Greetings from Oman and welcome to my first blog on The Checkered Flag,
It's 37 degrees here, and that's actually a good summers day. My last race weekend at Snetterton was very disappointing. I believe I had the pace for two podiums in the Pro-Am1 category but those of you who managed to watch the races might have seen that the Porsche in front of me had a 'wide load' sign on it. I think we all found out that the 300 circuit is not the easiest for making clean passes.
Looking back, I think if I had managed to put in two fast qualifying laps after each other I could have avoided all the problems in the races. I am confident that my team and I will sort that out for Knockhill.
Just after the race weekend, I was lucky enough to have been invited by Oman Sail to watch the Extreme Sailing in action at Cowes. I was asked to bring my race suit and helmet with me since I was to join the Oman Air boat for a photo opportunity. However, I then found myself being the 5th man on board. Let's just say that I didn't expect to be doing warm-up laps with them, jumping from one side of the boat to the other – with my race suit and helmet on! It was a tough job and I have a new found respect for these guys. They are truly talented.
My time spent in Oman is definitely dedicated to my racing program, which is a challenge on its own. As the first circuit racer in the country, promoting a sport that didn't exist previously is a continuous job. However, after over four years of hard work I am happy to say things are starting to move in the right direction.
Right now we are just past the mid-point of the season but I am already thinking of 2012 and beyond.
Until my next blog, I hope you enjoy the action from Knockhill.
Ahmad
