Plenty to enjoy at U18 world karting championship

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) announced today a jam-packed programme of family entertainment that can be enjoyed off of the race track at the upcoming CIK-FIA U18 World Karting Championship and CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy. The event is scheduled to take place November 8 to 10 at BIC’s world-class VIVA Karting Track in Sakhir. It will mark the third and final round of this year’s under-18 world championship and academy trophy. Plenty of colourful attractions for all ages will be on site for all those attending. They are set to include a series of fun games, children’s carnival rides, roaming acts, arts and crafts stations, live music and other enjoyable activities. Amongst the games that will be on hand are air hockey, a basketball shooting game and a ladder race game, to name a few; while rides include a human gyro, a miniature train ride, a whale carousel ride, an elephant bouncy castle and an airplane slide. Race goers will also be able to watch a wide array of acts perform right before them, such as a roving magician, stilt-walkers and stilt-cyclists, and a series of roaming cartoon characters such as Ben 10, Bob the Builder, Aladdin, Sinbad and Shrek. Meanwhile, live acts will also be performing on stage including a local rock band as well as a local variety band. Traditional food items will also be cooked on site for all to enjoy, while plenty of other food and beverages will also be available. All these plus many more will be a part of the festivities at the upcoming CIK-FIA U18 World Karting Championship and CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy. The event will be the first major international race to be held at the venue since it was formally opened this year. All are welcome to attend the three days of high-octane racing. Entrance to the general public will be free of charge on all days. There are also Paddock Tickets costing BD10 apiece, which allow holders access to the Paddock area where they can rub shoulders with teams and drivers plus have special seating along an exclusive grandstand above Parc Ferme. The opening round of the 2012 championship was held in Braga, Portugal in July. It was followed by round two in August in Angerville, France. Around 140 drivers from all over the world will be coming to Bahrain to contest the season finale. Nearly 90 are in the provisional entry list for the world championship, while another 50 or so will be battling it out in the Academy Trophy. The highly competitive field includes four of Bahrain’s top young karters who will be flying the Kingdom’s flag high at their home circuit. The homegrown talents include three participants in the world championship, namely Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and Adeeb Kuzbar representing Team Bahrain and Abdulla Al Thawadi of Saudi Falcons Team; plus another participant in the Academy Trophy in Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. The main CIK-FIA Track layout has a full length of 1.414 kilometres, and it features 14 turns. It is homologated for the highest level of international racing and is topographically challenging as it combines a great mix of sharp corners and level changes. For more information on the Bahrain round of the 2012 CIK-FIA U18 World Karting Championship and CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, visit www.vivakartingtrack.com or call +973-1745-1745.