Open Track Night to offer loads of thrills at BIC

Manama, Oct. 17 (BNA): Loads of thrills and excitement await motorsport fans on Saturday (Editor’s note: October 22) as Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) hosts Open Track Night in Sakhir. Open Track is one of the most popular public activities available at ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’. Scores of speed enthusiasts from Bahrain and all over the Gulf usually turn up for this event, as it is a chance to drive their very own cars or motorbikes along BIC’s 2.55-kilometre Inner Track. Aside from the Open Track, also available to speed enthusiasts will be a pair of passenger rides in a Clio Cup car and a Radical SR3 prototype. Both are all-new offerings at BIC. Action on Saturday will be held from 4pm until 11pm under BIC’s state-of-the-art track lighting system. Open Track participants will be able to choose between driving for a whole night at BD105 or just for a half-night at BD75. The half-night sessions are between 4pm and 7pm or between 8pm and 11pm. A single 30-minute session can also be enjoyed for BD40. Registration can be done at BIC itself on Saturday from 3pm. However, those who book in advance can get a discount. The cost for the full night would be BD90 and the half-night BD65. Friends or family members who would like to accompany a participant as a passenger in their car may do so at an extra fee of BD12. Meanwhile, the Clio Cup and Radical SR3 passenger rides are sure to give motorsport fans an exceptional new thrill. The Clio Cup passenger ride gives clients a look into the racing capabilities of one of the world’s most popular sports cars. This Renault-manufactured mean machine features a 1.6-litre Turbocharged engine. It can generate up to 220bhp and 6,000rpm, and it has a paddle shift racing gearbox and an FIA-specification roll cage and seats. The Clio Cup passenger ride comprises a single three-lap session of around 40 minutes, and it can be enjoyed for BD25. The Radical SR3 boasts an RPE-Suzuki Generation 1,340 DOHC engine. It can go from zero to 100kmh in 3.4 seconds, and also has a six-speed sequential gearbox and paddle gearshift system. The SR3 passenger ride costs BD35 for a three-lap session of around 40 minutes. Saturday’s Open Track Night will be run to the highest of international safety standards, although participants will still be able to push their vehicles to their very limit. All those taking part must first bring their cars or motorbikes through scrutineering before being allowed to take to the track. They must also own a valid driver’s licence and must be wearing appropriate clothing along with closed-toe footwear. For more information on the upcoming Open Track Night or other BIC activities, visit the circuit’s official website www.bahraingp.com or call the BIC Hotline on +973-17-450000.