Grand Racing revving up for another Dubai spectacular

Dubai: The boys are back in town as Grand Racing returns to Dubai Autodrome for the final episode of the five-round Grand Racing season on April 11 and 12.

The combined spectacles of Speedcar Series and GP2 Asia will feature. Also on the bill is the UAE National races for Superstock/Stockbike class and the Open Saloon category. The Grand Prix circuit configuration will be used instead of the International configuration used in the January opener.

Speedcar is being hyped as "Born in Dubai. Built for Speed" and features legendary drivers in action against a host of up-and- coming youngsters, behind the wheel of monster V8, 620 horse power purpose-built stock cars. In Indonesia 50,000 people, jumped to their feet and roared as the field headed into turn one such was the spectacle. Paint rubbing, fender bashing, bent metal, door to door racing is part and parcel of this exciting series.

Star names

The likes of Jean Alesi, Johnny Herbert and Matthias Lauda will be out again to do battle against the likes of local hero Shaikh Hasher Al Maktoum, who lines up alongside David Terrien in the Union Properties team, while Team ACI will draft in former Formula One driver Pedro Lamy. Another driver sure to be in the thick of the action include Indonesia race winner Uwe Alzen.

Some torrid racing is expected with the added incentive of the championship being decided in Dubai with a total prize purse of US $3 million (Dh11 million) .

Autodrome chairman Saeed Khalfaan said: "The first Grand Racing was a fantastic event. Word has got out that this was a special weekend. We expect many more people to attend and for them we aim to make Grand Racing in April an experience they will remember for a long time."