Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Kent hosts the final ‘double-header’ race meeting of the 2007 Formula Renault BARC Championship this weekend and Russell Racing is aiming to bounce back strongly from one its most challenging events of the year at Snetterton last time out.Actually taking place on Sunday, 26th August, and Bank Holiday Monday, 27th August, rounds nine and 10 of the season will see the four-car Warwickshire squad pushing to achieve its fifth top 10 result of the campaign, the four so far having all been achieved by Manchester racer Mark Gillibrand.Qualifying has rarely gone smoothly for the category rookie all year but his performances in race trim have been very strong enabling him to score FR2000 Class points at Croft, Oulton Park and Snetterton with some terrific drives through the field.The team’s three Bahraini 16-year-olds Menasheh Idafar, Essa Mohammed and Mohamed Al A’li, who all compete under the Middle East-Russell Racing banner, are improving each and every time they venture on track, often out-performing more experienced competitors.British-born Menasheh, the youngest of the trio, is hoping to end his unfortunate run of two non-finishes and one non-start, the latter enforced after an engine failure during qualifying for round eight at Snetterton. In a fight against the clock, the team produced a sterling effort to switch the engine from another car but frustratingly ran out of time.Mohamed produced a career-best qualifying effort at Snetterton to post the 10th fastest time in both sessions and while an unfortunate retirement forced him out of round seven, his top 10 start for round eight was taken away due to a technical irregularity. Annoying for team and driver, it’s hoped Brands Hatch will be problem free.Having been ruled out of action ahead of the last race meeting due to an injury sustained during a pre-event karting accident, Essa is expecting to make his return this weekend and like his fellow Bahrainis is hungry to secure his first ever points finish in Formula Renault BARC with just four races remaining in his debut season.Looking ahead to the weekend’s action, team owner Tim Russell said: “Snetterton was a difficult weekend for us but we’re looking ahead, not back, and aiming to make Brands Hatch our most successful outing of the season. Just six points separate Mark from the top 12 in the championship but qualifying is going to be more important than ever.“The Indy Circuit is such a short and tight track it makes overtaking incredibly difficult and means we have to try and produce our best qualifying effort of the year with all four drivers. It’s good to welcome Essa back after his karting accident, hopefully he will enjoy a successful return and Menasheh and Mohamed will each perform well too.”Russell Racing is pleased to confirm all four of its drivers will definitely be taking part in the ninth and 10th rounds of the season after concern Menasheh Idafar would miss the event following a controversial recent change to the regulations regarding race entries.

Moves made by championship organisers to replace the long-established first-come, first-served basis for accepting race entries with a new rule meaning entries would be taken on championship position did threaten Menasheh’s participation. It has been confirmed though he will indeed be taking part at Brands Hatch.Qualifying for round nine of the Formula Renault BARC Championship will take place at approximately 10.15 on Sunday, 26th August, with the race timetabled to follow at around 14.25. Round 10 qualifying is scheduled for 11.40 on Bank Holiday Monday, 27th August, with race action set to get underway at 16.05.