Lechner Racing duo score NGK Endurance win at Dubai Autodrome 19.12.2015: Triller, Frijns win warm-up for Hankook 24H Dubai; Fittipaldi lands MRF Challenge victory

Triller, Frijns win warm-up for Hankook 24H Dubai; Fittipaldi lands MRF Challenge victory

photo caption: MRF Challenge Race 4 podium (L to R) third placed Alessio Picariello, winner Pietro Fittipald and third placed Nikita Troitcki with MRF Managin Director Arun Mammen



Wolgang Triller, Hannes  Waimer and Charlie Frijns, Romain Lutter, Loffredo Ludovic, Pitero Fittipaldi, Alessio Picariello and Jordan Oon all stood on the top step of the podium on Saturday, the final day of the double header race weekend, at Dubai Autodrome.


In the NGK 3 Hour endurance - a prelude to next month's Hankook 24H Dubai - victory went to the Lechner Racing Middle East Porsche shared by Wolgang Triller and Charlie Frijns. The pair complteting 81 laps in the alloted three hours.


Second place went to the GDL Team Asia Porsche shared by Keong Wee Lim and Aaron Lim Say Joon who were 2 laps behind the leaders.



It was heartache for Lim Keon Liam and Bruce Lee, at the wheel of a GDL Team Asia Mercedes SLS GT3, who started from pole position and led early on in the race but were forced to retire with the end in sight.lass winners on the day included:


•    Class 5 winners: Bill Martin and Zaamin Jaffer in the Dragon Racing McLaren

•    Class 1 Winners: Marcel Kusin and Petr Kacirek in the K&K Racing Team BMW

•    Clio Cup Winners: Will Morrison and Colin Boyle in the Renault Clio

•    Class 6 Winners: Ahmed Almelaihi and Miesam Taheri in the Toyota GT86


Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of Formnula 1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi, upheld family honour by winning the MRF Challenge Race 4 of the weekend on Saturday, beating Alessio Picariello by a second and with Nikita Troitcki in third, Tatiana Calderon Foiurth and Nerses Isaakyan rounding out the top five.


Earlier in the day, in Race 3, Picariello took top honours ahead of second placed Troitcki, Fittipaldi in third, Calderon fourth and Harrison Newey, son of Formula 1 design guru Adrian Newey, in fifth.


omain Lutter and Loffredo Ludovic shared driving duties on their way to victory in the 45 minutes Radical Middle East Cup race, ahead of Julian Griffin who drove solo to second place as did third placed Sergey Shalunov.


Friday's winner Richard Ardolino finished fourth with Mikhail Makarovskiy in fifth.




photo caption:    All the NGK 3 Hours trophy winners on the Dubai Autodrome podium


Jordan Oon was unbeatable all weekend in Formula Gulf 1000 winning on Friday and repwating the feat on Saturday, claiming victory by over seven seconds from Cato Poulsen in the runner-up spot and Mashur Bal Hejaila in third.


Thus ended the final weekend of the first half of the 2015-2016 UAE track season at Dubai Autodrome, with action set to resume once again when over 50 teams and more than 400 drivers, along with 100 cars descend on the venue for the 11th edition of the Hankook 24H Dubai - on the weekend of 14-15-16 January 2016.





-Tony Lewis, Total Communications Dubai - also photos