Emergence of Racing in Middle East

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JohnBM01

JohnBM01

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I was watching this late night coverage of the FIA GT Championship's finale at the Dubai Autodrome. It got me wondering about the sort of emergence of Middle Eastern racing. Motorsports isn't too foreign to them because I've heard of Middle Eastern rally racing. Istanbul has a good race track with some wonderful scenery. The pits there kind of looks like either a small village or a shopping center (yeah. Call me crazy). Doha was raced on by MotoGP or FIM World Superbike. I don't know too much about the track itself. The Bahrain circuit is basically a jewel in the desert. The Dubai Autodrome looks a bit like a street course or some sort of temporary race track. There seems to be some more Middle East racing involvement. This invested interest in racing in the Middle East has been my motor for this thread. How far do you think Middle Eastern folk can go in racing? I think for the sake of this argument, I probably want to avoid as many political issues as possible. This is about racing and not politics. So what do you think about Middle Eastern involvment in racing from cars, teams, tracks, fans, and drivers?
 
What do I think about it? Well...they are definitely putting a good deal of money and support into the facilities. That has been the trigger for a few international players to run a big race or two there. F1 has been and is returning to race in the Gulf region. As you saw, the FIA GT series ran there last year. Plus there just was a 24 hour race in Bahrain. Check HERE for a quick note about it.

So the good is that they seem to want to start regular spectator events at their tracks. That's great. They seem to be off to a good start. F1 seems to be there solidly. But you just watched the first (correct me if I am wrong) FIA GT race there. For the 2007 season, there is no race in the Middle East scheduled for that series. But the "junior" FIA GT3 series will race there in November. What does that mean? I haven't seen any explanations yet.

There is one other thing that I noticed during the FIA GT race. The commentator spoke a few times about the sand that blows onto the track. Normally at the end of an event, we always see the clean line and the dirty line. Well Dubai has a problem with the sand that is EVERYWHERE out there blowing onto the track surface. This makes things very slippery. It also clogs inlets and grinds in brakes. The clean line gets sand on it and the dirty line gets the sand attaching itself to the hot rubber that spews off of the racing slicks. From what I saw, it was an annoyance at best. But if you know anything about mechanics, sand is horrible on moving parts, lubricated devices, filtration mechanisms...you name it.

I know that the businessmen who started these tracks are well connected and funded. They can bring in some players to start things up and get their circuits "on the map". But without some local series, teams and possibly tuners/manufacturers to keep constant business alive, will any of the facilities survive? And will the sand be a real issue? Time will tell...

SE01
 
FIA GT has raced in Dubai before.

I think that the middle east has a lot to offer to the racing world, especially businesswise. I really can´t see many drivers emerging from there, but rather sponsor and developers, like the A1 GP founder (what´s his name - Makthoum or something.)
 
Dubai is a funny place it doesn't push away western culture like alot of the other Midle-Eastern countys, its like an "island" to all of the other Midle-Eastern countys and you see alot of enteresting things from there. I have a friend that has family form there and as far as cars go the go crazy, HERE is a link to a web site, all of the cars that are on there are from Dubai and some of them are just plain SICK!!

*EDIT* Be shure to check out the videos espeshaly the one with the R33 GT-R vs Hayabusa, the skyline belongs to my friends cousin over there.
 
I've seen quite a bit of Middle Eastern street racing out there on the net, too...the "Camry Drifters" are a notable example...
 
I'm not sure whether to consider the Dubai Autodrome as a jewel-in-the-desert or an urban-area race course. Pictures I've seen of the Dubai Autodrome are quite amazing. It's in one of my dream race track settings whereas you're in the backdrop of a major city while racing on a permanent road course. I personally think Dubai is a beautiful place. Wonder what it would be like if Formula One holds a Grand Prix at this amazing facility.

I have this track for rFactor with the controversial FIA GT mod. Thing is, I don't really note the actual city buildings in the background for the rFactor mod. It's also a pretty competitive circuit. Whoever commissioned this track deserves a pat on the back. You're a winner racing at Bahrain or the Dubai Autodrome as far as Middle Eastern racing goes.
 
[empty space];2989932
if you consider this politics, then, please ignore but ...

... oil money replacing tabaco money?
Click to expand...

