Victory Team target outright win in St Clair
Al Adidi, Al Ali feel confident ahead of fourth round of 2019 ABPA Offshore Championship
Dubai: Dubai’s Victory Team will be looking to further consolidate their position at the top of the overall standings when the St Clair River Classic — the fourth round of the 2019 ABPA Offshore Championship Series — is held at the St Clair City from July 26 to 28.
Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali were headed for a top finish at the third round of the championship in Sarasota earlier in July when their boat stopped in its tracks with less than half a kilometre to go for outright full points and a firm grip on the title.
Victory 3 is tied at the top of the overall Class 1 standings with 222 Offshore with an identical 279 points after three rounds followed by Miss Geico in third with 260 points and Lucas Oil in fourth with 167 points.
The Victory Team world champions’ pairing has over a period of time overcome that bit of disappointment as they brace for another outright assault on the top of the podium this weekend at the St Clair River Classic, a part of the Great Lakes Silver Cup Series and the Offshore Super Series. “We have moved on realising that such incidents are very much part and parcel of powerboat racing,” Al Adidi told Gulf News before leaving for the US.
“As usual, we want to be the number one boat and all our energy and aim will be to achieve another first for Victory and Dubai,” he added.
The Victory Team driver further said that the team management has cleared the way for a brand new boat from the Victory Team to pursue a world title starting next weekend. “We didn’t want to take any chances for the next race so that we can maintain the pressure for a world crown. The team has decided on a brand new boat with brand-new Mercury 1,100 Horse power engines that will see us as serious contenders,” Al Adidi related.
“Although we will need to start from scratch as far as the set-up and balancing of the boat goes, the gut feeling is that we will be there at the top by the end of the week,” he added.
The St Clair River Classic will be followed by a back-to-back fifth round in Michigan City (August 2 to 4) followed by the season finale in Fort Myers from October 10-12.