Finale in Bahrain Karting Sprint Championship

His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa has been crowned champion of the Junior Max category in the Bahrain Rotax Mojo Max Championship (BRMMC), while Paul Stanley clinched the title in the Max class and David Van Der Berg won the Max Masters division. All three drivers captured their respective crowns following the sixth and final round of the season. The series was part of the Bahrain Karting Sprint Championship 2012, held at VIVA Karting Track at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir. His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla won two of the three Junior Max races in the championship finale to earn enough points to claim the number one spot. He came dangerously close to losing out on the title race to fellow talented driver Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who finished just four championship points behind. Stanley was able to clinch the Max title despite Adeeb Kuzbar’s stellar performance in sweeping all three races in the Max class for round six. Stanley was able to claim a podium place on each of the events, taking third in race one before claiming the runner-up classification in races two and three. Van Der Berg enjoyed an easier path to securing his title in the Max Masters. Despite not competing in the season-ender, he had already built a sizeable lead on the season’s points standings to ensure his overall triumph. Meanwhile, Qamar Saleem was able to come away with the drivers’ title in the Sprint Sodi W Series (SSWS), which is the arrive-and-race category of the Bahrain Karting Sprint Championship 2012. Each of the new champions in the BRMMC and SSWS were presented their trophies in an awarding ceremony at VIVA Karting Track. In attendance were BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa and Bahrain Motor Federation President Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa. Other members of BIC management and staff were also present at the prize distribution. There was plenty of heated action between contestants in the BRMMC’s final races. In the Junior Max category, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa came out blazing and was fully determined to seize the title. He won the meeting’s 11-lap first race in 11m 12.678s while enjoying a comfortable lead of 7.819s ahead of runner-up Mohammed Jalal. His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Khalifa claimed third place, finishing 10.293s behind. His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla continued his fine showing in race two, taking the chequered flag in 11m 15.332s. Mohammed Jalal and Feras Ramzy were second and third, respectively, trailing 3.690s and 3.811s behind. Jalal then emerged triumphant in the round’s third and final race, which marked the end to a highly competitive campaign. Jalal completed the sprint in 11m 13.560s, building enough of a gap from the rest of the field to breathe easy. Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa was second 6.646s behind, while His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla claimed third 6.705s back. Competition in the Max class was just as heated, but Adeeb Kuzbar put on a show as he raced to a string of three straight victories. In race one, Kuzbar won the 11-lap event in 10m 49.450s – 5.938s in front of runner-up Abdulla Al Thawadi and 7.061s ahead of eventual champion Paul Stanley. Race two saw Kuzbar and Stanley go at it neck and neck until Kuzbar managed the victory with just a 0.251s gap between them. Al Thawadi was a little further back, finishing 6.824s adrift for the final podium place. In race three, it was another close fight between Kuzbar and Stanley, and Kuzbar won by the narrowest of margins of 0.143s. Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa finished third 13.675s behind. At the end of all BRMMC events, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla topped the rankings in the Junior Max class with an impressive 947 points. Shaikh Isa bin Salman was in second place with 943 points, while His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad ranked third with 912 markers. Stanley was first in the Max division with 941 points. Al Thawadi finished second overall with 857 points, while Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed was in third on 827 points. Kuzbar finished fourth with 819 markers. Van Der Berg was the clear winner in the Max Masters category, completing the season with 599 points. Giovanni Mazza was second on 162 points. In the season-ending events of the SSWS championship, Qamar Saleem was crowned champion although he could only manage a pair of podium finishes in the sixth and final round. In race one, Khalid Al Saei was at the top of the classification after 13 laps. He won in 17m 00.062s. Ahmed Ebrahim was the runner-up 0.112s behind, while Saleem claimed third place 0.206s off. Race two saw the top three maintain their fine form, although they would exchange places by the sprint’s end. Ebrahim was this time victorious in 16m 52.057s, with Saleem in second place a mere 0.124s behind. Al Saei captured the final podium position 8.867s back. Following both races, Saleem improved to 565 points to claim the title. Al Saei was not far behind with 548 points, while Ebrahim was also just right there with 547 points. More information on the Bahrain Karting Sprint Championship 2012, or details on other activities at VIVA Karting Track, can be found on www.vivakartingtrack.com.