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Biking enthusiast Salman Khalaf has given up a steady job to fulfill a schoolboy desire to test his skills on two wheels in competition on the track.
The 26-year-old from Budaiya, who had never participated in any formal race before this season, is now challenging some of the top riders from the UK, Australia, India, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Mauritius.
This weekend he is gearing up to take part in the fourth round of the Bahrain Superbike Championship (BSBK), an international championship staged at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).
“The feeling you experience when you ride a bike is different to anything else - how you move your body around the machine has a big effect on its handling. It’s a perfect reflection of man and machine,” he said. “I had never had the opportunity to try it out until I decided to enter the second season of BSBK.”
The championship, which is supported by the BIC and the Bahrain Motor Sports Federation, takes the shape of an ‘arrive and race’ competition in which contestants lease identical 899 Ducati Panigale bikes to compete in a 12-race series over a six-month period. Khalaf, who is currently taking a break from the corporate world to focus his energy on the sport he loves, said: “I love everything about bikes - from the look of them, to the sound they make, the smell of the petrol and, of course, the speed.
“The competition is extremely tough. I didn’t expect the level to be as high as it is. We have the fastest racers from the Gulf as well as top class contenders coming in from around the world to participate in the championship, including six time British champion Mike ‘Spike’ Edwards.
“The organisation of the championship is spot on. It couldn’t be easier for a rider to race. We simply show up to the track with our helmet and leathers, and the bike is waiting for us. “BSBK has done it in a way where they have taken all the headaches away from the riders; the logistics of the bikes are taken care of, the service and maintenance is taken care of, new tyres are provided for every round and we always have mechanics on hand if we need anything done such as changing suspension settings.
From a rider’s point of view, we couldn’t ask for anything more. “Another thing is that everybody is on the exact same bike with the same tyres, so no-one has an advantage over another. It all comes down to talent. “We don’t have the excuse of saying ‘the guy ahead of us is faster because he is on a better bike’. If the riders in front are faster, those behind have to improve!”
Qatari rider, Mashel Al Naimi, from the Ooredo Racing team, took last season’s title with a score of 300 points and is on the right track for success again, currently leading the table with 145 points.
His teammate Fahad Al Suwaidi was runner-up last year with a tally of 188 points and is third in the standings with 90 points. Edwards is in second this season, three points shy of Al Suwaidi. In preparation for round four, which will take place at the BIC track on Saturday, Khalaf has been hitting the gym to improve his stamina.
He said: “Thankfully I’ve managed to gain a lot of experience over these first few rounds. I have also learned a lot from all the other riders and I’ve gained a huge amount of respect for them. “I didn’t comprehend the amount of determination it took to actually race and continue doing it. After being around these guys I learned it takes a lot more than just showing up to be a professional racer. “They are constantly working at it. They eat right, they train extremely hard to make sure they remain in top form and are constantly doing their best to improve themselves.
Racing requires a very high level of discipline. “A big difference between us is fitness. Knowing this I have made it a priority and my current target is to be able to finish 11 laps without feeling drained. “Aside from the fitness, they are better riders too. They can brake later and turn faster so I try to get as much time on the track between the races to improve as much as I can. Thanks to everyone’s help and advice, I’ve managed to shave almost five seconds from my Round 1 time.
“My main goal in entering BSBK was to find out how fast I could actually go and how much I can actually improve. I knew I could ride fairly well based on my experience from track days, but racing like this was something I always wanted to try “I was one of the slowest during testing day achieving a best lap of 1.19 but as soon as entered the first race and had the other riders pushing me I managed to get a 1.15.
“I wouldn’t have been able to develop like this through track days alone. It’s every guy’s dream to make a career out of racing, if I reached a high enough level and an opportunity arose, I wouldn’t think twice about taking it.” Khalaf, who graduated from school in Abu Dhabi and majored in marketing at the UK’s Middlesex University, added: “My parents know I have had an obsession with motorbikes for my entire life.
“My father has always been against them because unfortunately lots of people ride recklessly on the streets and don’t bother with wearing the appropriate safety gear such as jackets, gloves, boots, and back protectors and so on. Also, many car drivers don’t pay enough attention to bikers. “I feel he now has a sense of comfort knowing that I’m racing on a track rather than on the road and also seeing the very high level of safety involved with the full suit and all the gear. Thankfully, both of them are very happy to see me actually doing what has been a childhood dream.”
In round one, Khalaf qualified in the position ut managed to move up the order and finish in ninth during the second race, he took 10th position and in the third round he moved up again to ninth. He is now standing in ninth place in the championship table with 47 points.
His aim is to improve in every race and Saturday will see just how far he has developed in fitness and skill and how far he still has to go.
