Tariq Al Hadi is one of Bahrain’s most successful Drag Racer and a member of the BDRC. We sit down with him to learn what it takes to be a drag racer at one of the Best Drag Strips in The World…The Bahrain International Drag Strip.
Drag racing pits drivers and their cars against one another in pairs from a standing start, and it is the fastest, loudest, and perhaps most spectacular of motorsports. The traditional course is a quarter-mile straight – occasionally shorter, never longer – with an instant-knockout system.
From street-legal production automobiles to Top Fuel Dragsters, there are numerous vehicle classifications. Some eliminators pit vehicles with similar performance capabilities against one another, with no handicaps. Other eliminators use a timed handicap system with staggered starts to allow vehicles with unequal performance capabilities to race each other. The first to the finish advances to the next round, while the second is eliminated. It is quite decisive. In each eliminator, the procedure is repeated until only one winner remains.
As they compete for the title of ultimate drag racing champion, the sound of screeching tyres, the smell of burning rubber, and the sight of finely tuned racing animals pass by. All of this, and much more, is part of the Bahrain Drag Racing Championship, which is the largest in the Gulf and draws competitors from all over the world. Drag racers push their vehicles to their limits for a variety of reasons, including pride and the opportunity to win a “Wally,” a unique trophy awarded only to winners of NHRA-sanctioned races throughout the world. The roars of the cars and bikes, combined with the cheers of large crowds and the sport’s natural appeal, draw a large number of competitors and fans to the tournament.
