Mohammed Al-Owais achieved fifth position in six laps qualification. Many changes in the car setup for Mohammed were necessary as the SR3 was setup for his brother Omran. Mohammed’s taste is a bit softer setup of the car and less drag. He had a couple of worries, one of them the gears wouldn’t last (but they did). Overall condition of the track were excellent, and the sun continued to shine. The amount of rubber laid down by the F3’s and the Speed cars had increased the grip, and as we saw by the pole driver, he was getting laps of around 1:38. That is FAST!

TrackTalk:

The new HSBC Racing Academy recruits, three of which will contest the Formula Campus Renault 2008 Championship, pose with current Academy drivers Mohammad Al Abdooli, Khalid Al Mutawaa and Thani Al Thani. Also in picture is Dubai Autodrome Chairman Saeed Khalfan and HSBC Marketing Manager Peter Loakman. The photo opportunity was at the Dubai Autodrome during the first day of practice for the Motorcity Dubai Motorsport Festival.

The HSBC Racing Academy is an initiative open only to Emirati nationals who want to pursue motorsport and also a project to unearth and develop young UAE nationals in motorsport. Over 600 local aspirants tried out in Phase One which was reduced to 30 for Phase 2 culminating this past week with eleven chosen drivers. For the next two months they will undergo intensive traing and coaching before a panel of experts will nominate
the three final drivers to fly the UAE flag abroad next year.

Check out http://uae24hrs.com. It’s the home of the only all-Emirati team taking part in the 24hr race in Dubai. Omran Al-Owais is one of the drivers and you can follow all the excitement on that site.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UAE24HRS.COM ANNOUNCES THE FIRST ALL-EMIRATI TEAM FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL 24 HOUR RACE

UAE24hrs.com, a Dubai-based motor sport organization, today announces the first team consisting of all UEA drivers to participate in the Toyo Tires 24 hour race at the Dubai Autodrome on January 10, 2008.

Taking part in the race are no less than 90 teams from 17 countries. For the first time in 2008, there will be a team representing the entire United Arab Emirates with all drivers being Emiratis. The race starts at 2 pm on Friday January 11, 2008, and runs for 24 hours. For the UAE24hrs.com team, the drivers are Mohammed Al-Abdooli, Mohammad Al-Falasi, Khalid Al-Mutawa, Mohammed Al-Owais, and OmranAl-Owais.

Mohammad Al-Falasi, the Team Captain of the UAE24hrs.com team said, “Having the 24 hour race in the Emirates is a wonderful opportunity for us as local drivers to showcase our talent and passion to the region and to the world. This will be a great test of our abilities and dedication, but we’re confident we can prevail. I know these guys and they are the best. We ‘re proud of our country and we’re proud to be the first team with all Emirati drivers taking part.”

The Toyo Tire 24hr race is a competition of endurance as much as it is of driving skills. Cars as well as drivers are put to severe tests and it’s only the team with the best working combination of drivers, car, mechanics, and more that stand a chance to win. Drivers will take turns in approximately two-hour shifts.

One of the drivers in the UAE24hrs.com Team, Omran Al-Owais, said, “This will be a great challenge for us both physically and mentally. We don’t just have to look after ourselves but the car has to run for 24 hours, which is something we’re working hard on together with our excellent mechanics.”

—

UAE24hrs.com, run by a team of Emirati racecar drivers, is a UAE-based motor sport organization, which combines the experience of driving in races around the Gulf region with creating awareness about local motor sport events. You can find out more about UAE24hrs at http://uae24hrs.com.

###

If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call Crystal at +971-50-9211006, or e-mail at crystal@uae24hrs.com.

Image caption:
Mohammad Al-Falasi, Team Captain of the UAE24hrs.com Racing Team