Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, President of QMMF and General Manager of Losail International Circuit, is seen with the riders who featured in the second round of the Qatar International Enduro near Sealine Beach Resort yesterday.
DOHA: Mohammed Al Balooshi yesterday won both races of the second round of Qatar International Enduro organised by Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) at Sealine.
A total of 31 riders took part in the one-day event.
The Emirati rider and defending champion in the E2 category, produced an excellent run winning both races as he dominated from start to finish.
In the first race, Al Balooshi crossed the checkered flag with a gap of 49.179 seconds ahead of Ryan Blair.
“It was a good start. I got the holeshoot and stayed in the front all the time but there was too much pressure and I was not riding well,” Al Balooshi said.
“I was too cautious. I won the race but I am not happy with my riding. I feel have to do some changes in my KTM for the Moto2,” Al Balooshi said after Moto 1.
Second in the E2 category was Saeed Al Shenqiti, also from the UAE, and Moaath Al Ansari from Kuwait.
“I would like to thank to QMMF for this event and for their support. As previous rounds, it was a nice track design with a good battle with Balooshi and Jaffar. I started second and I managed to get my rhythm throughout the race and finished second,” Al Shenqiti said after Moto1.
In the intense E1 battle, the winner was Blair from Great Britain riding a KTM bike. Even Ryan endured a slow start yet he managed to win.
“The race from the start was difficult for me as I had a crash in the second lap so sand started to get into my goggles and I decided to take them off. My eyes are very sore, but I am happy that I managed to do some passes and finish first in my class,” Blair said.
“It is my first participation in the Enduro and it is more difficult than I thought it was. I am used to the sand but this track is really difficult, but it is challenging and I love it and I will be back for sure,” Blair added.
Kuwaiti riders Mohammed Jaffar and Barak Al Jasmi finished second and third respectively in the E1 category.
In the second race, Al Balooshi took the lead again from the start of the race and crossed the line in first place.
But this time Al Balooshi managed a minor gap, 5.756 seconds ahead of team-mate Mohammed Jaffar. “I am more happy with my riding in the Moto 2. I got the start and then I just tried to control the race and this is a good feeling,” Al Balooshi said. “I like to do this, play cat and mouse with my fellow riders behind me, first with Ryan and Saeed and then with Jaffar. I just tried to strike good rhythm, ride smart, make no mistakes and take the checkered flag first,” he added.
“In Moto 1 event I won but to be honest I was not happy, but yet I changed the bike for Moto2 and I feel better riding it now. This is a good feeling. I like winning but more importantly I am enjoying,” he said.
The second position in the podium for E2 was secured by Al Shenqiti followed by Sultan Al Balooshi also from UAE.
In the E1 cateogry, the winner of the second race was Jaffar.
“Today the races were really tough. In the first race I crashed in the fourth lap and I got injured in my ribs, but in the second race, I felt better,” Jaffar said.
“Even in the second race I didn’t have a really good start as I had to pull until I reached Ryan. I passed him and became first in the E1 so I stayed behind my coach Al Balooshi, but it was really difficult to keep it behind but I am happy for the win. I want to thank my team Balooshi Racing Team and Quarter Mile Club in Kuwati,” Jaffar added.
Blair and Abdullah Al Shatti were second and third respectively in the E1 category.
Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, QMMF President and General Manager of Losail International Circuit, said: “I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their efforts. There are so many people who make such races possible - the stewards, the marshals, the volunteers etc.”
Al Attiyah added: “I am glad there were no accidents and that the riders ended the race safely. We have a very beautiful terrain with dunes next to the seaside. The race is difficult with hard terrain, so this is a testing combination we have here. Also, we let the riders enjoy and practice for more races in the future.”
In the quads category, the podiums were the same in both races. The winner was Fahad Al Musallam from Kuwait and the second place was secured by Mohammed Al Khulaifi.
Qatari rider Adel Abdulla Hussein finished third.
THE PENINSULA
