Drag racing is truly an international sport and for the Kingdom of Bahrain, straight-line motorsports is quickly emerging as a source of pride for the country.

The B1 Racing team could be considered the native “home team” for the island country in the Persian Gulf just off the east coast of Saudi Arabia and north of Qatar.

The driving force and organizer of this talent-laden team is none other than key Bahrain dignitary and team owner Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Utilizing a key group of American superstars, B1 Racing has emerged with three formidable teams competing in the Arabian Drag Racing League Championship series. The B1 Racing has already experienced huge success, and is poised to jump into a position of leadership in the industry as well as a record-setting group of racers. The talent and experience at the helm and on-board is second to none and is on track to become more than a racing team.

Drag racing is truly an international sport and for the Kingdom of Bahrain, straight-line motorsports is quickly emerging as a source of pride for the country.

The B1 Racing team could be considered the native “home team” for the island country in the Persian Gulf just off the east coast of Saudi Arabia and north of Qatar.

The driving force and organizer of this talent-laden team is none other than key Bahrain dignitary and team owner Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Utilizing a key group of American superstars, B1 Racing has emerged with three formidable teams competing in the Arabian Drag Racing League Championship series. The B1 Racing has already experienced huge success, and is poised to jump into a position of leadership in the industry as well as a record-setting group of racers. The talent and experience at the helm and on-board is second to none and is on track to become more than a racing team.
 
Take any of the cars’ crew chiefs: Jim Oddy, Rick Hickman, and Pat Musi, all pioneering members of the Pro Mod class and names synonymous with growth and innovation. Add to that powerful blower innovators, engine builders and clutch masters like Troy Critchley, Ray Williams and Jim Cahill and you’ve got more brainpower and horsepower combined on one team than any motorsports university or technical institute could hope to assemble.
 
And actually, that’s part of Sheikh Khalifa’s plan, according to world champion racer Josh Hernandez.
 
“He really has a huge vision for B1 and bringing the excitement of drag racing to the country of Bahrain as well as helping grow the sport across the entire region,” Hernandez said. “He has talked with me about developing technical schools in the area to support the sport, and using B1 Racing as an anchor flagship.”
 
Not only has Sheikh Abdulla assembled an all-star cast on his B1 Racing team, the 36-year-old prince has encouraged an atmosphere of camaraderie and innovation. Case in point: the latest addition to the team, Pat Musi.
 
Pro Nitrous driver Khalid Mohammed said, “Pat is the one who really taught me how to drive a Pro Mod when I moved to the class in 2005, and we have kept in touch since then, so it was a logical move to bring him aboard.”
 
Musi said, “I worked with both Khalid and Ali [Aryan, Pro Extreme driver] when they came to the States, and we have kept in close contact. When I was invited to be a part of the team to help tune Khalid’s car, I was really excited.  I wasn’t sure how things would work, and how I’d be welcomed into the mix, but I have to say, it was great.
 
“Everyone was open and willing to share; something that isn’t common on most large race teams. The attitude was great, and despite the results of the last race, the guys were extremely positive,” Musi said.
 
In Round 5 of the ADRL Championship, B1 racers were uncharacteristically unsuccessful. Josh Hernandez and Ali Aryan failed to qualify for the Pro Extreme eight-car field, and Khalid Mohammed redlit in the first round of Pro Nitrous, sending the whole team to the garage early on a Friday night.
 
Hernandez said, “Everyone in racing knows that you have those kinds of races, but that doesn’t make it any easier. I think as a team, we all wanted to get past it quickly and not dwell on it. We want to work on what we know we can do and get back on track.”
 
Musi added, “There are a lot of guys out here like Shannon Jenkins and Frankie Taylor who had just a ton of runs down this track, but I don’t have that luxury. The four laps we did in Khalid’s car were all I had, and that wasn’t even with my own equipment and setup.  For the next race, we’ll have my engines and stuff on the car, and that will make a world of difference.  It’s just a matter of laps, data and communication. We’ve all got the communication stuff down it seems, and we just need to build on the laps and the data – and that takes time.
 
“I want to be sure to express my thanks to Sheikh Abdullah for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this amazing team. I’m really sure we can go far and make some really big strides, for B1, for Bahrain, and for the sport of Pro Mod in general,” Musi said.
 
Musi, Oddy, Hickman and Critchley will get their chance to get things rolling again soon. The next round of the ADRL Championship, Round 6, is scheduled for February 3-4 at Qatar Racing Club in Doha, and the team will be raring to go. Both Hernandez and Khalid Mohammed are sitting in third place in their respective classes; well within striking distance of the top spot with the three races that remain in the series.
 
The Kingdom of Bahrain and its position in the Gulf makes it a key player in the management of trade throughout the region. Under the leadership of the King, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the country has the fastest growing economy in the world and is a leader in the region when it comes to human rights and a enjoys a strong middle class.

 

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