Shaikh Salman bin Isa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and Mishal Alneaimi will be returning to defend their titles this season in their respective national championships at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).
Circuit racing is back at BIC today as part of National Racing Day in Sakhir.
Shaikh Salman will be fighting for a third championship overall in the BIC 2,000cc Challenge. Alneaimi will be hoping to claim a second successive crown in the Bahrain Superbike Championship (BSBK). Both series will be out on track alongside the Bahrain Motorcycle Racing (BMR) 600.
All the action at National Racing Day will be held on BIC’s 2.55-kilometre Inner Track.
The BIC 2,000cc Challenge is a professionally run series for gentleman racers in Bahrain. Drivers compete in their own two-litre cars with only a minimal amount of modifications allowed in order to maintain an even playing field.
Shaikh Salman will be driving his no. 1 white Honda CIVIC. Aside from last season’s title, Shaikh Salman had also won the inaugural campaign in the series.
The veteran Bahraini racer is expected to compete against quality grid of 14 other drivers. These include Hussain Karimi (Honda CRX), Tim Birkin (Honda Integra), Giovanni Salerno (Ford Focus), Tareq Al Tajer (Ford Focus), Raed Himmo (Honda CIVIC), Mohamed Faqihi (Honda CIVIC), Michael Priester (Honda CRX), Salah Ashkanani (Subaru BRZ), Lee Stones (BMW 3 Series/F20C), Mohammed Janahi (Mini Cooper Works), Ramzi Al Qassab (Renault Clio), Martyna Al Qassab (Renault Clio), Abdulla Ben Nakhi (Honda CIVIC EP3) and Abdulla Alqaoud (Honda CIVIC EG6).
The BIC 2,000cc Challenge’s 2016/2017 season is scheduled to feature seven rounds, with two races each round.
Meanwhile, the BSBK is the first riders’ series of its kind in Bahrain, with competitors coming from all over the Gulf, Europe and Asia competing on identical Ducati 899 Panigale sport bikes.
Alneaimi was the champion of the inaugural season, and he claimed his title in dominant fashion, winning all of the races in style.
The Qatari is just one of 16 riders who will be battling it out for pride and supremacy in the new year. The others include countrymen Fahad Alsuwaidi and Ali Al Shammari; Ruben Bacha of Mauritius; Mohamoud Tannir of Lebanon; Ibrahem Al Sharidah and Ahmed Almuyin of Saudi Arabia; Fahad Al Gharabally and Masoud Behbahani of Kuwait; Mike Edwards, Ian Charles and Wesley Pearce of the UK; Nasir Hussein of India; Aaron Moris of Australia; and Salman Khalaf and Shaikh Mohammed Al Khalifa of Bahrain.
The 2016/2017 BSBK calendar features six rounds, with each meeting consisting of two races.
The BMR 600 pits some of Bahrain’s best gentleman riders against one another on identical Super Stock bikes.
The grid is set to comprise James Webster, Mohammed Redha, Adel Najjar, Nawaf Al Shuaibi, Khaled Ama Al Laho, Ahmad Abdul Salam, Ahmad Al Haddad, Mohammed Al Ateeqi, Mohammad Al Eidi, Fahad Al Gharabally, Mustafa Adel Husain, Nasser Al Khadra, Ali Ahmed Adiby, Ali Al Shamari, Soud Al Thani and Mohamad Al Thani.
Today’s first round is set to feature two races.
Racing is scheduled to be held from 3pm all the way up until 10pm at BIC.
All are invited to attend the weekend’s events and enjoy the very best of Bahrain circuit racing. Tickets cost BD2. Children aged three to 12 years old can get in for half the price, while those younger get in free.