Ali Baslar and Khaled Alsaie kept their title hopes alive after winning a race each in the seventh and penultimate round of the 2015/2016 Bahrain Sprint SWS Championship, held last weekend at Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.
The SWS took place as part of a packed programme in the Bahrain Karting Sprint Championship (BKSC).
Baslar won the meeting’s opening event held around BIKC’s 1.414-kilometre Commission Internationale de Karting track; after which Alsaie powered to a fine victory in race two.
The results created a thrilling three-horse race for the season’s SWS crown. Baslar and Alsaie are joined by Abdulla Buhindi as the remaining contenders. Only nine points separate the trio on the championship standings.
Baslar heads into the season finale as the leader with 280 points, while Alsaie follows with 272 and Buhindi is third on 271 points. All three drivers will be going all out for wins and get a maximum haul of points in their quest to secure the SWS championship.
It was also the same three competitors who were battling it out for a podium place in the previous round.
Baslar managed to outpace 17 other karters to claim pole position for race one. He registered a fastest lap of one minute 12.339 seconds during qualifying.
In the first sprint, Baslar charged to the chequered flag in a time of 13 minutes 37.179 seconds. He was just 0.972secs ahead of runner-up Buhindi. Alsaie claimed third place 1.387secs behind.
Hussain Hasan was fourth 1.721s back, Ahmed Ebrahim was a distant fifth 7.160s behind, and Tarryn Pods sixth 7.529s from the victor. Craig Wood (+10.211s) and Hussain Alkhateb (+10.893s) rounded out the top eight.
In race two, it was Alsaie’s turn to triumph. He clocked a winning race time of 13:35.097. Buhindi was again a close runner-up, finishing a mere 0.175s behind. Baslar completed the same podium 0.277s adrift.
Ebrahim (+3.065s), Alkhateb (+3.204s), Pods (+3.616s), Anthony Genocchio (+3.862s) and Aabed Faraj (+14.524s) completed the top eight.
At the end of all the action, the winners received their respective trophies in a podium ceremony held at BIKC.
The SWS championship finale will be held on Friday, during the last round of the 2015/2016 BKSC. It will also feature races in the sixth and final meeting of this year’s Bahrain Rotax Mojo Max Challenge (BRMMC).
The BRMMC is the BKSC’s competition category exclusively for Rotax kart owners. Heading into their last round, the BRMMC will have two titles up for the taking. The Max/Max Masters crown and the Junior Max trophy. Currently in first place with 103 points is His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa is in second position just three points behind, while Hussain Hasan is third with 56 markers.
In the Junior Max class, Zaid Audih has 140 markers, giving him a big lead over Talal Beshara, who has an outside but still mathematically possible chance of stealing away the crown.
Action in the curtain-closer will be held from 4pm to 7pm. BRMMC practice kicks things off, to be followed at 4.25pm by SWS qualifying. At 4.45pm, BRMMC qualifying will take place.
Race one in the SWS will then be held at 5.05pm, after which BRMMC race one begins at 5.30pm.
SWS race two then starts at 6pm, and then BRMMC race two flags off at 6.25pm.
All are welcome to attend the upcoming karting spectacle. Entrance to BIKC is free of charge. For more information, visit www.bahrain-karting.com or call +973-1745-1745.