Nader Zuhour will be the man to beat in the Total UAE Touring Car races-image Darren Rycroft
10 April 2011-The nature of the 2011 season has been such that most of the 2010/2011 champions have been decided with the final race set to run. Nevertheless jostling for final positions in the respective championship tables is still fierce and a great deal of pride will be at stake on the final race weekend of the season at Dubai Autodrome this weekend.
Icing on the cake for race fans is the inclusion of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East on the action packed two day schedule which also features Total UAE Touring Cars, UAE Sportbikes, Suzuki Swift Cup and FG1000 single seaters.
Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa leads Abdulaziz Al Faisal (KSA) by only 6pts
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East: Three-way title battle
Based on the highly successful Porsche formula for one-make series racing, it gives the Arab world’s most promising circuit racing drivers an ideal opportunity to further their international experience.
Race fans attending the four races (over two days) will be treated to a hotly contested title battle between Bahrain’s Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Saudi ace Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Al Faisal Racing), Emirati speedster Khaled Al Qubaisi (tolimit Arabia) and Suabi teen sensation Fahad Algosaibi (Classic Arabia Racing).
Total UAE Touring Cars: Pride at stake
With newly crowned 2010/2011 Class 1 Total UAE Touring Cars champion Khalid Bin Hadher absent, the final two races of the season will be a battle of pride between the likes of SEAT duo Nader Zuhour and Hamad Aldarmaki and the BMW pair of Mohammed El Arishy and Gareth Bettinson.
In Class 2 newly crowned champion Umair Khan will be out to end his season with even more silverware in his Lap57 Honda. His biggest rival is likely to be team mate Rupesh Channake while a host of Renault Clio drivers will be out to cause an upset on the day, including the likes of Alexander Annivas, Colin Boyle, Willie Morrison and Oliver Grimm. Adding extra spice to proceedings will be UK touring car ace Martin Johnson who will campaigning his Phoenix Racing Vauxhall.
Jason Burnside leads the 600cc Class championship
UAE Sportbikes: End to a bittersweet season
Points so far Here
It was a torrid season for the country’s top riders in the UAE Sportbike Championship. The tragic loss of Pascal Grosjean and serious injury to Tony Jordan was a mighty blow to the motorsport fraternity. Nevertheless the brave contingent contesting the series persevered and this weekend will be a tribute to the motorcycle racing in the region.
In the 1000 Class, Abdulaziz Binladin has been the man to beat on his BMW S1000RR and is sure to walk away at the end of the weekend as the new UAE Sportbike champion for the big banger class. He will again face a stern challenge from top UK rider Scott Smart who on his Liberty Kawasaki has been the only rider to beat Binladin this year and will be looking for a repeat in the season finale. Also in the hunt will be speedy Emirati Ahmed Lanjawi on his Suzuki and Dubai based South African Hendrik Sauerman on the second Liberty Kawasaki.
2010/2011 UAE Sportbike champion elect in the 600 Class, Jason Burnside on the Mapei Honda faces a stern test from the double pronged challenge from the Yas Marina Triumph duo of Mahmoud Tannir and Alan Boyter.
UAE Driver Haytham Sultan at Yas Marina Circuit
Formula Gulf 1000: The beginning of a new era
Formula Gulf 1000, a one-make championship planned to be part of the UAE National Race Day series next season, will be demonstrated over a series of test sessions during the final race weekend of the season.
Some of the region’s top young drivers will have an opportunity to test the cars and be evaluated for the new series which features identical 150bhp high-downforce spaceframe single seater cars from the legendary Ralph Firman stable.
FG1000 is designed to offer ambitious karters and young race drivers the opportunity to gain valuable experience of single seater racing during an eight event, sixteen race series. All cars will be prepared and run by series owner, GulfSport Racing.
Suzuki Swift Cup: Door to door racing
They might not be the fastest cars to be seen at Dubai Autodrome, but they sure have produced some of the closest racing seen at the circuit. It is not uncommon to see half a dozen Swifts side by side hurtling into a turn as they battle for every bit of tarmac.
Porsche GT3 Championship positions after eight rounds
1. Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa (BAH) 142pts
2. Abdulaziz Al Faisal (KSA) Al Faisal Racing Team 136pts
3. Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE) tolimit Arabia 132pts
4. Fahad Algosaibi (KSA) ClassicArabia Racing 117pts
5. Bandar Alesayi (KSA) 110pts
6. Musaed Al Murar (UAE) tolimit arabia 77pts
7. Ibrahim Salloum (UAE) Abu Dhabi Falcon Racing 67pts
8. Johannes Waimer (GER) 53pts
9. Fawaz Algosaibi (KSA) ClassicArabia Racing 41pts
10. Alain Muraour (F) 37pts
Race Schedule Friday, 15 April Highlights
13:30 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge ME-RACE 1, 14 Laps
14:15 Suzuki Swift Cup – Qualifying
15:05 UAE Sports Bike Championship – Qualifying
15:35 TOTAL UAETCC – Qualifying
16:05 FG1000 – Test Session
16:15 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge ME-RACE 2, 14 Laps
Race Schedule Saturday, 16 April Highlights
13:00 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge ME Race 3, 14 Laps
13:45 UAE Sportsbikes Race 1, 10 Laps
14:20 Suzuki Swift Cup Race 2, 7 Laps
15:05 FG1000 – Test Session
15:15 TOTAL UAETCC Race 2, 10 Laps
15:50 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge ME Race 3, 14 Laps
16:35 UAE Sportsbikes Race 2, 10 Laps
17:10 Suzuki Swift Cup Race 3, 7 Laps
