CSMEC: Elgammal keeps title hopes alive

Tarek Elgammal kept his Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship title hopes alive in Bahrain at the weekend.

The Australian driver ensured a three-way title fight will take place at the series’ final round in Saudi Arabia in two weeks time as he bounced back from a race 1 retirement to win race 2 of the F1-supporting event.

Elgammal now sits three points behind Abdulaziz Al Yaeesh and a further ten adrift of Fahad Al Musalam in the standings with just the two races in Riyadh remaining.

Raed Raffii led the early stages, having already picked up a win in race 1, but retired midway through the race with a mechanical problem, handing the advantage to Elgammal.

Elgammal, Al Yaeesh and Al Musalam would take the chequered flag in that order, but only after all three traded paint in a frenetic race.

In race 1, Raffii got back to winning form after Al Musalam and Al Yaeesh clashed on lap three and Elgammal retired soon after.

That left Raffii, who had started from pole position but lost out to both Al Musalam and Al Yaeesh off the grid, clear to take a comfortable victory.

Behind the winner, Mohammed Al Owais clinched second place after a determined battle with Hamad Al Khalifa, who had fought from the back of the grid to move into second by lap four, before losing out to Al Owais a few laps later.

Al Khalifa settled for third ahead of Raed Charawi and Mohammed Al Falasi.

Championship Standings (after 6 rounds)

1 Fahad Al Musalam – 80pts
2 Abdulaziz Al Yaeesh – 70
3 Tarek Elgammal – 67
4 Hamad Al Khalifa – 60
5 Raed Raffii – 52
6 Mohammed Al Owais – 47
7 Raed Charawi – 22
8 Salman Al Khalifa – 20
9 Khalid Al Faisal – 18
10 Mohammed Alfalasi – 13

Next round: 31 March, Reem International Circuit, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Watch Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship highlights on Motors TV (Sky Channel 413, Virgin Media 545).


Andy Wilkinson