26 January 2010
2009/2010 UAE National Race Day 4 Preview
Back to business after the festive break for UAE national racing

It is well over a month since the last UAE National Race Day at Dubai Autodrome. The wait is over as the second half of the season gets underway this weekend and it is really back to the serious business of championship racing of the highest level with big fields all around.

Total UAE GT Championship

The big question going in to Round 4 is who can stop Karim Al Azhari, driving his all conquering House of Portier Corvette, in the Total UAE GT Championship. The veteran multiple UAE champion has been the toast of a very impressive Class GTA field and has yet to finish off the top step of the podium.

The Khaleeji Motorsport Porsche duo of Tarek Elgammal and Cabell Fisher have been gallant in their pursuit but as yet have had no joy and are having to play second fiddle. They will be going all out to upset the form book with the arrival of their Porsche GT3 Cup S car. A similar machine will be in the hands of Hassan Rassouli and Andrew Donaldson. Both these cars are capable of rattling the championship pace setter.

Also in the hunt, but yet to fire the telling blow, is Julian Griffin in the awesome DXB Racing Viper who have been hard at work, during the break, with the goal of bagging some wins. Making the journey from Abu Dhabi are the impressive Falcon Racing team line-up consisting of Saif Al Assam, Ibrahim Salloum and Khaled Al Qubaisi.

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.”

For the first time in the series fans will be able to see Rafael Unzurrunzaga driving the pocket rocket Renault Megane Trophy, which many tipping as “an outsider with a chance”.

Paul Denby leads the standings in Class GTB driving the Khaleeji Motorsport Porsche, with privateer Harris Irfan second in the title chase only two points behind. The duo will have to beat the likes of Humaid Al Masaood in the Dunlop 24 Hours Class winning AUH Motorsport Aston Martin and Martin Hope in the GulfSport Ginetta.

Cytech UAE Touring Car Championship

The battle for championship honours in both the Class 1 and Class 2 of the Cytech UAE Touring Car Championship is very fast and very furious. Class 1 is a three-way SEAT Supercopa slugfest between Emirati drivers Khalid Al Mutawaa, Khalid Bin Hadher and Dubai based Jonathan Simmonds. A mere point separates Al Mutawaa and Simmonds, with Bin Hadher seven points adrift but on a high after his double win in Round 3 in December. This one is going down to the wire, expect fireworks.

Equally fraught at the top of the table is the battle in Class 2 between Lap 57 Honda team mates Umair Khan and Omran Al Owais. The two are great friends out of their cockpits, but strapped into their cars with helmets donned there is no love lost. The team is expected to field a car for 2009 UAE Touring Car Champion Mohammed Al Owais, his return a big boost to the class. His presence will undoubtedly add spice to proceedings.

Impressive, so far this year, in a showroom standard car is Jason O’Keefe and is keeping a watch on the leaders from third place in the championship standings in his a2b Motorsport Honda.

Others to watch on the day are the likes of the Performance Racing prepared Hondas headed by former champion Zlatko Mulabegovic, another champion Spencer Vanderpal in the a2b Motorsport Honda, the Moutran brothers Nabil and Sami driving the Duel Racing Renault Clios and young Mohammed Al Mutawaa in the House of Portier Renault Clio.

Also in the class will be a gaggle of Suzuki Swift cars competing in for the recently inaugurated Suzuki Swift Cup, which will be a race within a race. Dubai based Zengo Team Motorsport announced the series which is the UAE’s first “Arrive & Drive” one-make race car series aimed at beginners and pro drivers.

UAE Sportbikes Championship

The biggest grid ever of superbikes will line-up on the Dubai Autodrome grid for round 4 of the UAE Sportbike Championships for 1000cc and 600cc superbikes. A total of 31 riders have entered for Friday’s race day including a speedy international contingent including some of the fastest riders from Qatar and Bahrain.

Aprilia showed their intent at the start of the 2009/2010 season by drafting South African Superbike Champion Arushen Moodley to spearhead their campaign in the UAE and he has gone on to deliver for his team by leading the 1000 Class championship by a healthy margin. Kawasaki retaliated by “importing” British ace Scott Smart. Since then these two have set the pace in the Sportsbike Championship, but are these days looking over their shoulders to see the locally based riders making inroads into their dominance.

Most impressive of the UAE based brigade is Hussein Al Kooheji who has taken to the “big banger” class like a duck to water after winning the 600 Class title last year. Also making a resurgence on the local scene is Saudi speedster Abdulaziz Binladin who has been impressive since his move to Aprilia and will be looking for more consistency to be able to tackle the “foreign imports.”. Others to watch are Hennie Sauerman (Kawasaki), Juzar Motiwala (Honda), Rob Nicholas (Honda) and Rod Scott (Yamaha).

Big news is the participation in the 1000 Class of the potent Qatari trio including Honda mounted Yousuf Al Malki and Sultan Al Qwari with Nasser Al Malki riding a Suzuki. Also making the trip for round 4 is Bahraini ace Abdul Ghaffar Al Bastaki on a Honda.

In the 600 Class Pascal Grosjean has been in dominant form and leads the points standings but he too is starting to feel the heat from the likes of Jussi Hoikka and Omran Al Sayed. Others to watch are Jason Burnside (Mapei Team Honda) and the Vendetta Triumph duo of Alan Boyer and Mahmoud Tannir.

GulfSport Radical Cup

AUH Motorsport racing team have very rapidly become the dominant force in the GulfSport Radical Cup, with their striking white, blue and yellow cars winning every race in the series so far. No doubt buoyed by their outstanding class win in the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai, they will be looking for a repeat performance this weekend.

Leading the charge 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 team in the form of reigning champion Bassam Kronfli and karting maestro Christophe Hissette. Second in the championship standings going into fourth round 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.

Dubai Autodrome instructor and all round racing aficionado Luca Cima takes to the track in the Invitation Class with AUH Motorsport along with Jeremy Lester in a Caterham.

Practice for UAE National Race Day takes place on Thursday afternoon with qualifying on Friday morning starting at 9am and the first race to start at 11.30am at Dubai Autodrome.

Order of races for Race Day 4 on: