Bond maintains Bahrain1 win-streak

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Canadian drag racer Justin Bond made it four Pro Mod victories from four rounds for Bahrain1 Racing in the 2023/2024 Bahrain Drag Racing Championship (BDRC). Bond claimed first place in class over the weekend in the BDRC’s penultimate meeting of the season, which wrapped up over the weekend at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.

The drag racing veteran clinched his Pro Mod win ahead of teammate Khaled Al Balooshi for his second triumph of this campaign in the hotly contested category.

For Bahrain1, owned by His Majesty the King’s Personal Representative His Highness Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, it maintained their perfect record in the class.

It followed Bond’s win in the season-opening round, and then the back-to-back triumphs of his Bahrain1 teammate Khalil Al Ansaari in the next two meetings.

Bond secured first place after clocking a pass of 3.870 seconds at 301.86kph in the final elimination, beating Al Balooshi’s 4.545s.

Al Ansaari this time had to settle for third, making for a dominant, all-Bahrain1 Pro Mod podium. Also in the meeting, six Bahrainis took the spoils in their respective competition categories.

They included Ahmed Hasan, Yousif Al Khamiri, Jasim Saleh, Faisal Mohammed, Yousif Ahmed, and Ali Bahram.

Ahmed Hasan won in the 10.0 Index class, clocking a time of 10.092s at 201.36kph. He beat countryman Saud Al Atawi in their final, with Atawi having a breakout.

Abdulla Yaqoob came third for an all-Bahraini podium. Yousif Al Khamiri was the victor in the 8.5 Index class, beating Ali Abbas of Kuwait in the final. Both had breakouts, but Al Khamiri was closer to his dialled-in time.

Hamdan Al Kaabi of the UAE joined them in the top three. Jasim Saleh was triumphant amongst the Outlaw 4-Cylinder drivers, winning the final in 11.598s at 206.92kph.

He beat Ahmed Haider, who had a 12.776s time, while Mahmood Mohammed made it a trio of Bahrainis in the top three.

Elimination Faisal Mohammed took first place in the Outlaw 6-Cylinder class, beating Yousif Al Zayani in their deciding elimination.

Mohammed had a 4.153s winning time at 289.30kph, with Al Zayani getting a red light. Nawaf Al Manni was third, with all three podium placers from Bahrain.

Yousif Ahmed was the winner in the Street Fight Bikes 9.5 class.

He defeated Khalifa Al Sherooqi in the final, with both riders breaking out.

Ahmed claimed first being closest to the dialled-in time, while Nasser Mubarak came third to complete an all-Bahraini podium.

Ali Bahram rounded out the homegrown victors, taking the 8.5 Index Bikes category.

He and fellow-finalist Hasan Almezdi of Kuwait both had breakouts, but Bahram came closer to his dialled-in mark. Mohammed Hasan, also of Bahrain, joined them on the podium.

In the BDRC’s other classes for round four, two Emiratis, three Kuwaitis and one Saudi participant rose to first place.

Musabbeh Al Kaabi of the UAE won in the 9.0 Index class, beating Rumaih Al Rumaih of Kuwait, who was disqualified in the final. Ahmed Al Yaqoub, also from Kuwait, came third.

Yousif Al Ali of the UAE won in the Pro 29.5 V8 category, defeating Kuwait’s Abdulla Al Abdullah in the final with a winning pass of 3.900s at 313.15kh.

Al Abdullah had a mark of 4.131s, with Emirati Mohammed Al Kaabi coming third.

Jaber Ahmed of Kuwait was the top finisher amongst the 7.5 Index participants, taking the final in a time of 7.500s at 265.10 kph.

Compatriot Abdulrahman Bo Alwa had a breakout and had to settle for the runner-up spot, while Sayed Hussain Al Haddad made it an all-Kuwaiti podium.

In the Competition 4.5 class, Kuwait’s Ebrahim Abbas upset Bahrain1’s Rashid Al Balooshi, who had taken first place the previous two meetings.

Abbas won in 4.490s at 244.28kph, while Al Balooshi had a red light.

Fahad Al Harbi of Kuwait emerged victorious amongst the Pro Street Bikes riders, taking the winner’s trophy with a pass of 4.418s at 269.50kph in the final.

Khalid Aldosseri of Saudi finished second at 9.613s, while Kuwait’s Adnan Ebrahim was third.

Khaled Al Dossary was the lone Saudi competitor to take a victory in the meeting in the Outlaw Bikes class.

He beat Kuwait’s Mohammed Al Awwad in the final with a time of 4.635s at 240.58kph, with Al Awwad posting a 7.079s mark.

Bahrain’s Sayed Yusuf Faisal came third. With the fourth round of the BDRC season in the books, the stage is set for the grand finale, scheduled to take place 19 to 22 March.

The BDRC is a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)-sanctioned championship, organised and run by BIC in cooperation with the Bahrain Motor Federation, the Bahrain Drag Racing Commission, and the Bahrain Motorcycle Commission.