Global grids set for Speed Weekend!

TDT | Manama                                                    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A talented cast of drivers from around the world will be showcasing their skills at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) today and tomorrow at the Beyon Speed Weekend event.

The competitors will be hitting the tarmac in two international race series—the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East (PCCME) and the Formula 4 Saudi Arabia Trophy—to highlight the on-track National Day festivities at “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, which also include a spectacular firework display tomorrow night.

This amazing spectacle of lights and colour is one of the most anticipated fireworks shows held annually in the Kingdom as BIC celebrates Bahrain’s National Day and the Anniversary of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s Accession to the Throne.

The fireworks display is scheduled for a 7pm start tomorrow evening. Food vendors will be available at BIC for those coming to watch. On the racing side, Speed Weekend will feature both the second round of the 2023/2024 PCCME season and the first-ever round of the all-new Formula 4 Saudi Arabia Trophy, which will be making its debut at BIC.

All are welcome to attend Beyon Speed Weekend and entry for fans will be completely free of charge on both days of racing. Action is scheduled to take place from 10.15am to 4pm today and from 11am to 4pm tomorrow.

The PCCME is a staple on BIC’s season schedule, being born and developed in Sakhir in cooperation with Lechner Racing. Excitement Following a thrilling opening round held last month, more excitement is in store in this meeting with 15 global competitors set to race.

Suiting up in the PCCME’s identical 510hp Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars are Pro class racers Charlie Wurz from Austria, Jackson Walls from Australia, Flynt Schuring from the Netherlands, and the German trio of Theo Oeverhaus, Janne Stiak and Colin Boenighausen.

Competing in the ProAm category are Saud Al Saud and Khaled Alahmadi of Saudi Arabia, Soeren Spreng from Germany, Cedric Chassang of France, Ahmed Al Shehab of Kuwait and Bashar Mardini from Canada.

The field is completed by Am class drivers Klaus Boenighausen of Germany, Leo Willert of Austria and Sebastian Gorga of Italy. Al Saud, Al Ahmadi and Al Shehab will also be vying for GCC category honours; while Al Saud, Wurz, Wells, Schuring, Oeverhaus, Stiak and Colin Boenighausen will also be battling in the Rookie class.

Unlike in previous meetings, the PCCME round at Speed Weekend will have two separate qualifying sessions, one apiece on Friday and Saturday and each setting the grid for the day’s race. Meanwhile, the Formula 4 Saudi Arabia Trophy is holding its inaugural season, making for an exciting addition to the long and prestigious list of international, continental, regional and national series to have hit the tarmac at BIC.

It is a single-seater series that aims to develop their young drivers’ talents in a professional setting. Weekends are composed of four races each. The first race will take place on the Friday of Speed Weekend while the other three races will take place on Saturday. Thirteen talents are set to line up on the grid.

They include Saqer Almaosherji of Kuwait, Kirill Kutsov of Russia, Hamda Alqubaisi and Amna of the UAE, Oscar Wurz of Austria, Federico Al Rifai of Italy, Suleiman Zanfari of Morocco, Jabor bin Hassan Al Thani of Qatar, Montego Maasseen of Germany and Abdulaziz Altayar, Omar Alwaleed Aldereyaane, Abdulaziz Abuzenadah and Faisal Alkabbani from Saudi.

The Bahrain stop is the first of six rounds in this campaign. The series will also be visiting Losail International Circuit in Qatar in January, Kuwait Motor Town in Kuwait in January and February, and then have back-to-back meetings for its final two events at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in March.