GTs to kick up a storm in Dubai

A cross-section of drivers from all categories of motoracing are set to kick up a storm when they contest the FIA GT Series championship at the LG Super Racing Weekend at the Dubai Autodrome.

The line-up includes Grand Prix winners, former Formula One drivers, single seater stars, sports car specialists and a mix of veterans and up-and-coming youngsters.

The FIA GT Series, contested over ten rounds by exotic sports cars specially adapted for race track conditions, is a gruelling 500km test of endurance and race craft with crucial pit stops and driver changes during the course of the event.

Two or three drivers share the driving duties making swops when the cars pit for fuel, tyres and technical adjustments.

There are essentially two races within one as the series features two classes with separate points and separate championships.

The GT class is for cars developing an average 600 horsepower and the N-GT class for slightly less powerful 400 to 450 horsepower machines.

Ferrari, Viper, Saleen, Lamborghini, Porsche and most recently Maserati will do battle for top honours. Weight handicaps, known as ballast, are allotted to the top three in each category to keep racing close

Heading the list of over 60 drivers are former F1 stars including Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert, Mika Salo, Karl Wendlinger and Michael Bartels.

Englishman Herbert and Finland's Salo will spearhead the two car Maserati team which will arrive in Dubai fresh from their first win at Oschersleben in Germany two weeks ago.

The marque will run as a non-championship entry in the Dubai round as the cars are not yet homologated and are ineligible to score Championship points.

They were granted special permission to run at Imola, Oschersleben and Dubai by the FIA, with the agreement of the teams concerned. A major onslaught on the championship is expected from the team in 2005.

In Dubai, Herbert will be partnered by Italian Fabrizio de Simone while Salo's partner will be Andrea Bertolini also from Italy.

Herbert will be going all out to emulate Salo's victory in the previous round and should be one of the favourite's for a win on Friday.

Nevertheless the presence of the Maserati marque, which was developed at Maranello home of the Ferrari's Formula One team, makes it the team to beat.

Ironically they face their biggest challenge from the BMS Scuderia Italia run Ferrari 550 Maranellos.

The BMS machine piloted by Luca Cappellari and Fabrizio Gollin have already clinched the 2004 FIA GT Championship for teams and drivers and the combination, which won four races en route to the title will want to end the season on a winning note.

The team's sister car will be driven by Matteo Bobbi and Gabriele Gardel who will be intent on retaining their second place standings in the title chase and add to their one victory this year.

The sleek Konrad Motorsport Vitaphone Racing Team Saleen S7 in the hands of sports car ace Uwe Alzen and former Formula One driver Michael Bartels have powered to the top of the podium in three races so far this season and win will boost their final championship standings.

Ray Mallock Limited (RML) will line-up with two Saleen S7s, one in the hands of Brazil's Thomas Erdos and Briton Mike Newton.

The team lies sixth in the Team Championship.

Former F1 star Karl Wendlinger and Brazilian Jaime Melo in the JMB Racing Ferrari 575 Maranello won at Donington and are again capable of upsetting the form book.

Another team to watch is the Italian pairing of long time Ferrari F1 test driver Gianni Morbidelli and veteran sports car specialist Emanuele Naspetti driving a Ferrari 575 M Maranello under the JMB Racing banner.

Team MAC will provide a car for UAE driver Shaikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum, who will be partnered by Indian star Narain Karthikeyan and Frenchman Francois Beltoise.