Sport | Motorsport
Kronfli and Scott keep top place
Bassam Kronfli and Rod Scott ran contrasting races to keep up their winning momentum and win on the second day of the Dubai Motorsport Festival at Dubai Autodrome on Saturday.
- By Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:41 November 15, 2008
- Image Credit: Supplied Picture
- Rod Scott (Yamaha) powers to victory after the UAE Sportbike Championship race. Here he leads Juzar Motiwala (Honda) who finished third.
Dubai: Bassam Kronfli and Rod Scott ran contrasting races to keep up their winning momentum and win on the second day of the Dubai Motorsport Festival at Dubai Autodrome on Saturday.
Kronfli and Scott, both winners in the Gulf Radical Cup and UAE Sportbike Championship respectively on Friday, asserted themselves with sturdy performances yesterday as well.
Kronfli overcame a confusing start to lead the Gulf Radicals from the start and win comfortably with a best time of 1 minute, 38.844 seconds. Coming in second was Harvey Boulter, participating in the invitation class, while John Stanley and Cabell Fisher took the next two slots to complete the Class A podium.
The popular Class C was a fierce contest between Nigel Greensall, Saudi teenager Fahad Al Gosaibi and Dubai Sports City boss, Khalid Al Zarouni.
Eventually, it was Greensall's superior experience coming to the fore as Al Gosaibi and Al Zarouni had to stay content with second and third respectively.
"I was a bit concerned at the start and then when [John] Stanley overtook me, but I knew I would come back," said Kronfli.
The bike race was an amazing competition with defending champion Rod Scott battling it out with Indian challenger Juzar Motiwala through most of the 12 laps. But powering his way from the back of the grid into second position was Saudi rider Abdul Aziz Bin Laden
Tough
"I think Rod and I wasted a lot of time wrestling each other and Abdul Aziz made use of the time we wasted," Motiwala said.
The 35-year-old pretty much had a similar race on Friday when Scott overtook him on the very last corner as he drifted off the track while applying the brakes.
"The competition is getting tough and I am sure Abdul Aziz would have taken me if he had another lap or two," Scott admitted.
"There is a long way to go still. I was lacking top speed and I was also worried about my tyres," he added.
Motiwala, who had battled bad brakes with his new bike, made a slight mistake when he locked his back wheel midway through the race to hand over the lead to Scott.
"It was a great battle and I am sure the crowd enjoyed it," Motiwala said.
The UAE Touring Car Championship was delayed following a sudden sandstorm later in the evening. Friday's race had been declared null and void by race control following a couple of red flags, leaving drivers and teams frustrated with barely little racing over the weekend in the championship.
Dubai Motorsport Festival winner
Gulf Radical Cup: 1. Bassam Kronfli; 2. Harvey Boulter; 3. John Stanley; 4. Cabell Fisher; 5. Nigel Greensall; 6. Fahad Al Gosaibi; 7. Khalid Al Zarouni; 8. Humaid Al Masaood; 9. Fawaz Al Gosaibi; 10. Carl Rolaston.
UAE Sportbike Championship: 1. Rod Scott; 2. Abdul Aziz Bin Laden; 3. Juzar Motiwala; 4. Adrian Mumby; 5. Pascal Grosjean; 6. Nicolas Pecresse; 7. Grant Yake; 8. Jason Burnside; 9. Hussain Al Kooheji; 10. Adriano Fusillo.
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