BIC, Sakhir: Championship leader Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is upbeat heading into this Friday’s sixth round of the 2014/2015 BIC 2,000cc Challenge.
Despite losing his perfect record due to car problems in the previous meeting held under floodlights last month, Shaikh Hamad is confident of bouncing back and is ready to hit the tarmac at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.
The BIC 2,000cc Challenge is being held part of National Race Day at BIC. Plenty of action will also be enjoyed in the BMR 600 motorbike championship.
BIC invites all motorsport fans to attend Friday’s events. Tickets can be purchased at the gate. Tickets cost BD2 for adults and BD1 for children.
Racing is scheduled to take place between 9am and 4pm along BIC’s 2.55-kilometre Inner Track.
In the 2,000cc Challenge, the battle for points is set to heat up as the season heads into its most crucial stages with just three rounds to go.
Shaikh Hamad has been dominant so far, winning nine of 10 races and building a comfortable gap ahead of the field on the points standings. But a problem in his Honda CIVIC hatchback forced him out of Race Two during Round Five, bringing an end to his flawless record. He now hopes to get back to his winning ways and finish the season strong.
“It would have been nice to win all the races in a season, but things didn’t go my way the last round,” Shaikh Hamad, said. “Luckily, I was able to maintain the same gap I had over my closest competitor since he too had to drop out of the race, but I am not counting on being that lucky again and I’m sure things will only got harder these last few races.
“I’ve handled the problem in my car; it was a minor issue and a quick-fix, so it shouldn’t be a problem anymore.
“We’ll be back racing in the day time for this round so there will be a few small adjustments we will have to make. Other than that, I am completely ready to compete and hopefully add to my wins total.”
Shaikh Hamad currently holds first place on the season standings with 225 points. Hussain Karimi (Honda CRX) is still within striking distance in second place with 177 points, while Abdulrahman Ghuloom (Honda CIVIC) is in third place with 151 markers.
The rest of the field in the BIC 2,000cc Challenge is expected to comprise of Alex Longden (BMW 3 Series), Raed Himmo (Honda CRX), Tim Birkin (Honda Integra), Abdulaziz Ashkanani (Honda S2000), Stephen Kellogg (Honda CIVIC), Mohammed Faqihi (Honda CIVIC) and last year’s champion Salah Salahuddin (Honda CIVIC).
Action in the BIC 2,000cc Challenge begins with Free Practice at 9.20am. Qualifying will follow at 10.25am, while Race One is slated for1.18pm and Race Two at 2.37pm. Both races will be over 15 laps.
In the BMR 600, which is a one-make series of Honda Hornet 600cc motorbikes, Free Practice is scheduled at 10am. Qualifying will follow at11.05am, while Race One is at 1.18pm and Race Two at 2.05pm. Both sprints will be over 11 laps apiece.
Hussain Al Kooheji holds the lead in the championship battle with 100 points. Trailing not far behind in second place only six points behind is Faisal Ali, while Salah Alkandar is in third on 86 markers.
Expected to complete the field of participants are Chris Rabie, Hussain Alaswad, Emad Shehadeh, Tim Attwood, David Wynne, John Beddall, Frank Mobitz, Abdulghaffar Albastaki, Harry Johnston and Thamer Ibrahim.