BIC Chairman Zayed R Alzayani, seated left, and BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, seated right, with BIC staff members in Le Mans

BIC, Sakhir – Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, proudly announced today that it will be hosting a prestigious six-hour endurance race this September, as part of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

The WEC is an all-new series sanctioned by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). It had previously been held under the banner of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.

This year’s maiden season of the WEC features eight rounds, each being held all over the world in countries across four continents. The Kingdom’s event, known as the Six Hours ofBahrain, will be taking place on September 29 and it will be the WEC’s only race held in theMiddle East.

The Six Hours ofBahrainhas been slotted as the championship’s sixth meeting, and it will be run along BIC’s globally renowned 5.412-kilometre Grand Prix track.

A spectacular field of over 30 race cars will be lining up on the grid. Competition will be taking place in four different car categories, including the Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1), the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), the Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance – Professional (LMGTE Pro), and the Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance – Amateur (LMGTE Am).

BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, left, and BMF President Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, right, with ACO President Pierre Fillon in Le Mans

Some familiar faces will be getting behind the wheel for some of the competing teams, as several ex-Formula One drivers are entered in this season’s WEC. Among them are former Bahrain resident Sebastien Buemi, his Toyota Racing teammates Alexander Wurz, Anthony Davidson and Kazuki Nakajima; Nick Heidfeld of Rebellion Racing; and Karun Chandhok of JRM, to name a few.

Bahrain’s place on the WEC was confirmed in 2011 when the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) agreed to launch the championship this year. The FIA and ACO are co-organisers of the WEC.

The season flagged off in March with a 12-hour race in Sebring,Floridain theUS. A six-hour event at Spa inBelgiumwas then held in May, followed by the world-famous 24 Heures du Mans inLe Mans,France, earlier this month.

The next round will be held in August, when the WEC heads to Silverstone in the UK for a six-hour event marking round four, before holding another six-hour race in Sao Paulo, Brazil in mid-September.

That will set the stage for the highly anticipated Six Hours ofBahrain, to be followed by another pair of six-hour events inJapanandChinain October, to end the WEC’s inaugural season.

Meanwhile, a team from BIC, led by Chairman Zayed R Alzayani and Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, recently travelled to Le Mans in France to attend the 24 Heures du Mans. The mega event is one of the most popular in the world and is the oldest active sports car endurance race. This year, it attracted over 250,000 motor racing fans of all ages.

Motor racing fans in France hold up T-shirts promoting the Six Hours of Bahrain race in September

Bahrain Motor Federation President Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa was present in Le Mans, and together with Shaikh Salman, held a special meeting with ACO President Pierre Fillon.

Several members of BIC staff were also on hand, and they promoted the Six Hours ofBahrainamongst the thousands of spectators at the France event.

The Six Hours ofBahrainwill be the second major endurance car racing event held at BIC. It follows the 24 Hours Race forBahrainthat took place in December of 2006. It was a tremendously successful one-off occasion, with participants coming from all over Europe.

The WEC is the first endurance series of world championship status since the demise of the World Sportscar Championship in 1992.

More information on the Six Hours ofBahraincan be found on BIC’s official website, www.bahraingp.com, or by calling the circuit’s hotline on +973-17-450000.

official release from BIC