The second race of the 5th round for the Bahrain based Batelco 2000cc Challenge moved into top gear earlier in the day as a mixture of local and regional talents pulled up to the starting line at Bahrain International Circuit. The series, an established platform for the development of aspiring drivers, sees some of the Middle East’s most skilled competitors give it their all in this sprint style race. With several contenders for this year’s title and not many rounds to go before the season finale, both races of the 5th round provided spectators with adrenaline pumping racing action as the 8 drivers made full use of the technical passing opportunities to be found on track. After 9 thrilling laps which covered a distance of 32.161 Kms, Shaikh Hamad, Shaikh Al Khalifa and Shaikh Jaber Al Khalifa claimed all podium positions resulting in an all Al Khalifa victory.
Following his unsatisfactory placing in the first race of the round, Shaikh Hamad Al Khalifa blistered around the track with a vengeance in his Honda Civic leaving the rest of the pack far behind as he crossed the finish line in first place in 15 minutes and 10.801 seconds, a full 9 seconds faster than race 1 winner Raed Himmo. The reverse grid start in race 2 made this no easy feat as Shaikh Hamad began in 7th, far behind the pole position of Tim Burkin. Passing several drivers in the opening lap of the race, he speedily made his way to the front of the pack, and remained there for the duration of the race.
In hot pursuit of Shaikh Hamad’s number 33 Honda, Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa put in a good showing of technical ability and driving skill after starting in 3rd, but ultimately it was not enough to clinch first place. With a 4th and 3rd place finish in the 5th round of the season, Shaikh Salman remains in contention for the title, which only has 3 rounds remaining.
The 2nd race saw Shaikh Jaber start the race in 4th, slightly further back than his 2nd place position in the race 1 starting grid. However, this did not have an affect on his performance as he crossed the finish line to claim the final podium spot, giving the Honda Integra driver 2 solid 3rd place victories for the round.
Results: Batelco 2000cc Challenge race 2
1 Sh. Hamad Al Khalifa Honda Civic 15:10.801 2 Sh. Salman Al Khalifa Honda CRX 15:11.994 3 Sh. Jaber Al Khalifa Honda Integra 15:13.344 4 Essa Al Kooheji Honda Civic 15:14.460 5 Raed Himmo Honda Civic 15:19.531 6 Tim Burkin Honda Integra 15:37.805 7 Rahman Ghuloom Honda Civic 15:38.793 8 Mustafa Al Khan Honda Integra 16:33.218
Last Updated ( Sunday, 28 February 2010 )
HIMMO SPEEDS TO VICTORY AT THE GULF AIR DESERT 400
Written by mazen
Friday, 26 February 2010
The 2010 Gulf Air Desert 400 kicked off to a fantastic second day of racing as the V8 Supercars Australia Championship, GP2 Asia Series and Batelco 2000cc Challenge competed at ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East.’
The first day of racing held yesterday, Thursday 25th February, witnessed Shaikh Hamad Al Khalifa claim pole position following the qualifying round, where he set the fastest lap-time of the day at 1 minute and 39.258 seconds. Raed Himmo narrowly missed out on the pole position, finishing with a time of 1 minute and 39.327 seconds, while Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa crossed the finish line in 1 minute 40.531 seconds, claiming third in his Honda CRX.
The first race of the 5th round of the Batelco 2000cc Challenge’s 2009-10 season was packed full of action as the 12 drivers pulled up to the starting line today at Bahrain International Circuit. After 9 laps, Raed Himmo proved to be the most skilled and talented driver of the day as he claimed the top podium position with a time of 15 minutes and 18.682 seconds. His stellar performance also saw him finish with the fastest lap time of the race at 1 minute and 40.149 seconds, set on the 6th lap. Essa Al Kooheji trailed Himmo by a margin of almost 2 seconds, crossing the finish line at 15 minutes and 20.152 seconds. He was followed by Shaikh Jaber Al Khalifa’s Honda Integra in third place with a time of 15 minutes and 21.335 seconds.
There were several notable performances during the first race of round 5, with Mustafa Al Khan putting in a determined effort, managing to come from the back of the grid after starting in the pit lane and passing several drivers to finish in sixth place.
