Bahrain International Circuit all set for Race Day thrills

Manama : Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) is set to host an extra-special round of National Race Day this weekend. 

The two-day event is set to feature four highly competitive series, headlined by the regionally renowned Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.

Racing will also be held in the BIC 2,000cc Challenge, the Bahrain Motorcycle Racing (BMR) 600 and the Bahrain Super Sport Championship (BSSP) 125.

The Porsche GT3 Cup is the biggest and most popular one-make motor racing championship in the region. It will be holding the penultimate round of its 2017/2018 season at National Race Day.

The battle for points is set to intensify over the weekend as the race to the title nears its climax. Briton Tom Oliphant is currently the championship leader with 192 points from the first eight races of the season. Al Faisal Al Zubair of Oman follows with 173 points, while Charlie Frijns of the Netherlands is third with 152 points.

All three will be lining up on the grid at BIC as part of an impressive 18-car grid. Others set to compete include His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa and Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, both of whom will be representing Team Bahrain.

Two GT3 Cup races are scheduled to take place over the weekend, with one race on each day. However, for the three other series, all the action will be held on Friday.

All the action will be held along BIC’s 5.412-kilometre Grand Prix track.

Racing on day one flags off at 11am with a practice for the GT3 Cup. BSSP practice follows at 12.30pm, while BMR practice is at 1.05pm and 2,000cc Practice is at 1.40pm.

Qualifying for the GT3 Cup then takes place at 2.20pm, for BSSP at 3pm, for BMR at 3.25pm, and for the 2,000cc at 3.50pm.

The first 12-lap race of the GT3 Cup is then scheduled to get underway at 5.02pm. The BSSP’s lone race of the weekend follows at
5.42pm.

Race one in BMR will then flag off at 6.10pm and conclude 11 laps later. It will be followed by the first 12-lap sprint for the 2,000cc runners at 6.50pm. BMR’s second race is then set for a 7.36pm start, followed by the second 2,000cc race at 8.08pm.

The podium ceremony will cap the day’s events at around 8.45pm.

On Saturday, the GT3 Cup practice kicks things off at 11am, followed at 1pm by qualifying. The lone race of the day and the GT3 Cup’s second of the weekend takes place at 3.45pm. The podium ceremony is then scheduled to be held at 4.23pm.

All are welcome to attend the weekend’s events at BIC. Tickets cost BD2 for adults and BD1 for children on each day. They can be purchased at the gate.