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This is the reason that DAMC have dedicated a race weekend for the two wheel brigade, which takes place under the auspices of the UAE Sportbike Festival at Dubai Autodrome on 26 February, a press release said.
Dubai Autodrome Chairman Saeed Khalfan explains, “Motorcycle racing, superbike style, has been a big hit in the UAE since we started the championship. The quality of the riders in the field, the machinery and the action has been first class. So much so that the series has attracted top international riders. We thus decided it is time to give credit where credit is due and headline a National Race Day as the UAE Sportbike Festival.”
This year the UAE Sportbike Championship has featured all the major manufacturers Yamaha, Kawasaki, Aprilia, Suzuki, Honda, Ducati and Triumph. Last time out, UAE National race Day 4, there were 31 riders on the grid running in the 1000 Class and the 600 Class.
Aprilia signaled their intent early on by signing up South African Champion Arushen Moodley to lead their campaign in the UAE. It was a shrewd move as Moodley has been a dominant force this season. He has an awesome style which sees him power slide the Aprilia RSV4 in to corners and inevitably to victory. He is going to be tough to beat, not only this weekend but also, during the remainder of the season.
Kawasaki retaliated by drafting in highly experienced British ace Scott Smart who is set on ending the the Moodley/Aprilia clean sweep of the UAE series.
The presence of Moodley and Smart on the grid has raised the bar considerably and as a result several ubai and GCC based riders are starting to make an impression. Particularly impressive has been the form of reigning UAE Sportbike Champion Hussein Al Kooheji, who lies second in the championship on his Yamaha and gets better with each round.
Others certain to feature in the “big banger” class are the likes of Suadi speedster Abdulaziz Binladin (Aprilia), reigning UAE 1000 Champion former UAE Champion Rod Scott (Yamaha), Hennie Sauerman (Kawasaki) and Rob Nicholas (Honda)
In the 600 Class several riders are cutting into, Yamaha mounted, Pascal Grosjean’s dominance. The diminutive Swiss rider is starting to feel the heat from the likes of Jussi Hoikka (Yamaha), Bahrain’s Omran Al Sayed (Kawasaki) and Jason Burnside (Honda).
The scene is set for two intriguing races on Sportbike Festival race day, again fans can expect heart stopping racing, state-of-the-art machinery and of course super heroes in action.
Also on the bill is the highly popular Cytech UAE Touring Car Championship where paint scraping action packed racing is the order of the day. At the front of the field we have been treated to a monumental battle Class 1 between Khalid Al Mutawaa (House of Portier), Jon Simmonds (DXB Racing) and Khalid Bin Hadher in the threeway SEAT Supercopa battle that has stolen the headlines with the intensity of the contest. Much of the same is expected over the two races again at the Sportbike Festival.
Class 2 is arguably the most competitive form of racing in the region with over 20 drivers vying for the podium. So far this year the Lap 57 drivers Umair Khan and Omran Al Owais, driving their Honda pocket rockets, have been the team to beat. Snapping at their heels are a number of drivers with credentials to cause an upset, including the likes of a2b Motorsport Honda duo of Jason O’Keefe and Spencer Vanderpal, Performance Racing prepared Hondas headed by former champion Zlatko Mulabegovic and Essa Bin Hadher, the Moutran brothers Nabil and Sami driving the Duel Racing Renault Clios and young Mohammed Al Mutawaa in the House of Portier Renault Clio.
A race within a race will be the recently launched Suzuki Swift Cup, arrive and drive series, whose organisers are expecting a good turnout for.
As the name suggests, the Sportbike Festival, will be a feast of entertainment at Dubai Autodrome. Motorcycle club and manufacturer displays, bands, children’s areas, merchandise, food and refreshment stalls will be setup in the paddock with the goal of making the day a family affair.
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