Al Azhari comes out with all guns blazing

Dubai: Ideal weather greeted competitors at Dubai Autodrome for the TAM Auto Engineering UAE National Race Day 3.

Race 1 of the Yellow Hat UAE Touring Car Championship was dominated by reigning champion Karim Al Azhari, who powered his Al Nabooda Porsche to yet another overall victory and Class 1 win.

His path was made somewhat easier by the absence of Mohammad Al Falasi (Corvette), who was sidelined with fever.

Costas Papantonis (House of Portier SEAT) finished less than two seconds behind the winner to take a comfortable second place and Class 3 victory, with Raed Hassan taking third place overall and Class 2 win.

In Class 4 it was Khalid Al Mutawaa (House of Portier Renault), who took a well–deserved second place after championship leader Zlatko Mulabegovic (Performance Racing Honda) got it wrong in the first race.

Bassam Kronfli (Team EVO Middle East) was dominant in both the Class A Gulf Radical Cup races, winning Race 1 and apparently cruising to Race 2 victory until the last few laps. This gifted John Stanley the win in the second race, which was a just reward for him, after he suffered gearbox problems, which cost him a sure second place.

Regular riders contesting the UAE Sportbike Championship 1000 Class received a wake–up call as two international riders, Qatari Meshal Al Nuaimi (Honda) and Arushen Moodley (Aprilia), made their Dubai Autodrome debut.

Al Nuaimi took pole position and romped away to victory in Race 1, with Moodley taking second place.

Abdul Aziz Bakr (Liberty Kawasaki) was the best of the regular UAE Sportbike contingent, taking third place, 16 seconds behind the winner.

Juzar Motiwala (Honda) rode a steady race and managed to pull away from his early battle with Rod Scott (Al Yousuf Yamaha) and Grant Yake (Al Yousuf Suzuki).

The two veterans battled it out, swapping places throughout the race, with Yake edging Scott by a quarter of a second.