Action from the previous round of the Arabian Drag Racing League.
Doha, Qatar: Motorsport fans will be in for a treat when the third round of the Arabian Drag Racing League (ADRL) kicks off today under the auspices of Qatar Racing Club Chairman H E Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani.
Following the results of the second round, which witnessed widespread participation from champions of the Drag Race sport, the competition for the overall standings intensified in all categories. No one from the champions of the opening round could repeat their success for the second week in a row, revealing the strength of the competition and reshuffling the championship standings, bringing some categories back to square one.
In the strongest category, 4.0, the competition for the overall standings ignited with the winner of the opening round, Badr Khurshid, exiting in the first round of the second, while the runner-up of the opening round, Jaber Al Maghribi, secured victory in the last round.
Similarly, the 4.5 Index category witnessed a completely different podium than the first round. With the exchange of winning positions in the first two rounds in the Super Street category between Hussein Akbar and Al Maghribi, everyone is eagerly awaiting the third round to see who will take the lead and if a new name will enter the title race, making the competition for the championship three-way, or if things will remain as they are.
Although the podium in the second round for the 4.80 Index category carried three new names, it maintained its Qatari identity excellently.
After Qatari racer Hassan Al Abdullah won the opening round, another Qatari driver Badr Al Sharshani clinched honours in the next round.
Meanwhile, Hussein Ashkanani and Mohammed Jawad stood out in the 8.5 and 9.0 Index categories, respectively, topping the standings at the end of the first two rounds.
In motorcycle competitions, the Super Street Bike and 8.5 Index categories saw three new names on the podiums, making predicting the titleholder incredibly challenging, while Musa Al Balushi leads the Street Bike category after finishing second in the first round and winning the title last week.
According to the schedule of this round, registration and technical inspection started last Tuesday for three hours and resumed yesterday. The track was opened to all racers until eleven o’clock at night for testing and preparation, allowing racers to assess the readiness of their cars and bikes and find the ideal tuning standards in preparation for the competitions.
As for today’s events, three sessions of qualifying trials are scheduled for all categories, followed by the fourth and final session on Friday at three o’clock, followed immediately by the knockout matches conducted in a loser’s bracket format, leading to the final races for the third round titles.
