GTA winners Al Azhari and Giroix in action

Dubai-UAE: It was another perfect result for the House of Portier/TAM Auto Engineering race team as both their Corvettes stormed home to comfortable victories in Round 6 of the Cytech UAE GT Championship, held at the Dubai Autodrome (International circuit 4.29km). As a result, the distinctive orange and grey Corvettes are still leading both the GTA and GTB classes of the championship.

The competition out on track was fierce with the driver pairing in both cars coming under sustained pressure during the 60-minute mini-endurance race. In the No 1 Corvette, local racing driver Karim Al Azhari was continuing his successful driver pairing with French racing legend Fabien Giroix. Al Azhari started the race and battled hard with the Ginetta during the first stint of the race.

It was a tough battle as at one point during the early stages the Corvette lost engine power, which gifted a big lead to the Ginetta. However, with the help of team over the radio, Al Azhari was able to reset the Corvette’s systems to return to full power. With this problem solved, he was then able to retake the lead from the Ginetta and build up a comfortable lead before handing over to Giroix who then brought the car home to victory at the chequered flag.

After collecting another winner’s trophy to add to his collection, Al Azhari had this to say of the events out on track. “I am so thankful to the engineers at TAM Auto Engineering who were able to give me instructions over the radio on how to solve the problem without having to come into the pits.”

Mohammed Al Mutawaa again proved that he is one of the young talents in the UAE as was cool and professional behind the wheel of the GTB Corvette. His driving partner, Jiri Skula, had built up a substantial lead in the first half of the race, but the Porsche 911 was never too far behind.

In the closing stages of the race, the KTM X-Bow crashed into the wall at the start of the main straight – this caused a Code 60 to be called, which forces all cars to maintain a constant 60kph throughout the entire track. Al Mutawaa was eager to win, so made sure he got away cleanly during the restart to stay ahead of the 911 and come home with the victory.

Speaking after the podium ceremony, Al Mutawaa was happy with his performance. “I was very worried when I saw the Code 60 near the end of the race as I didn’t want to face the same issue that happened at Round 4 in Yas where we narrowly missed the win. But the team gave me instructions over the radio to keep an eye on the Porsche, which I give and I finished the race with another win for the team.”

GTA winners Al Azhari and Giroix on the podium with Cytech CEO Hassan Rassooli

Team Principal, Glenn Portier, was in attendance at today’s race and was extremely happy with the outcome. “I always have faith in this amazing team, and even with technical surprises we were able to solve the problems swiftly to come home with another great win. It’s a perfect way to come back to the Dubai Autodrome after winning at Yas Marina in the last round.”

Team Manager from TAM Auto Engineering was pleased with the team’s performance. “Today is another proof that we are the best racing team in this part of the world. I am so proud of the technical team and the drivers – every one of them showed a commitment to win again and that’s why we are the best.”

House of Portier are leading the UAE GT Championship in both GTA and GTB class. The Cytech UAE GT Championship returns to the Dubai Autodrome on Friday 11th March.

Video action with the House of Portier / TAM Auto Engineering race team as they compete throughout the 2010/2011 Cytech UAE GT Championship can be found at www.youtube.com/tamautoengineering

Report submitted by House of Portier / TAM Auto Engineering