Bahrain Rotax MAX Challenge off to red-hot start

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain International Karting Circuit (BIKC) hosted an action-packed first round in the 2022/2023 Bahrain Rotax MAX Challenge (BRMC), held over the weekend at the world-class grassroots motorsport facility in Sakhir.

Emerging victorious in their respective classes were Ali Almoayed, Nasser Nass, Luca Houghton, Najashi Rashdan and Omar Alderayan.

Each took the chequered flag in their Final races, which capped a full day of racing around BIKC’s 1.414-kilometre CIK-FIA track. The BRMC is the leading national karting championship in the Kingdom, with participants competing wheel-to-wheel in their very own Rotax-powered karts.

Ali was the winner in the Micro MAX class. He was engaged in a tough battle with Mohammed Waleed from the start of action, taking Qualifying by just 0.034 seconds before winning the Pre-Final with a more comfortable margin.

In the Final, Ali cruised to the win after completing the nine laps in nine minutes 18.793 seconds, with Mohammed finishing 9.337s behind.

In Mini MAX action, Shaikh Ahmed bin Saqer Al Khalifa got off to a strong start by topping the Qualifying timesheet ahead of Shonal Kunimal and Nasser.

Shaikh Ahmed maintained his fine form in the Pre-Final, where he beat Nasser by 0.146s to first place.

But in the nine-lap Final, Nasser was able to gain the lead on lap six and hold on until the very end to win in 8:55.963.

Shonal finished as the runner-up 0.150s behind, while Shaikh Ahmed completed the podium placers 0.230s back.

It was a tight battle throughout the field in the Mini MAX Final, with Rashid Kanoo and Isa Almoayed placing fourth and fifth, respectively, but both were within eight-tenths-of-a-second from Nasser.

The Junior MAX category also saw plenty of close-knit racing from its field of 13. Houghton asserted himself from the very beginning and set the pace in Qualifying before winning the Pre-Final.

He kept up his leading pace to take a pole-to-flag victory in the 15-lap Final with a time of 13:36.039.

Houghton built a good gap in front from his closest challenger in Mohammed Alhasan, who finished 3.022s behind.

Sager Almousherji finished third 5.450s from first.

Tye Mejia came fourth, Khalid Najjar fifth and Charlie Godard sixth, while Jaber Alsabah and Yousif Alali completed the top eight. Abdulqader Qasem and Shanthosh Kumar were the other two finishers.

In the Senior MAX class, Rashdan and Muhammad Wally traded blows in the opening two sessions, with Rashdan topping Qualifying and then Wally winning the Pre-Final.

But in the Final, Rashdan was able to capture the win, although this time it was Lewis Smith giving him a run for his money.

The pair led the pack all the way to the chequered flag, with Rashdan winning after 15 laps in 13:38.241—just 0.071s ahead of Smith.

Leen Alarifi completed the podium places with a 4.972s gap from the victor.

Also classified in the top eight were Talal Alattas, Ahmed Almosalam, Fahad Alkhaled, Shaikha Haya bint Duaij bin Salman Al Khalifa and Tijl Joep Huisman, while Ahmed Kashwa and Abdulla Jaweed rounded out the top 10.