Double delight for Shaikh Hamad at BIC

Manama : Shaikh Hamad bin Isa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa enjoyed double success as he won both sprints in round three of the 2016/17 BIC Challenge in another exciting edition of the National Race Day on Friday at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.

Mishal Alneaimi and Ali Alshammari, meanwhile, were well on their way to joining Shaikh Hamad for double celebrations in their respective race series. But a penalty for each prevented them from doing so. Alneaimi eventually had to share honours with Mike Edwards in the Bahrain Superbike Championship (BSBK), while Alshammari and Mohammed Adhan Al Zaidan came away with a win apiece in the Bahrain Motorcycle Racing 600 (BMR 600).

Both the BSBK and BMR 600 were also holding the third round of their respective 2016/2017 seasons and together with the BIC 2,000cc Challenge, they made up National Race Day at BIC, with all the action taking place along the Sakhir facility’s 2.55-kilometre Inner Track.

Racing later switched to BIC’s quarter-mile drag strip on Friday night for round three of the 2016/2017 Bahrain Drag Racing Championship-Arabia Pro Series. The heated head-to-head battles only ended in the early hours of Saturday morning.

In the BIC 2,000cc Challenge, Shaikh Hamad debuted for the current season and showed the rest of the field why he is a former champion. Driving a white Honda CIVIC hatchback, Shaikh Hamad emerged on the winning end of an intense battle with rival competitor Raed Himmo in both 2,000cc races.

Himmo also driving a CIVIC, was the pole-sitter for race one and he enjoyed a strong start, keeping his position heading into the first turn despite significant pressure from Shaikh Hamad and defending champion Shaikh Salman bin Isa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who was starting alongside Himmo on the front row and driving a CIVIC.

Shaikh Hamad got the better of Himmo on lap seven. Shaikh Hamad never looked back from there, and gradually built a comfortable lead enroute to taking the chequered flag in a total time of 15 minutes 54.575 seconds with Shaikh Salman (+6.994 seconds) second and Himmo (+9.654) in third.

Tim Birkin (+18.251) was classified fourth in a Honda Integra and Abdulla Ali (+26.326) in a GT86 was fifth, while rounding out the top six was Mohamed Faqihi (+27.366), also in a CIVIC amongst a healthy field of 14 drivers. Faqihi was given a 10-second penalty following an incident with Birkin.

In the second race, Himmo charged to the front from his starting position on row six and did well to hold the lead for much of the race. He and Shaikh Hamad were neck-and-neck with only two-tenths-of-a-second separating the pair, with Shaikh Salman right behind them.

It was an intense and entertaining battle between Himmo and Shaikh Hamad for much of the 12 laps. Shaikh Hamad finally secured the advantage with only two laps to go, and in the end, only 0.331 seconds separated the top two. Despite starting from last place, Shaikh Hamad won in 15:57.300. Shaikh Salman (+2.486) was a close third behind his victorious younger brother, while Birkin (+12.015) was fourth, Ali (+30.722) fifth and Mansoor Al Hajri (+33.589) in a GT86 to round out the top six.

In the BSBK, where competitors were riding on identical Ducati 899 Panigale sports bikes, it should have been business as usual for Qatar-based defending champion Mishal Alneaimi, but a 10-second penalty in the first race cost him a fine double and finally ended his unbeaten streak in the series.

Alneaimi (12:35.802) originally crossed the finish line first, but after exiting the pit lane under the red light, he was given a penalty demoting him to second place and handing the win over to Briton Mike ‘Spike’ Edwards (12:42.094) who was classified 3.708 seconds ahead of Alneaimi. Fahad Al Suwaidi (+10.259) was third and Ahmed Almuyin (+18.657), Ali Alshammari (+22.985s) and Wesley Pearce (+26.943s) were fourth through sixth.

In the second 11-lap sprint, Alneaimi (12:33.641) restored to win ahead of Edwards(+9.200) in second with Al Suwaidi (+11.954) third with Almuyin (+24.752), Alshammari (+25.990) and Pearce (+43.198) fourth to sixth respectively.

In other action,  Qatari Alshammari (13:26.545) took race one in the BMR 600 in the Superstock class riding a Kawasaki ZX6R, second was Nawaf Al Shuaibi (+4.430) on a Yamaha R6 and Mohammed Adhan Al Zaidan (+4.430) also on an R6 was third place.

Mohammed Al Ateeqi (+19.338) on an MV Augusta F3, Ali Ahmed Adiby (+19.665) on a ZX6R and Mohammed Al Eidi (+20.164) on an Augusta F3 were ranked fourth to sixth amongst the 16 participants.

In the Hornets class, where riders competed on identical 600cc Honda Hornet bikes, Adel Najjar was the winner. Martijn Heemskerk was second and Khalifa Khalil Ebrahim third.

In race two, Al Zaidan was awarded the victory after Alshammari was given a 10-second penalty due to a jump start. Al Shuaibi (+1.360) made it into second place behind Al Zaidan, while Alshammari (+1.639) had to settle for third  in the final classification with Adiby (+10.734), Al Eidi (+21.747) and Nasser Al Khadra (+32.061) fourth to sixth amongst the Superstock riders.

In the Hornets class, Najjar, Ebrahim and Heemskerk returned to the podium in that finishing order.