It’s not exactly as fast as Omran goes around the track, but it may give you some idea of what it’s like racing in Dubai.

I’ve been searching for a wireless video camera to install in my racing car. Something cheap just in case I got bump’d…. Ahum…. I want to record the races and study my lines later. This will be fun! Anyway, this VholdR looks interesting and quite durable. The lens should be easily replaced in an event it got crushed with tiny pebbles flying from the car ahead. It would be a plus if the media is compatible with Mac, and can record 640×480 at least. The VholdR looks like the champion, but it is not out yet. So my choices might go with dogcam < Have a good cam mount, and look durable. ELMO SUV-Cam < Higher video quality but not wireless. / ATC 2K < v.cheap and fun to use. If you know something similar and available in Dubai, let me know….. Here is a nice video sample.

The Middle East’s premier sports racing car championship, the DHL Gulf Radical Cup, got off to a flying start at the Desert 400 with two Arab drivers taking a win apiece. This was an excellent demonstration of the good progress that local drivers are making in the emerging motor racing arena in the Middle East.

In Race One, Omran Alowais (Alowais Motorsport) from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made a great start from 4th on the grid to follow Bahraini driver Fahad Al-Musalem (Team 777) into turn one, only to find Al-Musalem running wide. This put Alowais into the lead – a position he was not about to relinquish. Pole sitter Bassam Kronfli (EVO Middle East) was to lose his advantage after suffering a problem with his throttle cable at the start and was to retire after cooking his brakes whilst trying to deal with a throttle stuck in the full-on position! He obviously did a good job with the problem, setting fastest race lap at 1:27.59 on his fourth tour.

This left the field wide open for the other visiting racers from Dubai to make the best of the chaos at the front. So it was experienced Kiwi racer, Blair Cole (Al Nabooda Racing) who moved forward very nicely to pick up extremely valuable points and a trophy after finishing in 3rd place. This fine performance would put his team in the lead of the Championship.

Al-Musalem recovered to pick up the second place DHL Trophy from BIC’s Martin Whitaker, with Al-Owais standing proudly underneath the Emirati flag as he was presented the Winner’s trophy by DHL’s in-house national drag-racing Champion, Ali Aryan.

Race Two in Bahrain for the DHL Gulf Radical Cup provided one of the closest races ever seen in the Middle East’s premier sports racing car championship. This time it was Bahrain’s top sportscar driver, Fahad Al-Musalem (Team 777) who managed to hold on to a very tenuous position at the front of the pack in his Radical SR3 as he was put under enormous pressure from both Omran Alowais (Alowais Motorsport) and from the Canadian driver, Bassam Kronfli (EVO Middle East).

Having won Race One, Alowais was able to make good use of his pole position on the customary rolling start, but immediately found himself under pressure from Al-Musalem who was clearly intent on claiming his first victory in this very competitive series.

Within two laps, Kronfli had moved up from the back of the grid following his DNF in race one and came up behind Alowais and Al-Musalem, clearly intent on getting to the front as soon as possible.

The scene was set for a titanic battle as these three battled and scrapped for the lead, often only inches apart. Alowais was losing out down the straights with too much rear wing, but gained under braking with more downforce. But with the slipstream effect, Al-Musalem was able to slip by and so did Kronfli – and this was how it finished, with the three cars finishing within half a second.

Behind the leaders, several interesting battles were being played out, with John Stanley (Ardentia Search) spinning off the track and taking previous third place man, Blair Cole (Al Nabooda Racing) with him. Stanley rejoined the race to finish fourth. This hotly contested pan-Gulf championship continues on Dubai’s Grand Prix Circuit on 17th November.

