Dubai: Victory Team’s world champion Kevin Reiterer assured himself of the overall title in the Ski Division GP1 class with one round left in the 2019 UAE International Aquabike Championship.
Reiterer’s two outright wins in the two motos held in the sixth and penultimate round on Mercato Beach, Jumeirah earlier this week ensured the Victory Team rider ended with an unassailable lead at the top of the standings.
Reiterer won both motos to take maximum 50 points and continue leading the Ski Division GP1 standings with 280 points. With one round remaining, former world champion from France Steven Dauliach (228 points) and third-placed Christopher John Wilkinson (206) will not be able to overtake the reigning world champion.
Reiterer’s junior teammate and protege Suhail Rashid Al Tayer gamely continued his chase for top honours against Kuwaiti challenger Faris Ebrahim Ramadhan in the Ski Junior GP3.2 class. Ramadhan opened with a win in the first moto, but had to surrender to some last-minute pushing from Rashid Salem Taher in the second. Al Tayer settled for second places in both the motos to keep the pressure on his Kuwaiti challenger.
Ramadhan is at the top with 267 points, while the driver from the Victory Team Marine Sports Academy is in second with 263 points.
“It is a feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment to have one more championship under my belt. This was always the goal at the start of the season, and now, with one final round left the focus will be to ensure there are no further lapses,” Reiterer stated.
“When one completes a championship way in advance, one gets the rare opportunity to compete without pressure to perform. Not many get this chance and I am glad I will be going into the final round next weekend with this mindset,” the 26-year-old Austrian rider added.
“It is also nice to see the development and growth of our juniors, especially Suhail who has given it everything to stay within striking distance of a second title for our Victory Team. I am sure he will be ready to deliver next weekend and make himself and all of us proud,” he added.
The seventh and final round of the 2019 UAE International Aquabike Championship will be held at the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) on March 8.
RESULTS
Ski Division GP1: 1. Kevin Reiterer (Austria) 280; 2. Steven Dauliach (France) 228; 3. Christopher John Wilkinson (UK) 206.
Ski Junior GP3.1: 1. Ali Eisa Mohammad Al Ali (UAE) 285; 2. Omar Eisa Ahmad Al Hammadi (UAE) 252.
Ski Junior GP3.2: 1. Faris Ebrahim Ramadhan (Kuwait) 267; 2. Suhail Rashid Al Tayer (UAE) 263.
Ski Junior GP3.3: 1. Ahmad Eisa Ahmad Al Hammadi (UAE) 294; 2. Shaheen Ebrahim Jawad Ramadhan (Kuwait) 266; 3. Humaid Khalid Al Matroushi (UAE) 236.
Runabout GP2: 1. Salman Younis Abdul Waheed Al Awadhi (UAE) 282; 2. Abu Baker Nasser Al Marri (UAE) 246; 3. Sultan Eisa Al Hammadi (UAE) 193; 4. Mohammad Kamal Mohammad Al Said (Egypt) 167; 3. Manea Habib Al Marzouqi (166).
Runabout GP1: 1. Mohammad Jassim Al Baz (Kuwait) 232; 2. Mohammad Ebrahim Bu Rabei (Kuwait) 226; 3. Yousuf Al Abdul Razzaq (Kuwait) 193; 3. Shinji Kugizaki (Japan) 192.
Runabout GP4: 1. Yousuf Bayan Yaqoob Al Khalfan (Kuwait) 244; 2. Ahmad Abdul Aziz Al Kadhari (Kuwait) 224; Saud Yousuf Ahmad Al Khoury (UAE) 192.
Ski Division GP2: 1. Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi (UAE) 276; 2. Salem Ayman Al Mutawaa (Kuwait) 262; 3. Sultan Eisa Al Hammadi (UAE) 216.
Runabout GP3: 1. Amer Abdul Razzaq Hawair (UAE) 270; 2. Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi (UAE) 254; 3. Salim Mohsin Al Yafi’ee (UAE) 223.
Freestyle: 1. Rashid Ali Saleh Al Mulla (UAE) 150; 2. Abdul Jaleel Ali Al Awadhi (UAE) 106; 3. Mohammad Ali Al Hameli (UAE) 84; 4. Yassine Fadli (France) 76.
Veterans GP2 — 2-stroke: 1. Mohammad Mizher Saif Al Marri (UAE) 189; 2. Huraiz Al Mur Bin Huraiz (UAE) 181; 3. Eisa Mohammad Al Ali (UAE) 125.
