Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Khalid Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice-chairman of Etihad Airways, yesterday officially opened Yas Marina's Circuit's world-class drag racing centre.
Shaikh Khalid activated the timing system for the first time as two Abu Dhabi Police cars accelerated down the drag strip.
Staff Major General Obaid Al Kitbi, Deputy Commander of the Abu Dhabi Police, was also present at the event, which involved a display of various drag cars owned by local UAE racing teams.
Yas Drag Racing Centre, the permanent home of some of the fastest vehicles on the planet throughout the year, will host local and international drag racing events as well as provide training and qualifications.
The first event — the Yas Drag Racing Festival — will take place from March 19 to March 20.
Richard Cregan, CEO Yas Marina Circuit, said, "Shaikh Khalid's presence here today signifies just how important this facility is to the sport of drag racing in the region.
Opportunity
"This new world class sporting facility will provide the motor sport enthusiasts in the UAE and the region — especially young people — with an opportunity to exert their passion for drag racing within a safe and controlled environment."
The NHRA, the governing body for drag racing in the US, has recognised the Yas Drag Racing Centre as the first track outside the US as an NHRA worldwide racing network.
Situated adjacent to the circuit's Formula 1 track, the centre has two grandstands with a seating capacity of 5,000 and houses its own race control, hospitality and paddock area.
In January this year, Yas Marina Circuit partnered with American team Don Schumacher Racing (DSR), winner of eight National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) championships and 136 races, to provide two complete Top Fuel dragster teams to be based in Abu Dhabi.
The two nitro burning Top Fuel dragsters will debut at the inaugural Drag Racing Festival and will be driven by nine-time NHRA winner Tommy Johnson, Jr., and 2007 Top Fuel Vice Champion Rod ‘Hot Rod' Fuller.
A Top Fuel Dragster has 8,000 horsepower (the equivalent to 10 F1 engines) and can accelerate from zero to over 500km/hr in less than four seconds. Top fuel dragsters are new to the UAE with flames shooting two and a half meters high out of the exhaust in these ground-pounding machines.
The ‘invitation only' Drag Racing Festival will also feature the region's top drag race teams competing with over 100 race cars and motorcycles in a variety of race categories led by the Pro Mods — highly modified vehicles with close to 1,700 horsepower.
