Robert Cregan for Maserati on Yas Marina North Circuit
Abu Dhabi, Dec 17th – In the inaugural UAE National Race Day to be held at the iconic Yas Marina race circuit in Abu Dhabi, Robert Cregan took victory in GTC in his Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo. During the action-packed hour of racing around the North circuit, Cregan battled hard to earn his place on the top step of the podium.
In his Byrne-sponsored Maserati, Cregan qualified first in class with an impressive time of 1:15.861 around the 3.13km track, nearly half a second quicker than his nearest rival.
Robert Cregan at home track of Yas Marina
Speaking after collecting his trophy, Cregan said “The car was great, the team did really well so I’m really happy. The start was a bit crazy – not everybody saw the lights so they had to restart the race which was pretty hairy”
“Overall, the race was pretty good – it was quite close at the start before the pit stop as the HMR Aston Martin and the ARM Porsche were quite quick. But the Porsche had a problem later in the race, and after the mandatory pit stop a Code 60 was called on the race. The Aston Martin got a penalty, so once he got a penalty we knew we were safe for the victory.”
This strong result puts Cregan top of the driver’s championship in GTC with 30 points as the Cytech UAE GT Championship takes a mid-season break before return to Yas Marina in February 2011.
Unfortunately a racing incident with another car out on track during the first half of the race caused the second Maserati Granturismo MC Trofeo, driven by David Field, to retire. However, Field has his sights set on Round 5 of the Cytech UAE GT Championship at Yas Marina which will use a more complex configuration. “The next round will feature the corkscrew section of the track. I’ve raced it before in a Radical, so I know the circuit. The Maseratis are always a handful around the tight bits, so I’m looking forward to it.”
GulfSport Maserati MC12
Dubai-based racing specialists, Gulf Sport Racing, run the two Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeos. Team Manager, Barry Hope, was pleased with the outcome of the race. “It was good for the team because we wanted Robert to win and particularly here on this circuit layout. It benefits the larger cars – the Astons, Porsches etc, so cars like the Maserati have a bit of an advantage over some of the lighter, less powerful cars, but Robert had to work hard to get the win. David got hit which broke the rear wheel and dented the bodywork so he had to retire.”
Maserati has a strong history in motorsport ranging from the historic battles in Formula One in the 1940s and 1950s to most recently taking victory in the FIA GT1 World Championship with the Maserati MC12 GT1. Maserati hopes the inclusion of the GranTurismo MC Trofeo in the UAE GT Championship will put the Italian brand firmly on the map in the top-flight GT racing arena.
Racing returns to Yas Marina on 11-12th February 2011 when the Cytech UAE GT Championship supports the V8 Supercars Australia, otherwise known as “The Greatest Show on Wheels”.