Ehm... The oilindustries have backed racing for years. Shell backs Ferrari, Petronas back BMW and so on. Particular oilbrands have also notably been backing racing for decades, most famous must be Gulf. Mobil 1 also backs several racingoutfits AFAIK.
I can also mension Total (Peugeot, Citroën) and Pennzoil (several SuperGT outfits)
 
The Dubai Autodrome is kind of what most urban racing fans would love most-a permanent race track either not far away from a metropolitan area or a permanent race track with a major city in the background. Imagine if New York City had an FIA-spec race track where you can enjoy great racing in the Big Apple while looking out over Upper Manhattan. A couple of YouTube videos I've seen had racers competing on the club circuit of Dubai at night. Heading into the first corner gets you up pretty close to one of the big hi-rises near the track. The Dubai Autodrome (as far as surroundings go) is a kind of track I can appreciate as far as being near a big city like Dubai while having a permanent race track you can have fun racing at. There's nothing Detroit about it, but the Dubai Autodrome kind of markets itself as "MotorCity." Think about it- big city racing when you're not far from downtown Dubai. We all kind of imagine going to a world-class racing facility that's not very far from a major metropolitan or downtown area. That is, unless you're from a rural place or small town. I first learned of this track's surroundings when I seen some pictures from the Speedcar Series out in the Middle East.

I often wonder what will become of Middle Eastern motorsports, especially if it ends up being on par with most American and European and Japanese motorsports. Are we going to start seeing more Middle Easterners race in FIA racing series? Perhaps an all Middle-Eastern team starting in the 24 Hours of Le Mans? Maybe (and this may offend some American folk) some Middle Easterners want to try their hand at some American racing series? Perhaps some Middle Easterners want to give Formula One a try. The sky is really the limit for Middle East folk in motorsports. They already have amazing courses like the Bahrain circuit, Losail, and the Dubai Autodrome. And about why the GTR2 version didn't have those high rises... I probably figured that some of the buildings weren't made or completed by the time SimBin came along with the maps for the Dubai Autodrome. Either way, it's an excellent race track. F1 will race around the streets of Dubai next year, but I wonder how long it will be until the F1 circus rolls into the Dubai Autodrome.
 
I guess it depends. If they find that the Yas Island circuit is absolute crap, they might move to the Dubal Autodrome. But Bernie wants more street circuits on the calendar, and in the wake of his proclamation that no country will host two rounds of a Grand Prix - except, it seems, that of the last double World Champion - then the Dubai Autodrome will never host a round of the World Championship so long as Yas Island is on the calendar (unless someone from the UAE becomes World Champion twice over; then they migt re-consider).
 
I don't follow F1 all that much, so I didn't know that there could be a double Grand Prix in one nation based on whoever the defending world champ is. Imagine if someone like Mark Webber, Takuma Sato, or even Scott Speed (if he were still racing F1) became World Champion and had two GP venues to their respective nations. Where would they go? Hmm... just pulling your leg, mate!
 
Well, the thing was that it changed recently; Germany used to host two rounds: one at Hockenheim, and the other at the Nurburgring under the name "European Grand Prix". Bernie Ecclestone then came out and said that no country would host two Grands Prix, which was probably something to do with the waiting list of other nations who wanted to host an event of their own. I don't know if Germany could have gotten around that by doing what San Marino used to do. Imola is actually in Italy but very near San Marino; the Nurburgring hosted the 1997 round (and possibly a few others) under the title of the Luxembourg Grand Prix, so they may have been able to do the same thing. Shortly after Hockenheim and the Nurburgring came to an agreement where they would host the race in a turn-about fashion, Bernie then went and made a deal with the Valencian council to host a round. It's worth noting that Germany lost one of their races (even if it ws under a different name) right after Michael Schumacher announced his retirement, and Valencia got theirs after Alonso took his second title. While the official version of events is that Valencia offers wider audiences, that's probably in no small part due to the fact that Alonso became so popular.

And if the Valencian round is successful - and the track certainly looks to be one of the most interesting on the calendar - I can see it becoming the home of the Spanish Grand Prix once Alonso retires or Catalunya's contract expires (though they did renew it shortly after the Valencia deal was sealed), largely because Catalunya produces racing that is equal to a procession as it's so often used as a testing venue.

And I'd be a little more concerned as to what would happen if Robert Kubica won ... if he keeps his game up - and his performance in Bahrain certainly look good for him - I can see a Polish Grand Prix in the future.
 
Team666
Ehm... The oilindustries have backed racing for years. Shell backs Ferrari, Petronas back BMW and so on. Particular oilbrands have also notably been backing racing for decades, most famous must be Gulf. Mobil 1 also backs several racingoutfits AFAIK.
I can also mension Total (Peugeot, Citroën) and Pennzoil (several SuperGT outfits)
Click to expand...

heh. guess that shows how little racing ive been able to watch in the past 2-3 years. i knew abut shell and petronas though, i didnt realise total was an oil company though.
 
