Last day of the UAE national circuit racing season at the Dubai Autodrome

posted on 12/04/2012: 535 views

Motorsport fans, get your fix of the last bit of the action until after the summer this Friday, as the 2011/2012 UAE national circuit racing season comes to an end at Dubai Autodrome.

It will host the final rounds for both the Total UAE Touring Cars and the MotorCity UAE Sportbikes, and in each category a new champion will be crowned at the end of the day.

The Class 1 battle in the UAE Touring Car Championship has provided much entertainment this season, and Friday will see Nader Zuhour start with 112 points, 29 up on his closest rival Costas Papantonis, with 40 points - double the normal amount for the final

day - up for grabs in the two sprint races.

Zuhour was in inspired form last time out at Yas Marina Circuit where he powered to two wins and arrives in Dubai with momentum on his side.

After his race wins in Abu Dhabi the SEAT driver said, "I changed my approach in the cockpit and things came to me. These two wins are very meaningful in the context of the championship.

‘I am taking the final two races one at a time and hopefully we will be rewarded.”

The Sportbike Championship is more straightforward, with Mahmoud Tannir having won 10 of 12 races this season. Another win this Friday would see him crowned 2011-12 champion.

Tannir, on his Triumph, is on a streak of eight consecutive wins and will no doubt be gunning to scoop the final two races on the calendar to make it 10 out of 10.

He said after the last round at Dubai Autodrome in March, "The championship does play on my mind but I am taking it one race at a time.

"The last two races have double points up for grabs and as you know anything can happen in racing.”

With an outside chance of upsetting the form book, and still in contention for the title, is Steve Blackney on a Honda who has scored points in every round but a win this season still eludes him. He will be going all out to make things difficult for Tannir.

The Rookie Cup will also be run, and young Indian rider Surya Raja is the man to beat as he aims to wrap up the inaugural championship-within-a-championship for riders competing in their first year racing.

Also on the bill on Friday is the final round of the Formula Gulf 1000 and another round of the Suzuki Swift Cup.

Practice starts at 09:00 Friday morning, with first qualifying scheduled for 09:55am and the first race at 11:30am. The final race of the day will start at 15:40pm and will be followed by a ceremony to honour the 2011/2012 UAE National Champions. Admission is free for spectators. – Sport 360°

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