Karting Sprint finale set to light up Viva Track

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, will be hosting the sixth and final round of the Bahrain Karting Sprint Championship 2012 on Thursday (June 21) at its world-class VIVA Karting Track in Sakhir. The Kingdom’s top karters will be showcasing their talents in the highly anticipated event, which will feature action in both the Bahrain Rotax Mojo Max Championship (BRMMC) and the Sprint Sodi W Series (SSWS). All are welcome to attend the event and cheer the competitors on as the season’s drivers’ titles will be up for grabs in each competition category. This promises for an evening of high-intensity racing at one of the premier karting venues in the world. The BRMMC pits Rotax kart owners against one another in three different competition categories, namely the Junior Max, the Max and the Max Masters. Meanwhile, the SSWS is a leisure racing category. Drivers will challenge for the chequered flag on Sodikart RX7 270cc karts, each of which will be provided by VIVA Karting Track. Participants in the BRMMC events will begin signing in from 5.30pm, while SSWS competitors will sign in from 6.20pm. On the track action is scheduled to begin at 6.35pm with warm-up runs in the BRMMC, which will be followed by qualifying in both championships. Racing will then be held from 8.25pm until past 11pm. The evening’s programme will culminate with the podium ceremonies honouring all the round’s winners. Heading into the championship finale, three of Bahrain’s leading karting talents are in prime position to win their respective BRMMC classes. They include Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in the Junior Max category, Paul Stanley in the Max division, and David Van Der Berg in the Max Masters class. Shaikh Isa is setting the pace in the Junior Max with 795 points, but will have to put up a strong challenge to stave off the hard-charging pair of His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa who has 787 points and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Khalifa who has 767 points. Both His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed can pull off an upset with stellar performances in the round. Stanley tops the Max category with 785 points. He boasts a comfortable margin of 80 markers ahead of current second placer Abdulla Al Thawadi, while Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa is third with 677 points. All three are still with mathematical chance to claim the division crown. Van Der Berg, on the other hand, is the clear favourite to come away with the championship in the Max Masters. He has a total of 599 points heading into the last round, well ahead of Giovanni Mazza who has just 162 points. In the SSWS, Qamar Saleem marches into round six in first place with 473 points. Khalid Alsaei is second on 453 markers, while Ahmed Ebrahim is a close third with 450 points. There are only a limited number of open slots still available in both the BRMMC and SSWS for the championship finale, so interested participants are advised to sign up for the round as early as possible. For more information on both series, visit www.vivakartingtrack.com or call 1745-1745. Those who own a Rotax kart and are interested in taking part in the BRMMC can compete after paying an entry fee of BD55 per person. Each driver must also have a Bahrain Motor Federation (BMF) racing licence. Those without this licence may apply for one at the BMF. An application form and medical form will need to be submitted, along with a passport photograph and BD10 payment. Drivers younger than 18 years old will need a parent or guardian to sign the necessary forms. Details on licences can also be obtained by contacting BMF official Jasim Ebrahim on e-mail jasim@bmf.com.bh or on telephone number +973-17-452020. In the SSWS, the final round’s race results will count towards the Sodi W Series Sprint Cup World Ranking, giving participants a chance to be a part of an international leisure karting ranking with an opportunity to qualify for an annual world final.