15 February 2010
Preview: Total UAE GT Championship & GulfSport Radical Cup at Yas Marina
UAE National Racing to make history at Yas Marina

On the weekend of 19 and 20 February homegrown motor racing will make history when for the first time ever UAE National Racing will take place at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit. Total UAE GT Championship and GulfSport Radical Cup races will take place at the Abu Dhabi venue as part of the support programme for the Australian Yas V8 400.

In the UAE GT Championship, where a record field is expected to line up on the Yas Marina grid, the main question this season is: Who can stop Karim Al Azhari? Driving his all conquering TAM Auto Engineering prepared House of Portier Corvette the veteran has been the toast of a very impressive Class GTA field. The multiple UAE champion has owned the top step of the podium four out of four times so far this year at Dubai Autodrome.

Al Azhari said ahead of the Abu Dhabi race, “It is brilliant that we now have two circuits to race on in the UAE. Yas Marina is one we have all been looking forward to and really an honour to be competing in what is no doubt the best racing facility in the world. And of course I am going all out to win the first UAE GT race on the island."

The Khaleji Motorsport Porsche pairing of Tarek Elgammal and Cabell Fisher upped their game considerably and will be going all out to upset the form book with their potent Porsche GT3 Cup S car. A similar machine will be in the hands of German ace Rene Rast in the immaculately prepared Cytech Muhlner Racing Porsche. Both these cars are capable of rattling the championship pace setter and Yas Marina would be the ideal place to make their mark.

Also very much in the hunt is Julian Griffin in the awesome DXB Racing Dodge Viper. His team have been hard at work turning a stock showroom car into a race winner. From Abu Dhabi the impressive Falcon Racing team line-up consisting of Saif Al Assam, Ibrahim Salloum and Emirati driver Khaled Al Qubaisi will be out to challenge for podium positions at Yas Marina.

Another interesting addition to the GTA Class is former UAE Touring Cars front runner Raed Hassan who will be driving the powerful Ginetta G50Z who said, “I have a great deal of respect for Karim Al Azhari, but I want to liven things up at the front. So we will do our best this weekend and see what happens.”

Paul Denby leads the standings in Total UAE GTB Class driving the Khaleji Motorsport Porsche, with privateer Harris Irfan second in the title chase only two points behind in the professionally turned out Alex Renner Motors prepared Porsche.

The duo will have to beat the likes of Abu Dhabi based Humaid Al Masaood in the Dunlop 24 Hours Class winning AUH Motorsport Aston Martin and rapid duo of Robert Cregan and Martin Hope in the GulfSport Ginetta who won the class last time out at Dubai Autodrome.

GulfSport Radicals are likely to be the fastest cars at Yas Marina on the weekend

This season has witnessed AUH Motorsport racing team very rapidly become the dominant force in the GulfSport Radical Cup. Fresh from winning the 2009 European Radical Masters Championship the team will be bringing along their winning pedigree and their striking white, blue and yellow cars to Abu Dhabi.

Leading the charge, for AUH Motorsport, is Jordan Grogor who has been a revelation this season on the local scene with his rapid pace and consistency. His biggest challenge has been from within his own AUH Motorsport team in the form of reigning champion Bassam Kronfli and karting maestro Christophe Hissette.

Having his best season to date is Kaverne McShine who is increasingly featuring at the sharp end of the action in one of the most striking liveried Radicals out on track. He will be looking to be the thorn in the side of the AUH Motorsport clan and pick up points along the way. Also one to watch is Emirati teenager Sultan Mahboubi who will be out to shine on the historic weekend ahead.

Dubai Autodrome Chairman Saeed Khalfan says of the forthcoming event, “Racing at Yas Marina Circuit will be one of the highlights of the 2010 UAE motor racing season. It is a historic weekend because our racing now becomes a truly national series. Racing at such a fantastic venue is a privilege for all concerned.”

Total UAE GT Championship Facts

• UAE GT Championship is in its debut season the first race taking place on 2 October 2009 at Dubai Autodrome.
• Series is devised along the lines of similar international FIA endorsed GT series.
• Grid will include exotic supercars such as Porsche, Corvettes, Dodge Viper, Aston Martin and Ginetta to name some.
• The series will feature three classes GTA, GTB and GTC.
• Objective classification is employed on a “weight/power” ratio to equalise cars participating in each class as fairly as possible.
• A race is a 45 minute mini-enduro with a obligatory pit stop with an optional driver change.

GulfSport Radical Cup Facts

• The SR3 is the most popular Radical model with over 400 built to date.
• Car is built on a space-frame chassis.
• Base versions produce 252 hp (188 kW) and get the SR3 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just 3.8 seconds and on to 147 mph (237 km/h)
• GulfSport Radical Cup race weekend consists of practice, qualifying and two 20 minute races

• Entry Lists   • Event Timetable