KINGS OF KARTING!

The Bahrain round of the 2012 CIK-FIA U18 World Karting Championship and CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy will feature three action-packed days of non-stop racing for the kingdom’s motorsport fans to enjoy.

The highly-global event will take place this weekend at Bahrain International Circuit’s world-class VIVA Karting Track in Sakhir.

Around 100 of the world’s most talented young drivers, aged 15 to 18, will be competing in the motor racing extravaganza, which is set to be the biggest-ever karting event ever to be held in the Middle East.

Just like in previous rounds of the U18 World Championship, the Bahrain meeting will be divided into four main stages. These include the Non-Qualifying Practice, the Qualifying Practice, the Qualifying Heats and the Final Phase.

For Non-Qualifying Practice and Qualifying Practice, drivers will be divided into groups, each of which is called a Series. They must have a minimum of 36 drivers apiece.

To begin the on-track action, each Series gets a 15-minute session in the Non-Qualifying Practice to be held tomorrow evening and early afternoon on Friday of the race weekend. That then paves the way for Qualifying Practice later the same day, when each Series will go out for an eight-minute session.

A driver’s best lap time during Qualifying Practice will be counted, and the session’s final classification will determine another set of drivers’ groupings for the ensuing Qualifying Heats.

These Qualifying Heats, also scheduled for Friday, could have four groups or more, depending on the participants. Each group will face one another in separate heats of 11 and eight laps. Drivers will be awarded points based on their classification in these Qualifying Heats, and the top 34 will move on to the Final Phase, which is set for Saturday.

This concluding stage will consist of two Pre-Final races and one Final race.

Each of the two Pre-Finals will be over 15 kilometres or 11 laps in total distance. A driver’s starting position for the first session will be determined by the points he or she earned during the Qualifying Heats. The second Pre-Final race will have a reversed starting grid.

Points will also be awarded to drivers in both sessions based on where they finish.

The Final race will then follow, to be held over 30 kilometres or 22 laps. Starting positions will be determined by each driver’s accumulated points from the Pre-Finals.

The Final race’s classification will then be regarded as the round’s official results, and in Bahrain, this will help determine the year’s new U18 world champion.

Apart from the Final Phase, there will also be a Consolation Final, called the ‘B’ Final, after the Qualifying Heats. This is for the top 34 drivers who did not qualify. They will compete over 20 kilometres in a single race, and the top six classified will win points.

Racing in the Academy Trophy will follow much of the same format as that in the U18 World Championship.

In this category, however, a smaller group of drivers is expected and there will be two races on Saturday. Each race will be over 15 laps, and each will have its own final classification and podium.

All are welcome to attend the three-day race weekend.

Entrance to the general public will be free of charge on all days. There are also Paddock tickets costing BD10 apiece, which allow holders access to the Paddock area where they can rub shoulders with teams and drivers plus have special seating along an exclusive grandstand above Parc Ferme.

To complement all the racing action, there will also be plenty of off-the-track entertainment for the enjoyment of the whole family throughout the weekend. These include a series of fun game stalls, children’s carnival rides, roaming acts, arts and crafts stations, live music and other enjoyable activities.

* For more information on the Bahrain round of the 2012 CIK-FIA U18 World Karting Championship and Academy Trophy, visit www.bahrain-karting.com or call 17451745.