RIYADH: The Reem International Circuit in Riyadh sees the Bison Mini Cup series reach its halfway stage today. As the competitors line up for the midpoint charge, it looks as if it will be a two horse(power) race between Zain-Reem Racing and the Alfaisal Racing Team led by Saeed Al Mouri and his colleague Majed Al Ghamdi.
Zain-Reem led by Bandar Alireza, with his colleague Medhat Sheikhelard, seem the more likely of the two to win this championship at this stage. However, there is a long way to go and mini-racing is as unpredictable as any other form with mechanical failure or a momentary lapse in concentration often proving a race loser.
The Mini Cooper Works cars, each fully compliant with FIA racing regulations, are equipped with full safety cage, five point seat belts and automatic fire-fighting system. In true Cooper S style, the 1205kg cars have supercharged engines that produce 215 horsepower delivered through a six-speed box to racing slicks.
The commercially sponsored championship, which involves 10 teams each driving race-prepared Mini Coopers will compete over six rounds this year to establish a national champion.
Prince Khalid Al Faisal, whose team fields two cars recently noted that the championship would be supervised by motor sport and motor racing experts to ensure serious and fair participation for all the teams. Despite the youth of the competitors and the relative inexperience of full closed circuit racing of some of the entrants, the championship so far has produced safe but ultra competitive racing.
The championship is an attractive and easily accessible way of entering motor sport.
The Mini brand still holds strong appeal for they youth market and that is the area Reiner Braun, Director of Sales and Marketing at Mohammed Naghi Motors who co-sponsored the event feels will encourage latent talent to develop.
The sport has been given the government thumbs –up by the official attention of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare whose president Prince Sultan bin Fahd presented the first round winners with their trophies. Motorsport in its various forms is developing apace and backed by Kingdom General Presidency for Youth Welfare and the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation.
