Racing Bahrain pip Go Bahrain in six-hour karting thriller at BIKC

Racing Bahrain clinched the narrowest of victories in a gripping second round of the 2018/2019 Bahrain Karting Enduro Championship (BKEC), hosted by Bahrain International Karting Circuit (BIKC) over the weekend. Only 0.089 seconds separated the victors from runners-up Go Bahrain at the end of a gruelling six hours of action. After starting from pole, the trio of Mohammed Mattar, Khalid Alsaei and Abdulla Buhindi triumphed in their 390cc Sodi GT4R kart, leading four of the 11 competing teams with a total of 284 laps.

Rashed Almuammari, Raed Raffii and Khaled Abdulla steered Go Bahrain to second overall. Almuammari registered the race’s fastest lap of one minute 11.260 seconds. Behind them were the trio of Ali Baslar, Khalid Alwazzan and Majed Alkooheji racing for Ithmaar Bank. They finished 20.072 seconds from the winners, completing the overall podium. Aside from finishing in first place overall, Racing Bahrain also claimed the win in the race’s Pro category.

Bapco Sadeem comprising Osama Albuflasa, Faisal Alshafei and Abdulla Althawadi were second in class; while Cool Runnings featuring Syed Khurshid Husain, Syed Salman Husain, Marlon Chong and Kinky Carter finished third. Go Bahrain added to their overall runner-up finish by taking the victory amongst teams in the Nations category. They were followed in class by the Racing Bahrain Jr team of Abbas Sarhan, Ahmed Abduljalil, Khalifa Alyaqoobi and Mohammed Ameen; while Bapco Lubricants with Mohammed Jalal, Talal Beshara and Mohammed Baharna were third.

Ithmaar were third overall but also first in the Corporate class. Bapco Motorsports of Abdulaziz Albufalah, Khalifa Alzayani and Essa Mahmood were second; and Redline Racing with Paul Morris, Sultan Alkhayat and Hussein Lala were third. At the end of the event, BIC Circuit Operations Director Fayez Ramzy Fayez awarded trophies to winning teams and drivers in presence of other officials, fans and teams.