THE RACE HEADLINED THE EXCITING RETURN OF YAS RACING SERIES TO YAS MARINA CIRCUIT Also, in the TRD 86 Cup, the weekend witnessed one of the toughest and closest races in the Championship’s history as Karim Al Azhari put up a thrilling first round title defence, with three new drivers entering this homegrown, single-make championship Drivers also battled it out in the NGK Series and Radical Middle East Cup during a full weekend of racing at the Circuit Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE, October 31, 2016: This weekend saw the local motorsport season get off to a flying start with the inaugural weekend of the 2016-17 Yas Racing Series held at Yas Marina Circuit - the home of the F4 UAE Championship. Held under the umbrella of Yas Motor Racing Club, drivers from across the UAE lined up at the home of the FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX for three thrilling days of racing action across numerous championships. Friday saw the return of fan favourite, the single-make TRD 86 Cup, for its third successive season, supported once again by Toyota Racing Development (TRD). Alongside familiar faces in the Gold and Silver classes, new entrants Burt Grogor, David Bright and Hamdan Al Ghefhri lined up on the grid for the first time. And what a return it was! In what turned out to be one of the most epic battles ever fought in the championship’s three seasons, Friday’s first race was a non-stop fight for supremecy consisting of bumper-to-bumper dicing and intense overtaking action. In a tremendous scrap, the drivers pushed to the limit and the lead spot changed hands numerous times in a nail-biting race. In the end experience paid off as it was two-time reigning champion, Karim Al Azhari, who snatched the victory with a time of 21 minutes and 56.407 seconds. Gregory Pain and Shihab Al Faheem placed second and third, crossing the line almost neck and neck shortly afterwards at 22.00.402 and 22.00.627, respectively. Race 2 again saw Al Azhari triumphant with a first-place finish in 21.40.281, shaving over 15 seconds off his Race 1 result. Al Faheem finished in second with a time of 21.49.723 and new face on the grid, Bert Grogor, fought off fierce competition to take third with 21.53.454. Following his strong start to the third season, Karim Al Azhari, said: “The competition is great, I expected some of the drivers to be a bit rusty after the long summer break, but I was pleasantly surprised and that sets this championship apart from others. The cars are easy to drive and control on the track, even the newcomers have shown great skills, with Bert Grogor taking the lead for a while during the second race. That is the beauty of the TRD 86 Cup, the door is open to anyone and you have to work really hard to win.” Race 2 runner up, Shihab Al Faheem, added: “It feels great to back at Yas Marina Circuit to compete in the TRD 86 Cup. The championship is evolving year on year, and the races are always action packed and feature position changes in each lap. I am glad with today’s results, the reverse grid for the second race makes it harder, meaning I had to push through from the end of the pack to get to second place.” Yas Marina Circuit as the ‘Home of F4 UAE’ finally welcomed the teams in the kick-off event of the highly anticipated Formula 4 UAE. The young talented drivers officially flagged off in the single-seater, FIA-accredited competition with the Formula 4 UAE Trophy. The Trophy - the first of many Formula 4 UAE races due to take place at Yas Marina Circuit on this season’s calendar - allows the drivers to gain valuable seat and track time ahead of the Formula 4 UAE Championship, which will run across 18 rounds over six separate weekends and begins in November - the majority of races will take place at the iconic home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Jonathan Aberdein finished Race 1 in first place with a time of 20.10.602, just pipping the youngest driver on the grid, 15-year-old Logan Sargeant (20.11.543) to second, with Ricky Donison finishing third in 20.37.201. The podium for Races 2 & 3 were carbon copies of the first, with Aberdein, Sargeant and Donison claiming first, second and third, respectively. “It’s been a great weekend of racing here at Yas Marina Circuit and I’m happy with my performance. Now I’m looking forward to the Championship. It’s been great to race on a track which will be hosting the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in just a few weeks’ time,” said Aberdein, after his impressive debut performance. Speaking after the race, Faisal Al Sahlawi, Head of Business Development at Yas Marina Circuit, said: “We are delighted to welcome both familiar and new faces to the Circuit as part of this weekend’s Yas Racing Series. With the addition of the Formula 4 UAE as well as the return of the TRD 86 Cup, now in its third consecutive year, we have fulfilled our intention of growing sustainable, grassroots motor racing competitions through Yas Motor Racing Club. “Congratulations must go to everyone that took part over the weekend. The display of talent and ability has been phenomenal and truly demonstrates why Yas Marina Circuit is ‘The Meeting Place of Champions’ or ‘future champions’ in some cases! We can’t wait for the next round.” In the Radical Middle East Cup Race 1 Sergey Shalunov finished 19 laps in a time of 45.11.468 putting him in first position, Jefferier Voicu finished in second and Farmer De Lorenzi third. In Race 2 it was all change with Jani Hjerppe finishing first, followed by Al Nusif-Al Nusif, leaving Sergey Shalunov having to settle for third. In the NGK Race 1 Leon Price took the chequered flag, with Tani Hanna finishing second and Jim Michaelian third. Rob Baraff won Race 2, leaving Hanna having to settle for second place and Michaelian again in third. The Formula 4 UAE Championship will commence on 18thand 19thNovember at the Dubai Autodrome with Yas Racing Series returning in the New Year for Round 2, taking place from 9th- 11thFebruary 2017 at Yas Marina Circuit. To catch up on all of the Yas Racing Series action, please visit YasTV - the official online TV channel and home of video content for Yas Marina Circuit, the UAE's most exciting sporting and entertainment venue and host of the #AbuDhabiGP. YasTV takes you right to the heart of the circuit’s leading stories and keeps your finger squarely on the motorsport pulse. So, whether you’re looking for the most up-to-date racing news featuring heart-stopping local action or updates on the latest ComYAS health and fitness events, or just need more info on Yas Marina Circuit’s wide range of available driving and gifting experiences, you can find everything you need to know, and more, at: www.youtube.com/user/YasMarinaCircuit
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