[empty space];2991781
heh. guess that shows how little racing ive been able to watch in the past 2-3 years. i knew abut shell and petronas though, i didnt realise total was an oil company though.
Click to expand...

It isn`t. It`s an oil brand. Motoroil that is. The oilcompanies, who also make gas, is a different matter.

On the subject of the middle east, I can only say that I`m surprised that noone have tried F1 yet.
A few companisies are involved as sponsors AFAIK, but that`s it.
 
It could get to a level that a Middle Easterner goes to F1 to race for some team like Force India or someone. Not saying he (or even she) will dominate races, but at least there could be a Middle East race car driver that wants to represent the Middle East on a world stage in motorsport. Maybe an all-Middle East team has a three-driver lineup at Le Mans or any LMS races. I know there's a Middle Eastern rally championship. Just wondering how many more would give series like F1 a try.
 
JohnBM01
It could get to a level that a Middle Easterner goes to F1 to race for some team like Force India or someone. Not saying he (or even she) will dominate races, but at least there could be a Middle East race car driver that wants to represent the Middle East on a world stage in motorsport. Maybe an all-Middle East team has a three-driver lineup at Le Mans or any LMS races. I know there's a Middle Eastern rally championship. Just wondering how many more would give series like F1 a try.
Click to expand...
The problem is breaking into the F1 series. A driver needs to do well in GP2 to get offered a drive, and they need to do wel at thir respective feeder series to get into GP2. Probably the best chances of getting a Middle Eastern driver into F1 would be Andreas Zuber; although his name is Austrian (I think), he races under the UAE banner. Or possibly Turkey's Jason Tahinchi (sp?), though I don't know if he's Islamic (not that that's a pre-requisite), but he has ended up in GP2 Asia, and I don't know how that compares to its parent championship, the GP2 series.
 
I believe Sofoglu in World Superbike is from Turkey. Keep in mind that with this topic and most others, going big in motorsport doesn't always mean car racing. It can be a motorcyclist campaigning in MotoGP's World Championship, for example.
 
I get the idea that holding an internationally-recognized or sanctioned motor race is one way to put your country on a map; it's a money-losing situation, but some of these moguls in the Middle East are quite wealthy. If everything organized before and after the race goes through from start to finish, then it shows professionalism. And it's still cheaper than hosting the Summer Olympics.

By the way, there was an attempted Formula Two "Grand Prix of Israel" in 1970, but the race was canceled after practice due to lack of spectator control. It was held in Ashkelon, Israel. An attempt was made to get a race the following year, but it was canceled well before any cars showed up.

gpx1897.jpg


In short, holding a motor race on the Sabbath in Israel was a bad idea.

Williams was sponsored by Al-Alibad and Saudia Airlines from 1978-1983, thanks to connections to Manssour Ojjeh of TAG.
 
Here's my latest contribution to this topic. I'll use the Middle East venues by the increasingly-outdated eTracks ( http://www.etracksonline.co.uk ) web site.



I still regard Bahrain International Circuit as one of the most exciting recent race tracks. It is quite the jewel in the desert. It's an amazing place to see some racing action.

Earler this year, you may have had the opportunity to see the Losail International Circuit illuminated with lots of MUSCO lighting as MotoGP opened their season. The race was simply amazing. Talk about being part of history! Casey Stoner (defending MotoGP champ) won this historic race. (OFF-TOPIC: I now know where Bahrain is in relation to Qatar. Bahrain is a tiny island just northwest of Qatar.)

There are two tracks in Turkey. I know nothing about races at Izmir-Pinabashi, so I won't comment. Meanwhile, Istanbul Park in Ancira, Turkey is one of my other favorite recent tracks. This track has a great rhythm to it. One moment you're picking up speed, then you're having to brake decidedly to take on decisive corners. It's a fun track to race on.

Finally, the United Arab Emirates and their wonderful Dubai Autodrome. I've called the Dubai Autodrome as a jewel in the desert as well as the best permanent race track within proximity of a major city. One website I visited shown off pictures of the 2008 24 Hours of Dubai. It was my first look at Dubai's skyline at night from the race track. I saved one picture to be used as my Desktop image on my PC. It shown a stream of brake lights from passing cars including the lovely skyscrapers in the background. Dubai is ever becoming a futuristic city. Especially if you've seen some of the different videos and pictures and concept buildings to be created in Dubai. It still has a way to go to catch up with Hong Kong as far as being a TRUE futuristic city.

