Introducing students to motor racing

A first-of-its-kind motorsport induction course introduced secondary school students to motor racing and the importance of safety on public roads, writes Naman Arora.

Twenty-eight students nominated by the Education Ministry from various schools across the kingdom participated in the eight-week course.

“The course had five primary objectives,” a spokesperson from the Bahrain Motor Federation, the organisers of the programme, told GulfWeekly.

“The course was aimed at educating students about ways to maintain a car and reduce any dangerous risk factors, while also imparting accurate knowledge about diagnosing car faults smoothly and accurately, and getting familiarised about all car parts, including the engine.

“In addition, we wanted to educate the next generation about motorsport in Bahrain with a special focus on the importance of road safety.

“We also taught the basics of first aid in motorsport, particularly how to deal with accidents, reduce the possibility of injuries and manage risks in a professional manner.

“The overall goal is to increase the number of professionals specialised in the technical field of motor racing in Bahrain.”

During the first week, attendees received lectures on motorsports medicine, security and safety, basic marshalling, mental preparation and motivation, rescue and extrication, the pit area and the scrutineering of cars.

In the second week, there was a technical workshop about motorsport, followed by tours of the Bell Helmets factory and the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), as well as a course in practical firefighting.

The third week included practical training on karting engines, a logistics lecture as well as a tour of the Bahrain International Karting Circuit.

The fourth week included a technical workshop about preparing race cars, and a tour of Aryan Xtreme Motorsports facilities, as well as a lecture about drag racing.

“One of the advantages of the course was that it gave us the opportunity to learn about motorsports and it explained to us everything that is important in the industry,” said Zuhair Mahdi, one of the students attending the course.

The fifth and sixth weeks covered first aid, different race car tyres, as well as a tour of the BIC off-road course.

The final two weeks covered the mechanics of race cars and an introduction to Sports Utility Vehicles as well as a technical workshop taking a closer look at racing engines.