After four days of intensive testing the GP2 Asia teams have taken a one day break before the serious business of championship racing kicks off on Friday as part of the Grand Racing event at Dubai Autodrome. Some astounding lap times were set during the test, GP2 cars are by far the fastest racing cars witnessed at the circuit.

The tests provided teams with ample opportunity to tweak and hone their cars for the forthcoming season. Star of the four day sessions was Frenchman Romain Grosjean of the ART Grand Prix team who was regularly the fastest man on track and topped the time sheets more often than not. His team has championship pedigree as they powered Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton to GP2 Grand Racing glamour & glitztitles in 2005 and 2006 respectively.

Also at the sharp end of proceedings throughout the tests were reigning champion team iSport International whose drivers Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok were regularly among the pace setters with Chandhok topping the time sheets on one occasion, while Senna kept Grosjean within striking distance throughout.

Most impressive were the only Asian team, newcomers, Qi-Meritus.Mahara who have entered the series with a big bang and have impressed everyone with their approach and enthusiasm. On track they mean business too. Experienced Luca Filippi was constantly among the top runners while his Japanese team mate Hiroki Yoshimoto started off getting to grips with the car before setting an impressive fourth fastest time of the final session.

Others to watch come race day are: Jérôme d’Ambrosio (DAMS), Andy Soucek (DPR), Marco Bonanomi (Piquet Sports), Sébastien Buemi (Trust Team Arden) and Adrian Valles (FMS International) who were all impressive throughout the four days of testing. With the top ten driver’s lap times, in each session, within one second fans are in for a treat of very close racing.

The scene is set for a major battle over two days of what is sure to be action packed and drama filled racing as the future stars of Formula 1 clash for the first time at Dubai Autodrome in the inaugural GP2 Asia series.

Part of the Grand Racing show will be the Speedcar Series which will feature former Formula One greats such as Jean Alesi, Johnny Herbert, Gianni Morbidelli and Stefan Johansson will take on a host of up and coming drivers including the likes of Matthias Lauda, Narain Karthikeyan, Moreno Soepaptro, Nicolas Navarro and the UAE’s very own Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum. Throw in to the mix sportscar and tin top aces such as Uwe Alzen, David Terrien, Fabien Giroix, Nico Caldarola – let this illustrious group loose in thundering V8 purpose built stock cars – and the ingredients for great blockbuster racing is on the cards.

Fan friendly atmosphere are the buzz words as the Speedcar Series organizers will be bending over backwards to allow race fans to mingle with their heroes and given an inside look into one of the most exciting new racing series’ to be contrived in recent years. On the support bill is the increasingly popular one make Lumina CSV Middle East Championship will return to the Dubai Autodrome for the third round of the series on Grand Racing weekend. The cream of the region’s tin top drivers will continue their battle for the coveted championship prize: a test drive in the legendary Aussie V8 Valvoline-sponsored Holden Commodore run by Gary Rogers.

Also featuring is the Gulf Radical Cup, fast and furious Le Mans style cars, will also feature on the weekend’s action packed bill with the likes of Bassam Kronfli, Maurits Knopjes and local hero Omran Al Owais slugging it out in front of an international audience.Speedcar big power A bonus for race fans is that Dubai Autodrome in partnership with Al Habtoor Motors have made available two Mitsubishi Galant 3.8 V6 cars which will raffled during each day of the Grand Racing weekend on 25 and 26 January at the circuit. Two lucky fans, on Friday and another on Saturday, will drive home in a brand new car as part of the exciting activities planned for what is sure to be an action packed weekend of entertainment and top class motorsport. There really is only one place to be this weekend….

GRAND RACING AT DUBAI AUTODROME
FRIDAY 25 & SATURDAY 26 JANUARY 2008
PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE

THURSDAY 24TH JANUARY – PRACTICE DAY
15.45 – 16.15  Gulf Radical session 1
16.30 – 17.00  Lumina CSV free practice session
17.15 – 17.45  Gulf Radical session 2

FRIDAY 25th JANUARY – RACE DAY 1Gp2 Asia featuring top race teams and drivers
08.30 – 09.00  GP 2 Asia practice session
09.30 – 10.30  Speedcar practice session
11.00 – 11.30  GP 2 Asia qualifying session
12.00 – 12.30  Speedcar qualifying session
BREAK
13.00   Speedcar Pit lane open
13.05 – 13.20  Speedcar Grid walk
13.30(f) Race 1  Speedcar – Race 1       45mins
14.25 – 14.35  Speedcar podium
4.40 – 15.00  Gulf Radical Cup qualifying session
15.05 GP 2 Asia Pit lane open
15.15        GP 2 Asia Pit lane closed
15.30(f) Race 2  GP 2 Asia – Race 1      (75mins) 42 laps
16.50 – 17.00  GP 2 Asia podium
Practice
17.10 – 17.40  Lumina qualifying session

SATURDAY 26th JANUARY – RACE DAY 2
09.00 Race 3  Gulf Radical Cup – Race 1      12 laps
09.55 – 10.10  Speedcar warm up
10.35 Race 4  Lumina CSV – Race 1    10 laps
11.30 Race 5  Gulf Radical Cup – Race 2      12 laps
BREAK
F1 Theme Park Presentation on Start/Finish straight
12.35 GP 2 Asia Pit lane open
12.45 GP 2 Asia pit lane closed
13.00(f) Race 6  GP 2 Asia – Race 2      (45mins) 28 laps
13.50 – 14.00  GP 2 Asia podium
14.30   Speedcar pit lane open
14.30 – 14.45  Speedcar Grid walk
15.00(f) Race 7  Speedcar – Race 2       45mins
15.55 – 16.05  Speedcar podium

16.20 Race 8  Lumina CSV Championship ME – Race 2    10 laps