Podium winners pose for a picture after their rounds at the Qatar International Enduro at Sealine yesterday.
DOHA: Kuwait’s Moaath Al Ansari and UAE’s Mohammed Al Balooshi each won one race in the E2 category of the new season of the Qatar International Enduro, yesterday.
The event organised by Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), was held at Sealine. As in the previous season, there were categories for bikes (E1, E2 and E3) and quads with four rounds that will compose the championship.
The Kuwaiti rider Moaath Al Ansari finished first in the first race, with a total time of 38.53.208. The KTM rider is now riding in the E2 category having took part in the E1 category in the previous season. But he feels more comfortable with the E2 category and hopes to have a nice battle with Al Balooshi who is also competing in the same category.
Al Balooshi finished in second position with a gap of 17.272secs in the first race.
The KTM rider had a mechanical problem with his bike just some minutes before the start of the race one, but luckily he sort it out riding a second bike.
In the second race of the day, Al Balooshi crossed the finishing line in first position with a time of 38.01.732secs, who led race from the beginning to the end.
“I am very happy with this result being in the first step in the podium and thank my team for the great job in fixing the bike on time to achieve this result. For sure Al Ansari and me will have tough and exciting battles in the coming rounds,” Al Balooshi said after his victory.
The Kuwaiti rider Abdullah Al Shatti crossed the line in second position with a gap of only 2.087 behind Al Balooshi.
Meanwhile, Al Ansari crossed the line in third place.
The defending champion in the quads category, Obaid Al Kitibe from UAE finished in third position overall, being the first quad rider to cross the finishing line.
In the second race, the first quad to finish the race was again Obaid Al Kitibe in the 5th position.
Al Kitibe riding a Honda quad made a total timing of 39.03.530.
“I am very happy to win the championship yesterday (Friday) and leading again the Quads category even the track was a bit hard as yesterday (Friday) track activity,” said Al Kitibe yesterday.
Regarding the championship standings, in the E1 category, Abdulla Al Shatti from Kuwait is leading with 50 points.
Mubarak Al Ali, Tariq Al Hattab and Barrack Al Jasmi have 40 points.
Moaath Al Ansari and Mohammad Al Balooshi are leading the E2 category with 47 points both of them. Ali Al Kubaisi with 40 points is in third place.
In quads, the leader of this category is Obaid Al Kitibe and Qatari Mohammed Abu Issa is second with 44 points. Abdulla Nasser Al Ali was third.
After each race, took place the podium ceremony with special awards from Alfardan Automobiles to all the winners. Trophies were presented by Rashid Al Sulaiti (QMMF Public Relations Manager), Iain Black (Clerk of Course) and Isa Al Awadi (Steward of the meeting).
After the Qatar International Enduro races, it was the turn for the new championship, QMMF T3 Challenge
This new championship for off road buggy vehicles is formed by four rounds, and similar to the National Sprint but in the desert. Each buggy starts individually at one minute intervals completing one round of the endure course.
The first winner of the T3 Challenge was Qatar’s Hamad Al Ali with 7.03 minutes.
Khalid al Mohannadi and Abdulazez Al Sada finished in second and third place respectively.
Trophies were given by Marwan Musabeh (Clerk of Course), Iain Black and Clive Jacobsen (Sportive technical advisor).
THE PENINSULA
