Archive
Rounds 13 & 14 - Gulf Radical Cup, Dubai Autodrome
24th March 2009
With only six races left to decide the Gulf Radical Cup, this event was to be a real showdown between the young Saudi driver Fahad Algosaibi (Algosaibi Travel) and Canadian Bassam Kronfli (EVO Middle East) both driving identical cars.
All the drivers were being severely tested as they attempted to get to grips with the challenging 3.56km National Circuit and possibly the best corner in the Middle East! Turns 3 and 4, a double apex blind right hander is taken at speeds up to 210kph in the high-downforce Radical SR3 – and some 20kph faster in the Radical SR8.
Algosaibi won the first battle by qualifying on pole position with a great time of 1:24.753, just a tenth of a second quicker than Kronfli. With 17 year old Sultan Mahboubi (Top Most Freight Solutions) qualifying in 3rd we were clearly in for some action. New to the series this week was 21 year old Pakistani driver, Usmaan Mughal (Surgikare) having his very first drive in a sports racing car. He certainly got to grips with both his car and the circuit extremely quickly and put himself on the second row of the grid to everyone’s surprise.
Race 1 saw Kronfli get a great start followed by Algosaibi, Mahboubi, Mughal and Carl Rolaston. Try as he may, even setting the fastest race lap in the process, Algosaibi could not find a way past and so it was a race win for Kronfli after the race was red-flagged when Algosaibi accidentally punted Henry van den Heuval off the track whilst trying to stay with Kronfli. Mahboubi finished third to take another impressive podium finish. Andrew Lemon was the best of the Invitation Class in the very fast Radical PR6 taking to the top step of the podium for the first time.
Race 2 proved to be the best race todate with drama throughout the race. The scene was set when newcomer Mughal made a blinding start in what is the oldest Radical SR3 in the pack to take the lead. This was like a red rag to a bull, with hard charging Kronfli and Algosaibi trying desperately to get past him. It was bound to end in tears. Mughal did a sterling job and it wasn’t until halfway through lap 3 that it all went wrong. Unfortunately it was Algosaibi who drew the short straw and he spun off the track, rejoining at the rear of the pack. In the melee, Kronfli got past Mughal and led to the finish, with a delighted Mughal taking second place by now some 10 seconds ahead of third place man, Rolaston who had Abu Dhabi driver Humaid Al Masaood glued to his tail! Dutch driver Van den Heuval managed to stay ahead of Lemon to win the DAMC Invitation Class Trophy.
Rounds 15 and 16 of the Gulf Radical Cup will take place at the Dubai Autodrome on 9th and 10th of April with the DAMC National Raceday 7.
