JEDDAH, 18 January 2006 — An ‘In 10 So’ championship will be organized in Jeddah to help prepare ambitious young Saudi drivers for a possible career in motorsport.
“This championship is being held at the In 10 So indoor racetrack to choose the best Saudi driver in karting,” Saudi rally champion Abdullah Bakhashab said yesterday.
The competition will be race against the clock and theoretical tests will be done for the drivers after that. The two top winners will then move on for their driving and training tests in Al-Bahrain International Circuit on Jan. 24 and join the Meretus Formula One Racing Team. Thus they can participate in the F-1 international competition, which is called one seat car-race, and thereafter the world of F-1.
The competition began on Jan. 10. “In conformity with the development of motorsport all over the world and increasing support for F-1 from companies, we follow-up the steps taken by great champions such as Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. And so we’ve built one of the greatest karting racetracks in the Middle East located at the Al-Serif Mega Mall here,” Bakahshab added.
“We want Saudi drivers to compete in races within F-1. We’re delighted to have launched a campaign to help the youth fulfill their ambition in this sport, and we hope to select the best driver to compete and win the Al-Bahrain circuit and then onward to F-1 races,” he said.
He said his efforts to discover new talents in this sport had been translated into successes. The rally school established by him, the discovery of talents like Majed Al-Ghamdi, who won the Toyota Saudi Rally Championship Middle East three times, and Sultan Hamdi, who holds the 2004 title, are examples. Besides, autocross champion Mansour Al-Qahtani holds the ‘Saudi Star 2005’ title for being the fastest driver in the Kingdom.
Together with his efforts and that of Jeddah Race Way, motorsport has a bright future, Bakhashab added.
Today is the last day for the competition. Final rounds will follow for two days till Jan. 20. The results will be announced on Jan. 23, before traveling to Bahrain, where the winners compete in qualifying races Jan. 24-25.
