The scene of a scantily-clad girl hanging out of the window of a high-powered car as it slides violently in the middle of a race track is not exactly the picture of safety, but it was all done for a good cause.

Appearances can be deceiving, however, because the stunts were being performed by professionals in a controlled environment.

Team Drift Mania, a Maltese team of petrol heads who specialise in car drifting, which involves cars being slid sideways in spectacular manoeuvres, put on a show the likes of which has rarely been seen locally.

The team was one among many motorsport groups, including the Malta Drag Racing Association, Island Karting Club and Team Maximum Lock, which were out in force at Ħal Far for yesterday's charity event "MDRA (Malta Drag Racing Association) for Inspire".

Drag racers charged up Ħal Far's quarter-mile racing strip, while event host DJ Banana walked around an area at the side of the strip sampling participants' cars and describing them to spectators.

Everything from American muscle cars to Japanese modifieds and out-and-out drag racers were on display. A number of drag racing-prepared motorbikes were barrelling along the track.

At the far side, behind the drag strip spectator stands, stripped-out autocross vehicles pounded around the adjacent dirt road, while members of the Island Karting Club battled it out in an endurance race held in the afternoon.

All proceeds from the event went to Inspire, the Foundation for Inclusion, which helps people with disabilities or special needs.