Between acceleration and slippage, the growth of motor sports in Afghanistan

Zabiullah Momand revs the twin-turbo engine of his sports car, a battered Mercedes Benz chassis. and without a hood that this Afghan mechanic transformed, then let it return to normal. a soft purr.

“I have the only 2JZ engine in Afghanistan,” smiles Zabiullah, who runs a successful garage in Kabul. He fixed on the body of the Mercedes, reinforced with flashy yellow roll bars, this 420 horsepower engine with a scarlet red cover, recovered from a Toyota Supra.

The car contrasts with the Toyota Corollas which clog the streets of the capital. It is part of a fleet of vehicles imported and modified by a growing group of motorsport enthusiasts in the country.

After decades of war, the Amateur drivers are taking advantage of the return of safety to compete against each other in their super-powerful cars, or to show off their skidding skills.

A driver behind the wheel of a modified car in Kabul, February 11, 2024 in Afghanistan © AFP – Wakil KOHSAR

This community of driving enthusiasts, which appeared in Afghanistan in the last decade, has grown significantly over the last two years.

More races are organized , but very basic. “We lack infrastructure,” points out Hashmatullah Rahbar, who created a national motorsport federation. It is not yet officially recognized, but held its first event – the Victory Cup – last week.

“It's thanks to our dedication ( …) we continued our activities, using our personal money”, he underlines.

– Circles in the dust –

The competition, postponed twice, does not rely on any sponsor and offers no financial reward.

Mechanics work on modified cars in a workshop in Kabul, February 11, 2024 in Afghanistan © AFP – Wakil KOHSAR

“It’s the first time I’ve seen something like this,” says Khalid Kaihan, a resident of Kabul who stopped with a few others to admire the cars that Hashmatullah and his friends parade through the streets of the capital a few days before the race.

“Sometimes people race their cars on the streets, but I've never seen an organized event that people can attend” , continues Khalid.

Dressed in a gold helmet, and accompanied by a friend brandishing a camera from time to time through the window of his silver Chevrolet Camaro, Hashmatullah makes slide your car on a roundabout in central Kabul, or trace circles in the dust near a lake outside the city.

There, riders and young beggars gathered to watch, as well as Taliban taking pictures of themselves near the cars, Kalashnikovs on their shoulders.

Taliban take photos with a sports car during a car competition near Kabul, February 11, 2024 in Afghanistan © AFP – Wakil KOHSAR

Drivers say they have fewer problems with soldiers from the Taliban regime than they had under the former republic.

“They used to call us macho, but now they just call us passionate, they don't cause us any problems,” remarks Zabiullah.

It's the big day for the Victory Cup. Hundreds of people gathered on a main street in Kabul blocked by police to watch the races.

Sometimes, spectators move too far onto the road, telephone in hand, and are sharply reminded to order.

– “They are very expensive” –

A handful of women are also there. Zuhal Mohammadi, 18, regrets that Afghan women have little opportunity to drive, but hopes for change.

A modified car spews flames from its exhaust during a car rally in Kabul, February 11, 2024 in Afghanistan © AFP – Wakil KOHSAR

“I've been interested (in motor sports) since I was young,” she says. “Let's hope the girls can participate” one day.

Motorsports enthusiasts, however, have few opportunities to show off their cars.

“We generally don't drive them a lot, because they are very expensive. They consume more gasoline than ordinary cars,” explains Amin Sangin, one of them.

Their precious cars often stay in hangars near the airport, where Amin and his friends gather to go drifting.

Modified car race in Kabul, February 16, 2024 in Afghanistan © AFP – Wakil KOHSAR

Along with other fans, they have nevertheless organized a few races and demonstrations over the past two years, not hesitating to sometimes pay thousands of dollars to do so.

Zabiullah gave up taking part in the Victory Cup, worried about the absence of safety barriers for spectators, after a recent accident which left several injured. Otherwise, his twin-turbocharged vehicle would have been invincible, he swears.

He prefers to show off his slip-ups. “When you get out of the car and the spectators are cheering like you're the best, that's all the guys care about.”

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