supposed to hand me the car yesterday, or for sure in the a.m. today. Till now, these a.. holes are not done with the car yet 🤬 If they give me the car in time, I’ll head directly to the drive; if not, I will unfortunately miss it.

Hey @Vanessa8580, if you would, please add me to the waiting list. This will be my second drive 😀

@Rizwan Waheed, @Athula Dharmadada, @Yasas Dharmadasa, @Ashok chaturvedi, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ & @Abu Muhammad, you’d better impress me with you intermediate driving skills today😀 Remember, I’ve driven with you all as Newbies and Fewbies, so you can’t fool me 🤣

Woohoo! Thanks a million @Srikumar 😀

Hey Sri, May I join this drive tomorrow since you’ve had some cancellations?

Hello again Angela, please discard my WL request. Work happened 🤬

Miss you too @DANIEL NOGUEIRA! Got you a cool cap from the US 😀 Need to see you to give it to you!

Hello again @Srikumar, Richard gave me a spot on his drive. Please remove me from the waiting list.

Hello @Wrangeld, thanks for getting back to me. I love driving with you and I’m definitely not hung up on the level of the drive 😀 So yes please, I would love to be confirmed for this drive. I will withdraw from Srikumar’s drive 😀 Thanks a bunch!

Thank you @Srikumar 😀

Hello @Wrangeld, if you would, please add me to the waiting list of the drive. I’m also on WL for Srikumar’s Intermediate drive. Both drives will be my first drive for the weekend and I am waitlisted on both 😀

Hello @Srikumar, please add me to the waiting list. First drive 😀

Woohoo! @Ale Vallecchi, you’re such an eloquent writer 👏🏻 Good thing UC Davis wasn’t wasted on you 😂 Reading your post, you’d think we’re Space X passenger going on a trip to the moon 😀 We do have a stong convoy, and with two Italians in the lead, I’m having visions of ice cold limoncellos and burrata 😂