Tomorrow, Saturday 27th February, will see the second and final race of the 5th round of the Batelco 2000cc Challenge take place at 1130am. As the end of the season nears, drivers will be looking to make the most of this round and claim valuable points. With Mustafa Al Khan, Shaikh Jaber Al Khalifa and Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa all in contention for the title, tomorrow’s race will prove to be a significant step in deciding who will claim this year’s crown.
ROUND 4 - BATELCO 2000CC CHALLENGE RETURNS TO BIC
Written by mazen
Wednesday, 06 January 2010
On-track action resumes at Bahrain International Circuit on Friday (January 8, 2010), with the staging of the fourth round of the 2009/2010 Batelco 2000cc Challenge.
The event is being organized by Bahrain’s Circuit Racing Club, in cooperation with the Bahrain Motor Federation, Bahrain International Circuit and leading telecommunications company Batelco, who are providing the attractive prizes for the drivers.
The meeting follows an extremely exciting third round held in December, which took place as part of the inaugural ‘Speed Weekend Bahrain’ which proved to be a grand success for the award-winning ‘Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’.
Brothers Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa and Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa both rose to the top of the podium in round three’s two races, while defending champion Mustafa Al Khan did enough to maintain his lead in the championship standings as the series approaches the middle of the season.
Al Khan heads into round four with 57 points in first place, having won two of the season’s six races so far while stepping onto the podium three other times.
Shaikh Hamad bin Isa follows close behind in second place with 50 points. He has three race victories under his belt already this year, but a DNF to start his campaign has negatively influenced his standing.
Shaikh Jaber bin Ali Al Khalifa is in third place with 46 points, with Shaikh Salman bin Isa in fourth with 39 points. All four are set to be among the top challengers once again for a place on the podium in the coming races.
The others who will be aiming to overthrow their highly touted rivals are Mohammed Saleh, Abdulrahman Ghuloom, Hisham Al Othman, Chris Rabie, Tim Birkin, Peter Turney, Stephen Kellogg, Raed Himmo, Osama Al Buflasa, and Hamed and Ahmed Kuzbar.
All are invited to attend the exciting day of racing. Action will begin from 9 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. Tickets for adults are 2 BD, while children up to the age of 15 years old can get in for just 1 BD. Tickets are available at the gate.
SHAIKH HAMAD BIN ISA SET FOR BUSY PROGRAMME AT ‘SPEED WEEKEND’
Written by mazen
Monday, 07 December 2009
Only a week remains before the inaugural ‘Speed Weekend Bahrain’ takes Bahrain International Circuit by storm.’ The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’ is gearing up to welcome thousands of race fans and entertainment seekers who will enjoy three of the region’s most captivating motor racing series: the Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East and the Batelco 2000cc Challenge.
Bahraini racer Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa will have a unique task at the event, which takes place on December 11 and 12. Shaikh Hamad bin Isa will be competing in both the Chevrolet Supercars and the Batelco 2000cc – twice the battle that will require double the effort.
Shaikh Hamad bin Isa commented: “Most of my focus is to get onto the podium in the Chevrolet Supercars second round, especially since we are racing at my home track. It’s going to be tough since I am also going to be racing in round three of the Batelco 2000cc, which I will also be giving as much attention as I can to.
“Hopefully I can achieve good results in both events. I am mentally and physically prepared, and I’m looking forward to having an enjoyable weekend out on the track.” In the first round of the Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship held at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa put on a strong and consistent drive, finishing sixth in the SC09 category in both races. He is also now sixth on the SC09 championship standings.
“I was quite pleased with my performance, considering the high level of racing between all the competitors. I hope I can continue to be consistent and this time takes a place on the podium,” he said. In the Batelco 2000cc Challenge, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa made up for a difficult first round in October by winning both races in round two held in November. His impressive double helped him rise to third place on the championship standings, and he will be aiming to continue his ascent.
“At present, things are looking good, but I will not take anything for granted and of course I will be going out to get the maximum points possible, and maybe again take a victory or two,” he said. Shaikh Hamad bin Isa is sponsored by ROBECO Investment Bank. He is also the official ambassador to the International Automobile Federation ‘Make Cars Green’ campaign – which is a global environmental initiative aimed at reducing the negative impact of motoring on the planet.
Other international ambassadors include former Formula One Red Bull Racing driver David Coulthard and current Formula One Red Bull Racing ace Mark Webber. Tickets for ‘Speed Weekend Bahrain’ are now available at 7 BD for both days. Children aged 15 years old and younger will be able to get in free.