Take a look at pictures of the 2007 24 Hours of Dubai and some of the lovely nighttime pictures: http://www.xpower-racing.com/gallery/showgallery.php?limit=last7&cat=9426



I still want the Middle East to evolve with motorsports. All you mostly hear about the Middle East is of war and many lives lost. At least this is a great diversion from ongoing combat. I still think there will be enough longevity to keep Middle Eastern motorsport alive and well. That's only as long as there's still a great pack of competitors and different racing series and future racers looking to make a name for themselves in the Middle East as well as around the world.

Anyone else want to contribute to this thread with more talk on Middle East racing?
 
Awesome shots in that Gallery, John. It looks like no one showed up to spectate the race though!
 
I looked up Wikipedia on the Yas Island circuit. It looks very interesting as far as its layout (see for yourself here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yas_Island_Circuit ). This track comes in at a long 3.48 mile course. I just feel so mesmerized by the Dubai Autodrome that I think the Duabi Autodrome will be up there as jewels in the desert like Losail and especially Bahrain. Bahrain is one of the best young international courses in the world.

I see this configuration is a counterclockwise/anti-clockwise circuit. Turn 1 looks absolutely imposing. It is a VERY sharp left-hander. You can stretch your legs for a bit out of Turn 2, but be ready to naviate Turns 5 through 7 (especially 7). Let that car's engine hum through the gears to the fastest part of the course before slowing just about all the way down into Turn 8 and again for Turn 9. Turn 11 is another sharp left. Turns 12 and 13 need considerable care. After that, speed gives way to handling with a distinct series of sharp bends and 90-degree corners. Most of this course kind of reminds me of Surfer's Paradise as far as 90-degree corners coming almost one after another in the later stages of each lap. All in all, The configuration looks very interesting. It should be a test of handling as well as how long your engine can hold up.

Formula 1 will race around the streets of Singapore at night. Should the Dubai Autodrome be used, I'm almost tempted into wanting that race to be a night race because I'm such a sucker for city lights (as well as night). Hell, bring MotoGP to that track for a race! The winner(s) of that GT Academy deal will get to race in the Dubai 24 hour race in January next year. A blog I looked up said that this is one of the dumbest ideas ever- competiting in a competition like this... just to drive a Nissan 350Z/Fairlady Z at Dubai. Uh... you get to race on one of the finest recent race tracks in a fairly capable Japanese sports car for 24 hours. Though this is well off-topic, keep up the good work to those GTPlanet people who are racing in the GT Academy deal! Unless... our last hopes for GTPlanet representation in this deal came up short...
 
Well, congratulations! Sure you'll be having a great experience over in fast-growing Dubai. You're from Bulldog (as in the University of Georgia) country, so I hope you'll race as hard and as tough as a Bulldog when you get to the Dubai Autodrome.
 
Here's a little note on autosport.com regarding next year's F1 season finale at Abu Dhabi: < http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71450 >. So it looks like this will be a permanent race course. Should be fun to see Middle Eastern racing action here. My heart still goes to the Dubai Autodrome. Yet, I'll still need to have a better idea as to how this track will drive when cars come to race there.

This could have been an F1 topic, but I brought it here since I didn't intend this to be an F1 topic post. Either way, Yas Island is going to enjoy some racing.
 
You know, I've been using this thread to chat about motorsports in the Middle East. Now for the longest, I've praised the Dubai Autodrome. November 1st will be the debut of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit. As if the Middle East doesn't need any more exhibiting they have lots of money, I'm basically seeing this course as a permanent(?) racing course with a temporary course feel. I hear the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be contested in twilight. I've always had a liking for desert-like settings in evening or twilight conditions. All the pictures and everything suggests that this course will be an absolute marvel. This is just another example of the Middle East getting a lot more emergence in motorsport.

So this is the setup for Middle Eastern racing that I can recall so far:
* Bahrain International Circuit
* Losail Circuit
* Dubai Autodrome
* Yas Marina Circuit

There will be a GP2 race that will help debut this Yas Marina Island course before the F1 crew supplement their miles around this course. Also, the V8 Supercar Series will be racing at this course. I'd say it's a win-win for this great looking course. Question is, will the racing be good enough to where it becomes every bit as exciting to race as Bahrain, or will it be a flop of a course by Herman Tilke? We'll see in two weeks.
 

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