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Rounds 9 & 10 – Dubai 24/25/26th Janurary

The Middle East’s fastest one-make championship, the Gulf Radical Cup, invited to support the inaugural Grand Racing weekend in Dubai featured thirteen drivers representing a wide range of nationalities. They lined up on the grid on Saturday for race one in a colourful array of Radical Sportscars whose engines included a Powertec 360bhp V8, a Group CN 2-litre Honda Vtec, and a number of 250bhp Suzuki Hyabusa based Powertec 1.5 litre racing engines.

A Formula One TV crew was in attendance to broadcast the first outing of the GP2 Asia series which stars some of the world’s best drivers outside of Formula One, and Michael Schumacher was in the paddock with his manager Willi Webber to watch an ex-F1 colleague Jean Alesi drive in the new Speedcar Series.

Dutch karting champion Maurits Knopjes (Nivea for Men ARC Motorsport) got off to a flying start in his Radical SR3, taking a win in the first race after starting from P3 on the grid. He quickly got by poleman Salman Al-Khalifa (Team 777) and Bassam Kronfli (EVO Middle East) to take the lead but was less than four tenths of a second ahead of Al-Khalifa at the end of 12 laps of the International Circuit. Kronfli finished third ahead of Roy van der Viejden (Palm Yacht Charter) who had faded somewhat during the race after making a spectacular start. But it was Bahraini Team 777 racer Al Khalifa, fresh from a season of British F3, who set the fastest lap of the weekend at an astonishing 1:38.503.

With the starting grid for Race Two decided by the finishing order from the first race, Al Khalifa tracked the fast starting Knopjes for three laps before making a decisive manoeuvre to take the lead which he held till the end to claim his third win in this hard fought championship. This time, Palm Yacht Charter team driver, Van de Viejden kept his pace up throughout the race to finish on the podium in his last race before handing over to young Emirati team-mate, Mohammed Al Awadi.
With thirteen Radical Sportscars on the grid at this very competitive event representing eight nationalities including both Emirati and Bahraini drivers, it is clear that this series has firmly established itself.

Race series organiser, GulfSport Racing’s Barry Hope, said “This high profile televised International event offered the perfect opportunity to showcase the progress that the Radical and Lumina CSV series have made in developing talented local drivers who have committed to the sport of motor racing. They put on a great show and this event was clearly a real milestone for national racing in the Gulf.”

The next two Rounds of the Gulf Radical Cup take place on 14/15th Feb.