ABU DHABI It’s not going to be an easy outing for Ahmad Al Melaihi when he gets on the track for the final two rounds of the (Toyota Racing Development) TRD86 Cup during the Yas Marina Circuit’s Yas Racing Series this weekend.
Currently in second position with 122 points behind leader Karim Al Azhari who has 160 points, Al Melaihi will have go full throttle if he is to upset the leaderboard.
With 80 points up for grabs, Al Melaihi is confident but is also aware of the tough road he must overcome to reach the pinnacle. “It would be difficult to knock Karim off the top spot but if I can finish at least one race in first place in the final two rounds, it will be a great achievement for me this season,” said Al Melaihi.
“As Ayrton Senna once said, ‘Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose,’ I will be happy to finish the season in second place, but it also is difficult since the driver behind me is just a few points away. Karim is one of the top racing drivers here in the region and I’m glad that I had the chance to be racing with him in the same racing series,” he said.
Sam Taheri is in third place with 114 points while Tom Verkooien is fourth with 88 points.
“After my first race crash and posting a DNF (did not finish) instead of scoring points, I have been playing catch-up the whole season and now I am eight points behind second place. I am very excited with lots of butterflies in my stomach as anything can happen. You can go from zero to hero or the other way round. In the past two rounds I managed to get very close to Karim and almost passed him in Dubai’s race. The top place on that podium will mean a lot to me and I will do my best and push as hard as I can to get it.”
Taheri said the series, which began in December last year, has hugely helped him mature as a driver.
“The TRD 86 Cup being an affordable and easy to enter and drive series, has been an extremely exciting and amazing experience for me. It has helped me to learn the race craft and to take my racing career to a much higher level.
“This is the first time Yas Marina Circuit has launched the series. The management has done an incredible job and it has become a top class racing series with a lot to offer,” he said.
Tickets for Friday’s event are available for Dh25, that will offer a wide range of off-track entertainment for all ages to enjoy along with access to the garages and a chance to meet with the drivers.
