UAE: Sportbike Championship preview

Bravest of the brave go to war in the UAE Sportbike Championship

Ask anyone after a National Race Day at Dubai Autodrome, even the racing drivers, who are the bravest of the brave out on track? The answer will invariably the heroes who do battle in the UAE Sportbike Championship. The two wheel brigade who trade paint in some of the fastest and most furious racing you will see anywhere. They will line up on the grid at Dubai Autodrome for the first round of the UAE National Championships on Friday 16 october 2009.

UAE Sportbike Championship is invariably one the highlights of a UAE National Race Day. The speed and sound of the state-of-the-art motorcycles combined with the gravity defying cornering ability of the top riders makes Sportbike racing popular with fans and competitors alike. The Championship for 2009/2010 will consist of two production based classes, one for 1000cc Sportbikes and one for 600cc Sportbikes.

Race fans are in for a bumper year of Sportbike racing with major manufacturers such as Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati, Aprilia and for the first time Triumph will be lining up on the grid for what is likely to be one of the toughest and closest contested championships in years.

Kawasaki are in a state of high readiness and have entered the two time DAMC Sprint Challenge Champion Hennie Sauerman on a ZX10-R and will have a second 1000 Class machine for veteran Jim Drane and occasional international guest riders. Joining the team is Bahraini ace Omran Al Sayed who will campaign in the 600 Class.

Also ready and eager is the world's fastest 50-something year old rider Rod Scott who will, as usual, be Yamaha mounted and is in the 1000 Class by Hussein Al Kooheji who last season was 600 Class champion. This pairing of experience and youth should be one of the most effective out there this season.

Saudi speedster Abdul Aziz Bakr Bin Laden is back on the local scene after leaving mid-way through last season to sharpen his skills and gain experience abroad. Formerly with Kawasaki, Abdul Aziz returns on a potent Aprilia RSV4 and according to reports heads up a triple pronged Aprilia onslaught on the UAE Sportbike Championship. The other riders have yet to be announced.

Veteran Canadian racer Grant Yake will once again spearhead the Suzuki challenge on the title and with Yake back to full fitness he is likely to feature in the pace setting pack. Reigning Champion Juzar Motiwala is another likely campaigner for Honda but at time of writing his participation was yet to be confirmed.

Privateer team Vendetta Racing have acquired two Triumphs Daytona 675s for Alan Boyter and Mahmoud Tannir, which they will debut in the opening race later this month. Their progress on the triple cylinder machines which have in a short while earned a very favourable racing pedigree.

A number of riders are on the throes of entering the 1000 Class, but at time of writing had to finalise their campaigns. Other confirmed entries include Damien van Blerk and John Herman on big Ducati's and the local scene's most improved rider Rob Nicholas on a Honda CBR1000RR.

With the arrival of the latest superbikes and their appearance in the production based UAE Sportbike Championship the scene is set for one of the tightest contests in local motorsport with a several riders with title aspirations in both the 1000 Class and the 600 Class.

UAE National Race Day 1 takes place at Dubai Autodrome on Friday, 16 October 2009, with the first race of the year to be flagged off at 11.30am. There will be free admission for race fans who will have access to the grandstand and full access to the paddock which ensures that they are up close to the action. Also on the bill are the UAE GT Championship, UAE Sportbike Championship and the Gulf Sport Radical Cup.

-credit: dubaiautodrome