Action during the opening round of Qatar Drag Racing Championship.
Doha, Qatar: A week after the conclusion of the Arabian Drag Racing Championship, life returned to the drag strip at Qatar Racing Club (QRC) with the start of the first round of the Qatar Drag Racing Championship for the 2024/2025 season.
The championship is being held under the generous sponsorship of QRC Chairman H E Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani.
The championship is held over five rounds, spanning five consecutive weeks. This year’s championship features a new structure with the introduction of six car categories and two bike categories. These categories primarily focus on index races, which require intense concentration and rely on exceptional adjustment standards, making the performance of the racer the most critical factor in achieving victory.
Hisham Al Awadi emerged as the winner of the first round in the (INDEX 10.00) category, which made its debut in the club’s competitions. Badr Al Barak, who secured second place, defeated Saad Al Abkal in the semi-final, with Saad settling for third after leading the qualifying trials but failing to reach the final race.
Msbih Ali Al Kaabi combined both the top spot in the qualifying trials and the round title in the (INDEX 9.00) category after defeating Raed Ali in the final, who settled for second place, while Mohamed Zaman took third place on the podium.
QRC Director-General Sheikh Jabor bin Khalid Al Thani with the podium winners.
Despite finishing 15th in the qualifying trials of the (INDEX 8.50) category, this did not prevent Hamdan Al Kaabi from claiming the first-round title. He made his way to the final, where he triumphed over Nasser Ghanem, who took second place.
In the quarter-mile bike category (INDEX 8.50), Khaled Al Dousari claimed his first championship title after defeating Saud Al Wahibi in the final, who took second place.
Only Rashid Al Baloushi managed to win titles in two categories, making him the biggest winner in the opening round of the championship. His first title came in the (INDEX 4.80) category. After recording the fourth-best time in the qualifying trials, he made his way through the elimination rounds to reach the final race, where he defeated Mustafa Atat, who took second place, while Hussein Al Maqsid claimed third place.
Al Baloushi’s second title came in the (INDEX 4.50) category. After qualifying in seventh place, he advanced to the final to face Shawn Langdon, the 2013 NHRA Top Fuel Champion in the American NHRA. Al-Baloushi triumphed over Langdon, who finished second.
The final and most powerful car category, the Super Street, witnessed Mohamed Kafoud winning the title after recording the second-best time in the qualifying trials and reaching the final to face Jaber Salman, who settled for second place.
In a similar way to the (INDEX 9.00) category, the Street Bike category saw the leader of the qualifying trials, Mohamed Bourashed, claiming the opening round title. Despite his final opponent, Mohamed Al Salem, being his runner-up in the trials, Al Salem also finished as the runner-up in the round.
QRC Director-General Sheikh Jabor bin Khalid Al Thani honoured the podium winners. The second round begins tomorrow with testing, followed by the first and second qualifying trials on Thursday, and the third qualifying session on Friday before the elimination races commence.