This hotly contested pan-Gulf championship continues at Dubai Motorsport Festival on 16th & 17th November alongside the FIA GT3.
Gulf Radical Cup

HSBC Racing Academy team won 5th place in 2007 Nivea for Men 24 Hour of Dubai. Mohammed Al Owais pushed the team from 15th place to 5th, moving 10 places in the grid just in less than an 2 hour. He handed over the kart to the team to keep it in position and fight all the way to the end. Mabrouken guys, testaheloun elmarkaz el5th
Dubai Autodrome

الصخير : حلبة البحرين الدولية:

نجح البطل البحريني فهد المسلم في رد الصاع إلى غريمه السائق الإماراتي عمران العويس بخطفه بطولة السباق الثاني لبطولة الراديكال التي تقام على هامش سباق صحراء 400 لسيارات الـض8 سوبركارز الاسترالية في حلبة البحرين الدولية والتي اختتمت فعالياتها يوم أمس السبت. وتمكن المسلم من الظفر بلقب السباق الثاني بعد منافسة ثلاثية شرسمة بينه وبين الكندي بسام قرونفلي والإماراتي العويس الذي نجح في الفوز

بالسباق الأول يوم الجمعة الماضي متغلبا على المسلم الذي حل ثانيا في ذلك السباق، ليؤكد المسلم على تصريحاته التي أطلقها بعد السباق الأول بأنه يضع نصب عينه الفوز ببطولة السباق الثاني في الجولة الحالية التي تقام في حلبة البحرين الدولية خاصة وأنه يتسابق على أرض وبين جمهوره. بدأ السباق بشكل قوي من خلال الإماراتي العويس الذي إنطلق من مركز الإنطلاق الأول، حيث استطاع العويس أن يسيطر على البداية رغم الضغط القوي من المسلم، في حين شهدت اللفة الأولى إنسحاب السائق النيوزلندي بلير كول بعد حادث تصادم. بدأت ملامح السباق تتضح منذ البداية، وتبين بأنه سيكون تنافسا محموما بين العويس والمسلم، حيث استمر المسلم في مطاردة منافسه الإماراتي، واستطاع الاستفادة من خطأ ارتكبه الأخير في اللفة الرابعة ليتقدم المسلم إلى صدارة السائقين، في الوقت نفسه الذي كاد فيه السائق البريطاني أندرو ليمون أن يخرج من السباق بعد إنحراف سيارته لكنه تمكن من العودة إلى المضمار. في اللفة السابعة بدأت الإثارة الفعلية حين تمكن الكندي بسام قرونفلي من تجاوز العويس واحتلال المركز الثاني، حينها بدأت مطاردة قيوة من السائقين الثلاثة امتدت طوال اللفات المتبقية للسباق، وسط محاولات مستميتة من قبل العويس لاستعادة مركزه ومن قبل قرونفلي للتغلب على المسلم وخطف بطولة السباق منه، إلا أن المسلم استمر في قيادته السريعة ليظفر بلقب السباق الثاني بجدارة واستحقاق.

“Omran Alowais from the UAE won the first race for the Radical sports cars ahead of Bahrain’s Fahad Al Musalam, in Race 2 Al Musalam took the honours ahead of Canada’s Bassam Kronfli but Alowais fought back in Race 3 to take the spoils once again. Track Talk

Bassam < Fahad > me

One of the best races I’ve ever had. Altho lost two positions to Fahad & Bassam, but What a race! Fantastic drive… I’m sure that all three of our cars passed the checkered flag all in less than 1 sec apart. I’ve took couple of risks on some corners, it was very temptin.. but didn’t work. Saw couple of potential fast corners, but it was difficult to pass by. Over all, I liked this race much better than yesterday just because I saw Buz and Fahad battle all the way to the final lap. Great race guys.
It was a very busy weekend, with so many things have been accomplished, and many good news too. El7imdella

Arrived early morning for the qualification run, and I am ‘okay’ to see myself on second raw. As I expected, my timing is way off the lead drivers by 3 seconds…. hummmm… The track/car are amazing today, after a loooong summer break, finally feels good to be back behind the wheel. Finished 4th, and thats my position for later on today’s race at 16:20. Wish me the best of luck. Inshala

One of those days that you don’t expect anything special, and especially ending up First place on first race! Just can’t believe it!!!! Big thank you for Bahrain organizers, Gulf Sport and to my HUGE support team Farshid, Ali and Mohamed who had joined me from Dubai just to see the race. Tomorrow I will be starting on pole position, quite exciting. The pressure is ON. Should keep it cool and low tomorrow. Might be distracted by Stanely or Buz on my tail. Who knows….. Good luck guys. Sleep well.

Next to the Bahrain Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bi Hamad Al Khalifa.
Thanks guys for coming and showing your support. One more race to go.