Thrills galore @National Race Day

TDT | Manama

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National Race Day produced plenty of thrills in the third round of its 2024/2025 season, held last weekend at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.

The Kingdom’s three premier local racing championships were in action along the 2.55-kilometre Inner Track at ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’.

Taking wins in the 2024/2025 Bahrain Touring Car Challenge (BTCC) were Moaaz Elzahrawi and Isa Ebrahim, while Saud Al Toura and Ali Bousheri were both triumphant in the Bahrain Motorcycle Championship (BMC).

Also claiming victories in Time Attack were Ahmed Algaidy, Abdulla Khojah, Abdullah Shukri, Rakan Al Saheel, Ali Almansoori, Mazen Dabbous, Sultan Turki Alsaud, Yazeed Sameer Al Saheel, Hazim Mohammed Al Dabbagh, and Hisham Badiea Al Badiea.

Round three

Round three of National Race Day was organised and run by BIC, in cooperation with the Bahrain Motor Federation, the Circuit Racing Commission, the Bahrain Motorcycle Commission, the Bahrain Autocross and Drift Commission, and the Motorsport Marshals Club.

In the BTCC, Elzahrawi was the leader from the start. After topping the timesheet in practice and then snatching pole in qualifying, Elzahrawi won the first 15-lap race in his Honda Civic with a time of 23 minutes 15.276 seconds. Ebrahim finished as the runner-up with a 3.440 seconds gap, while Ali Baqer was third 6.473s back while also taking the win amongst BTCC junior participants. Both Ebrahim and Baqer were also behind the wheel of a Civic.

In race two, following a 30-second penalty on Elzahrawi for overtaking under the formation lap, Ebrahim took the win in 21:24.246 after 15 laps. Finishing second was the Radio Bahrain entrant in a Honda Integra 10.743s adrift, while Baqer took his second overall podium for the event, as well as his second junior class win, 11.390s from Ebrahim. In the BMC, Al Toura was quickest overall in practice but Saif Al Buainain took pole after pipping Al Toura by 0.033s in qualifying.

In the single 14-lap race, however, Al Toura triumphed amongst a 14-runner field with a time of 19:16.674 in his BMW S 1000 RR, competing in the 1,000cc class. Nawaf Al Shuaibi was second overall 0.865s back in his Honda CPR 100 RR, while Bousheri came third in his Honda CBR 600 RR 1.089s adrift while also clinching the 600cc win.

In Time Attack, the meeting featured two heats for each of the competition categories.

Algaidy won both times in the SU class in his AMG GTR car with a best time of 1:13.266 in heat one and 1:12.691 in heat two. Khojah followed suit in the MA category, winning in his Audi Rs3 with a quickest mark of 1:18.389 in heat one and 1:17.581 in heat two.

In the SA class, Shukri triumphed in heat one in his Ford Shelby GT350 with a mark of 1:18.649, while Rakan Al Saheel won in heat two in his Porsche 718 Spyder with a time of 1:18.306.

In the MB category, Almansoori took first place in heat one driving his Mazda MX5 in 1:23.165, while Dabbous won in heat two with a mark of 1:23.238 in his Subaru Brz.

Alsaud was then triumphant in both heats in his Toyota GR86. He won the first time out in 1:22.758 and then completed his double in 1:22.325.

In the ULA class, Yazeed Sameer Al Saheel won in heat one driving his Porsche GT3RS to a fastest time of 1:10.678. Al Dabbagh was then the victor in the second heat in his Porsche 992 GT3RS with a time of 1:10.488.

Al Bediea completed the round’s list of winners by taking both heats in the ULB category. He won heat one in his Lotus Exige in 1:18.412, and then took heat two in 1:18.264.

Podium

Following all the action, the winners were presented their prizes in the podium ceremonies. Seven rounds of National Race Day are scheduled to take place this 2024/2025 season, to be held all the way through to May.