Dubai: A trio of teams with strong UAE links will be among those hoping to win the 2012 edition of the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai at the city's autodrome next weekend.
In the past UAE teams have impressed, in some instances winning their respective classes, but this year there are three with local input who have the ammunition to surprise the international contingent.
The Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 team, who are based next to the Dubai Autodrome grandstand at AUH Motorsports, are perhaps the pre-race favourites. The team is owned by Leon Price, who will also be one of the drivers at the event, which runs from Thursday to Saturday, with the race due to begin at 2pm on Friday.
Also driving the 458 will be Rob Barff, multiple UAE champion Jordan Grogor and Charlie Hollings.
Black Falcon
Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Black Falcon SLS AMG GT3 will be spearheaded by local hero Khalid Al Qubaisi, who will team up with Porsche Cup star Sean Edwards and DTM stalwarts Jeroen Bleekemolen and Thomas Jaegar.
The third A6 class team capable of upsetting the big guns are the pair of Gulf Team First Lamborghini Gallardo LP600s with the likes of Fabien Giroix, Frederic Fatien, Roald Goethe, Archie Hamilton, Stuart Hall and Mike Wainwright on duty. The team will finalise the driver-car pairings closer to the race.
Gulf Team First are also running an Aston Martin Vantage N24 GT4 in the SP3 Class, with regulars John Iossifidis and Martin Baerschmidt being joined in the cockpit by Yousuf Bassil and Keiko Ihara.
The UAE's top touring car drivers, frequent winners in the Total UAE Touring Car Championship, will be part of the action in three separate entries spread over three classes.
The Moutran brothers — Ramzi, Nabeel and Sami — will be joined by Shaikh Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa in the Duel Racing Seat Leon Supercopa in the A3T Class.
In the A2 Class, Lap57 will be running the only locally-built car in the shape of their Honda Integra Type R.
