We’ve not posted here in a while and it’s not because nothing’s been going on. Lots have been happening but we’re trying to work out what the future of us (Omran and Mohammed) racing is exactly. We’re talking to various circuits, sponsors, etc. and as soon as we have something new to tell you, we will do it here. Thank you so much for your interest and support.
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!
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.”
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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.
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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
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.
