Abu Dhabi: The Yas Marina Circuit kick-starts the Australian Touring Car's 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series today as 29 cars bid to create history by winning the first night race and get their campaign off to a winning start.
A total of 19 Holden VE Commodores will take on 10 Ford Falcon FGs in today's season opener and the cars had their first taste of the circuit during yesterday's practice sessions.
Jamie Winchup, winner of the 2008 and 2009 V8 Supercars Australia Championship Series will be looking to get off to a winning starts as he bids to complete a hat-trick of championship wins.
The Toll Holden Racing Team's Will Davison had earlier said, "The circuit is quite challenging, flowing in sections, tight in parts. The flowing first sector heads into a really slow corkscrew section, which is quite steep on the elevation drop, before leading into some big straights."
Davison's team-mate Garth Tander said starting the championship here was different. "It is a very different way to start the year. For the last 10 we've traditionally started the year at the Clipsal 500 (in Australia), so to be starting the championship overseas at a brand new circuit, possibly the best venue in the world for motorsport, it's exciting," he said.
Tony Ricciardello of Kelly Racing said: "I'm really excited. It's going to be a big weekend and I can't wait to hop into the Super-Max Commodore for first practice.
New sponsor, new driver and a relatively new team attacking the newest circuit in the series at Yas Marina. It's going to be a great weekend and I can't wait."
Four additional support races will complete the entertainment at Yas Marina over the next two days — Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Challenge, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, UAE GT Championship, and the Gulf Sport Radical Cup.
Continuing their impressive start to the season, Team Abu Dhabi Falcon Racing will make their debut on home Tarmac on Saturday when they line up at the Yas Marina Circuit for the UAE GT Championship.
Driving their Porsche GT3s that have produced three podium finishes in four Class GTA races already this season, the Abu Dhabi team features leading Emirati racer Khalid Al Qubaisi alongside teammates Saif Al Asam and Ebrahim Salloum.
