The biggest crowd ever for a UAE national racing event descended on Dubai Autodrome to witness a day of action packed racing with some surprise results, great individual performances and an all round enjoyable day at the races.

DXB Racing, House of Portier and Performance Racing are the most professional squads on the local motorsport scene, and Class 1 of the Cytech UAE Touring Car Championship has become their battlefield. The trio of SEATs in the hands of Jonathan Simmonds (DXB Racing), and the Emirati duo of Khalid Al Mutawaa (House of Portier) and Khaled Bin Hadher (Performance Racing), provided some of the best on track entertainment and closest racing of the day.

Although Simmonds won both action packed races, by the narrowest of margins, he was pushed hard all the way by Al Mutawaa who finished second and Bin Hadher third. In race two it was Simmonds again with Bin Hadher taking second, getting the better of compatriot Al Mutawaa who had to settle for third. Throughout the weekend there was nothing to separate the trio as they battled it out on just about every corner of every lap.

Simmonds said afterwards, “That was hard work and probably the hardest I have had to fight for victory at Dubai Autodrome. Again our team delivered a great car and we managed to keep the opposition at bay, but honestly this is going to be a tough category because I am expecting both Khalids to come on stronger, stronger as the season develops. For now victory in the Dubai Motorsport Festival is great for DXB Racing and we are going to enjoy it.”

Equally intense was the competition in Class 2 of the Cytech UAE Touring Cars where the Lap 57 Honda duo of Umair Khan and Omran Al Owais battled it out with fellow Honda driver Jason O’Keefe. As in the lead Class 1 battle there was nothing to separate these three with Khan winning race one and Al Owais crossing the finish line in his slip stream to take second, with O’Keefe in third.

It was pretty much the same story in race two but this time Khan winning by 0.443 seconds from runner-up Al Owais and O’Keefe taking third tucked in behind them. Throughout the thirty car field there were personal battles raging between groups of drivers.

In the Total GT Championship race, a 45 minute enduro, Karim Al Azhari posted a convincing, win in the premier GTA Class, at the wheel of the impressive House of Portier Corvette. He never looked threatened and appears to have more in reserve. Despite this the Khaleji Motorsport duo of Tarek Elgammal and Cabell Fisher gave a spirited chase to take second place. Emirati driver Khalid Al Qubaisi (Porsche) scored his first GT podium with a strong showing which netted him third place.

The expected challenge from Julian Griffin in the DXB Dodge Viper lasted for the early part of the race, as the veteran Briton powered into an early lead before being reeled in by Al Azhari. He gave chase but the Viper simply did not have the pace and endurance to keep with the Corvette. Eventually Griffin’s challenge evaporated with electrical problems forcing him to retire.

Al Azhari, who also set the fastest lap in the race, said afterwards, “It was good race and win for our House of Portier team. I was surprised with the pace of the Viper in the early stages. And in the later stages of the race Tarek really pushed me hard and I had to work all the way for this victory.”

In the GTB class the pairing of Eric Charles and Martin Hope in the GulfSport Ginetta was too strong, as they powered to victory over second placed Jonathan Simmonds (DXB Racing Aston Martin) and third going to Will Dew in a BMW.

The UAE Sportbikes was the tale of two foreign “invaders” who proved a little too hot to handle for the UAE based contingent. Arushen Moodley (Aprilia) and Scott Smart (Kawasaki) were simply in a class of their own. Moodley won both races in dominant fashion. Smart looked set for second place in the first race but he ran out of fuel on the final lap. Which gifted second place to Hussein Kooheji (Yamaha) and best of the local riders. Rod Scott (Yamaha) was third with Hennie Sauerman salvaging Kawasaki pride in fourth place.

In race two Moodley powered to another lights to flag victory, but all eyes were on Smart’s remarkable recovery from 17th on the grid to second place, a mere two seconds behind the winner in what must go down as the ride of the day. Abdulaziz Binladen made it a good day for Aprilia with third place, ahead of fourth placed, Honda mounted, Juzar Motiwala who was making a welcome return on a machine that was very obviously “out the box”.

Moodley said of his win, “This was a great day for our Aprilia team, they have really given me a race winning motorcycle and all I had to do was ride it hard, which I am glad to say I did. Competing here at Dubai Autodrome is always a pleasure and I have to thank my team for a great job.”

AUH Motorsport’s Jordan Grogor bagged the most points at the end of two drama packed GulfSport Radical Cup races. The South African won Race 1 and finished second in Race 2, while his closest rival and team mate Christophe Hissette, who qualified in pole position, had a big shunt after his brakes failed. This forced him to start the second race from the back of the grid, whereupon he did well to finish fifth, but in the process lost valuable points to Grogor.

Dubai Based teenager Ramez Azzam made a welcome appearance in the GulfSport Radical Cup, fresh from a successful season in Formula Renault in Europe. He impressed in his Radical debut and gave one of the best performances of the day, after qualifying third he proceeded to finish second. In race two he was leading when a Code 60 was called as a stricken machine was removed from the track.

With a lap to go on the restart Azzam was caught out while David Field made the most of the situation to take victory ahead of second placed Grogor, with a disappointed Azzam settling for third. Nevertheless the youngster made the Radical fraternity sit up and take note with a polished weekend where he hardly put a foot wrong and missed victory by a whisker.

The next round of the national championships take place on UAE National Race Day 3 on 4 December 2009 at Dubai Autodrome.