Dragon Racing Ferrari dominate NGK Racing Series in Dubai 12.03.2016: Winners on the day include, Benham, Hanna, England, Dennis, Al Naimi, Binladin, Al Azhari

Winners on the day include, Benham, Hanna, England, Dennis, Al Naimi, Binladin, Al Azhari, Al Melaihi, Murphy and Young




Caption:     Dragon Racing Ferrari drivers Michael Benham and Tani Hanna scored a win apiece in the NGK Racing Series


Ferrari dominated the NGK Racing Series, during the UAE national race day at Dubai Autodrome, as the two Dragon Racing machines driven by Tani Hanna and Michael Benham took a win apiece, while in the UAE Sportbike races Abdul Azziz Binladin and Mashel Al Naimi claimed a victory each with Karim Al Azhari and Ahmed Al Melaihi winning a race each in the TRD 86 Cup.


Hanna won the first of two NGK Racing Series races on the day by three seconds from Benham, but the latter - racing at the Autodrome for the very first time - won a close fought Race 2 by one and a half seconds from Hanna.


Benham said after his Race 2 victory, “Really a good weekend. It was my first time in Dubai and also first time at this circuit. More than happy with the result and totally unexpected, so absolutely delighted. I will be back for sure.”


In Class 1 Peter England scored two wins in his Vauxhall, with BMW driver Marcel Kusin runner-up on both occasions. Simon Dennis also scored a double win on the day in the Clio Cup / Class 2 races. He was chased hard by Alexandros Annivas and Will Morrison, both in Renault Clios, who finished second and third respectively.


Reigning UAE champion Abdulazizi Binladin and multiple Qatar champion Mashel Al Naimi shared a win each in UAE Sportbikes Championship, Kawasaki mounted Binladin winning Race 1 with Al Naimi scoring a DNF due to a technical issue on his Yamaha. Fahad Al Suwaidi was second on his Honda, with Ahmed Almuyni third. Kris Murphy on a Yamaha was top rookie.


Al Naimi bounced back from Race 1 disappointment, setting the fastest lap by a healthy margin on his way to scoring a dominant victory over Yamaha rider Nawaf Al Shuaibi, with Leigh Young in third doing enough to claim the Rookie Cup, and Binladin was fourth.


Al Naimi said afterwards, “I had a problem with the master cylinder on my bike in the first race. For Race 2 I chose to take my teammate's bike and won the race. I am very happy and want to thank my teammate Fahad Al Suwaidi for his sporting gesture.”


Multiple UAE champion and veteran racer Karim Al Azhari won Race 1 of the TRD Cup and finished second in Race 2.


In the first race, Mohammed Ghaffar crossed the line one second adrift of the winner to claim second, ahead of Ahmed Al Melaihi in third.


Al Melaihi managed to pull away in Race 2 to win by over six seconds while behind him Al Azhari and Ghaffar slugged it out on their way to second and third respectively.


Results: http://www.mylaps.com/en/events/1240107



- Lindsay Johnston, Total Communications Dubai - also photo