Three days of non-stop action high quality international
motorsport activities aimed at the racing aficionados and
casual fans who want to be part of the big event experience.
The Dubai Motorsport Festival will add a motorsport element
to the city's already well established and prestigious sporting
events such as the Dubai World Cup, the Rugby Sevens, the
Tennis Open and the Desert Classic.
Unlike previous seasons, when the running of the Motorcity
GT500 was limited to one category of international motorsport,
the Dubai Motorsport Festival will host three very different
but equally exciting international series and three classes
of the burgeoning UAE national racing classes.
The three day programme of events will include the Dubai
debut of latest motorsport sensation, the Speedcar Series,
which will feature household names such as Jean Alesi, Johnny
Herbert, Narain Karthikeyan, Stefan Johansson to name a few
of the stars who will be slugging it out in the roaring V8
cars.
A massive grid of the ever popular FIA GT3 European Championship
consisting of the worlds most exotic supercars, turned into
racers, will star at the Dubai Festival Weekend. Fans can
expect one of the largest and most varied grids of cars including
the greatest marques in sports car racing such as Ferrari,
Lamborghini, Ford GT, Corvette, Porsche, Dodge Viper and
Aston Martin.
The highly competitive Formula Campus Renault French Championship
will run it's final round on the Dubai Motorsport Festival
weekend. The series stars young, up and coming drivers single
minded drivers on the early path to Formula One. The young
aspirants who in several year's time could well be household
names. Adding spice to proceedings in Dubai is the fact that
the HSBC Racing Academy drivers Thani Al Thani, Mohammad
Al Abdooli, Khalid Al Mutawaa and Dubai based Courtyard by
Marriott driver Ramez Azzam will take on the cream of French
racing talent on home soil.
In what is a major fillup for local motorsport the Dubai
Motorsport Festival weekend will provide an international
stage for UAE national racing by including on the bill races
for Saloon Cars, Superbike style motorcycles and the Le Mans
style Radicals Series.
The on track activities will be spread over the three days
with Thursday being dedicated to practice and qualifying
sessions for the international and the national classes.
The race programme on Friday and Saturday will be similar
with a race for each category - Speedcar, GT3, Formula Campus
Renault, national Saloon Cars, national motorcycles and Radical
Series - on both days.
Dubai Autodrome Sales & Marketing Manager Peter Burns
commented,
'We hope to grow the Dubai Motorsport Festival into the premier
annual motorsport event in the Middle East outside of the
two Formula One events in the region. It is going to be more
than just another race. Plans are in place to make it a must
attend annual social sporting event aimed beyond devoted
motor racing fans and appealing to a broader public. Hence
there will be side shows throughout the weekend in designated
entertainment areas to satisfy anyone from autograph hunting
kid through to socialites wanting to be seen at the high
profile event - and all those in between.'
Due to the increased demand for five star and corporate
style entertainment at the circuit during events, the weekend
will feature the launch of Dubai Autodrome's new state-of-the-art
Paddock Hospitality situated above the pit lane. The VIP
complex offers gourmet catering and beverages in the heart
of the action and glamour of the event. The area is also
ideally suited to corporate guests and companies wanting
to maximise the full potential of their involvement in the
Dubai Motorsport Festival.
The city can brace itself for a sumptuous feast of motorsport
in November at the Dubai Autodrome.