JEDDAH: Prince Khalid bin Sultan, head of ProRace Company, on Sunday night announced the organization and launch of the first MINI Cup Racing in the Middle East.
The championship will be held under the title “Bison MINI Cup Saudi Arabia” in Riyadh on April 12, with the participation of 10 Saudi teams aboard fully equipped MINI cars, under the sponsorship of Energy drink Bison, the official partner. The event has the support of Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Est., Mobil 1 oil and Alreem International Circuit.
The prince told a press conference at the Jeddah Hilton that the championship would consist of six rounds and all of them would be held at Alreem International Circuit in the capital. The first round will kick off on Thursday (Feb. 12). “The championship will be supervised by motorsport and car racing experts to ensure the most serious, professional and fair participation for all participating teams,” he added.
Abdullah Abou Al-Jadayel, chairman of Aboul Jadayel Factory, said the launch of the event in the Middle East was of great significance in the field of the Kingdom’s motorsport. “Our marketing strategy for Bison in general targets youths and motorsport enthusiasts, where we found the importance of motorsport to this segment of the community.”
Reiner Braun, director sales and marketing at Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Est., said: “Investing in the future is one of our core values at Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors, which is why we are proud to play a part in this defining moment for the future of Saudi motorsports. We are confident that the ‘MINI Cup’ series of races, the first professional race series in Saudi Arabia, will not only enthrall a new generation of racing enthusiasts, but also uncover a host of hidden Saudi talents in the field of motor racing, and hopefully catapult them onto the world stage for bigger and better success.”
This championship is expected to uncover new talents in car racing in Saudi Arabia because of its low cost and easy participation rulings.
Each round will have free tests and qualifying tests, plus a main race consisting of 15 laps on Alreem International Circuit. Winners will receive trophies and points that qualify them to win the title at the end of the championship.
The 1st round will be followed by 2nd round on March 5, 3rd round on April 9, 4th round on Oct. 29, 5th round on Nov. 19 and 6th round on Dec. 17. Specialized MINI racing cars will be used in the rounds.
