Vettes Drag Racing in the Middle East - I Never Knew

[Eric]

Never expected to read this in The Voice of Bahrain, The Gulf Daily News:

Khalid clips Aryan's mark By AIDAN PAYNE

BAHRAIN'S Khalid Mohammed driving a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette clocked 6.482 seconds to set a new Middle East record in the qualifiers of the ProMod category in the Chevrolet Motorsport-sponsored International Drag Racing Festival at the Bahrain International Circuit last night.

The 37-year-old Unstoppabulls racer eclipsed the mark of 6.51 seconds in the quarter-mile track held by compatriot Ali Aryan of the Popeye Racing team driving a Pro Street Camaro 1969 just over a year ago.

The two men are set to battle it out for the ProMod title in what is also the opening round of this year's Bahrain National Drag Racing Championship.

Aryan was the second fastest clocking in at 6.556 seconds, while the main rivals to the Bahraini pair UAE's Bader Al Ahli (7.59) and Kuwait's Khalid Al Shatti (8.062) were off the pace despite putting in impressive runs themselves.

The highlight for many this weekend will be some of the biggest names in the sport driving the 6,000hp Top Fuellers down the strip.

Aryan, the Bahrain champion, makes the first-ever appearance of an Arab driver in the most powerful category in the sport of drag racing when he takes to the wheel of the Top Fuel car for the first time.

"The first night was really just a test session for the Top Fuellers and nobody made a full pass," said Aryan. "The power and the noise of these cars is unlike anything you have ever experienced - inside or outside the cockpit! The second day we will see what these monsters can really do, and it is an honour to be competing for Bahrain."

Norwegian drivers Siw 'Sunshine' Nystad and Thomas Nataas drew the biggest applause of the night in the Top Fuel class.

Today the gates open at 3pm and the action gets underway at 4pm.
Leading times (second round qualifying).

[Lucy64]

Eric,

That is really something...but my questions is why are you reading the Voice of Bahrain in the Gulf Daily News?? Job related??

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Lucy64

Eric,

That is really something...but my questions is why are you reading the Voice of Bahrain in the Gulf Daily News?? Job related??

ROFLMAO! I had some bad juju last night so I was awake and feeling like crap. So, I started searching the web for Vette-related news stories. When I found that one it intrigued me. I read a couple other articles and it all has a very western feel to it. No wonder since that's one of our "propped up" governments. Hence the Corvettes drag racing.

[Tman08]

Originally Posted by Eric

it all has a very western feel to it.

u mean Eastern feel

[SPANISHVETTS]

Karting Bahrain beats me out every year for wildest go-kart track but not by much. I run 12 HP Honda motors on a 125 pound kart. They have close to 15 HP on a kart that weighs less than 100 pounds. No side protection, No break away steering post and No insurance problems because they are almost state owned.

The Bahrainis love American cars and speed and will race and bet on anything that moves. The last time that I traveled through there were at least 5 Corvettes, half a dozen Hummers, enough Chryslers to make Lee Iacocca smile and a few Phords all in one parking lot. They prefer American over European and thumb their noses at diesel cars. The Jap stuff is for the Oil Field and is considered disposable after a year or so. On any day you can see a barge full of Nissan Pickups being hauled off for scrap metal.

I do not know if this is true or not but I was told that there were more Limos per person in Bahrain that there are in Hollywood.

A lot of our Navy people go through Bahrain. Ask any of them about how crazy it is.