Stephen Kellogg was once again in unbeatable form as he scored a fantastic double on Friday (December 23, 2011) in round four of the 2011/2012 BIC 2,000cc Challenge, held as part of the National Racing Festival which wrapped up in thrilling fashion at Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

Kellogg overcame an early surprise from Salah Salahuddin to triumph comfortably in race one before claiming race two in style, battling from the back and thwarting Tim Birkin midway through to power on to the chequered flag.

Kellogg’s two victories gave him seven wins in eight races so far this season, including six in a row along with three pole positions. It was also his third double of his fantastic campaign, which now heads into the latter half of the season with only three remaining rounds.

“Yes, it probably is,” answered Kellogg when asked if the title was now his to lose. “I’m just going to have to keep things going the way they are and continue developing the car, as everyone is constantly developing each round.

“I may now have a sizeable lead in the championship standings, but I cannot and I will not relax. I’ll only do that at the very end.”

In the day’s first race, Salahuddin looked determined to spring up a surprise with a strong drive early on. But in the end, it was a trio of familiar faces to finish in the top three.

Kellogg (Honda CIVIC) started from pole position but Salahuddin, who was eighth on the grid, managed to brilliantly maneuver his way through the field and overtake the leader towards the end of lap one. Salahuddin and Kellogg were then engaged in an exciting battle, until Kellogg reclaimed the advantage coming out of turn one on lap three as Salahuddin began to experience problems with his brakes. The championship leader was then flying from there, building gaps of over 10 seconds ahead of his closest rivals before finally taking the chequered flag by 11.962 seconds from race runner-up Tim Birkin (Honda Integra).

Kellogg had a total winning time of 20 minutes 22.396 seconds in the 15-lap sprint held along Bahrain International Circuit 2.550-kilometre Inner track. Ghuloom finished in third place 12.292s behind Kellogg, while Salahuddin, who had such a promising start, skidded out of the race midway through and could not continue. Abdulla Al Jowder finished in fourth place, Alex Longden fifth, Hussain Karimi sixth and Ahmed Kuzbar seventh. Both Salahuddin and Raed Himmo were both not classified.

In race two which featured a reverse grid that placed Kuzbar in pole position, Kellogg and Birkin did their best to weave their way through the field in the first lap. Birkin managed to gain first place on lap two, with Kellogg not far behind in fourth. Birkin did his best to keep Kellogg behind him for much of the next few laps, but on the seventh could not fend off a passing move on a right-hander and Kellogg captured his place up in front. Kellogg went on to win in 20:31.024, while Birkin was a narrow 2.741s off the pace. Abdulla Al Jowder finished third 23.586s from first. Ghuloom was originally on the podium, but was later given a 15-second penalty for taking a shortcut during the first lap. Al Jowder was therefore promoted and Ghuloom demoted one position. Longden finished fifth, Hussain Karimi sixth and Kuzbar seventh, while Himmo and Salahuddin did not compete.

The fourth round of the 2011/2012 BIC 2,000cc Challenge takes place today Friday (December 23, 2011) at Bahrain International Circuit, and the series’ top competitors are determined to narrow the gap on current championship leader Stephen Kellogg as action heads into the latter half of the season.

The meeting will be held as part of the National Racing Festival at ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’ in Sakhir. Organised jointly by the Circuit Racing Club (CRC) and the Bahrain Drag Racing Club (BDRC) and in cooperation with the Bahrain Motor Federation (BMF) and Bahrain International Circuit, the festival is also set to feature the third round of the 2011/2012 Bahrain Drag Racing Championship.

Both series are among the most popular local championships that are held each year, and each contributes greatly to the rapidly growing motorsport culture in Bahrain.

In the 2,000cc, Kellogg will be looking to extend his lead on the Drivers’ Championship standings, but top rivals Abdulrahman Ghuloom and Tim Birkin surely have other things in mind. The pair, who are currently second and third, respectively, will be hoping to keep the pacemaker within striking distance and prevent him from running away with the title. Kellogg has so far enjoyed a fantastic season driving his Honda CIVIC in the two-litre series, winning five of the six races held thus far, including four straight in the previous two rounds. Kellogg has also won two pole positions to date, adding to his steady march towards this year’s crown, which is no longer being defended by last season’s champion, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Ghuloom and Birkin, on the other hand, aim to end Kellogg’s winning ways and are eager to step things up with only half of the season still to go

“I have had a strong championship so far; I didn’t know I would be this competitive, but I am pleased that I am now sitting in second place with nearly half the season gone,” said Ghuloom, who also drives a Honda CiIVIC and who is currently 22 points behind Kellogg.

“At the moment, the guy ahead of me has a faster car, and the only thing I can do is pressure him from behind and hope he makes a mistake. When he does, I will be looking to take advantage of it and try to get ahead of him.

“Right now, I can stay with him around the corners but on the straights he just gets away. But that’s the sport, and if I had a stronger engine than the one I am using now I could be better. But I am very happy to be where I am at. There are still many races to go before the end of the championship, and maybe somehow I will be able to come up with a few surprises in the end, we can never know.”